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Four people are killed in record-breaking rain at Japan's Narita Airport
Record?rainfall? left thousands of travellers at Tokyo's Narita Airport on Friday, as flooding in the area disrupted transportation and knocked out electricity to homes. At least four people died. In Chiba Prefecture, which is adjacent to?the capital Tokyo and flooded roads and trains during the busiest week of the year, more than 360 millimetres fell in just 24 hours. Four?deaths? have been confirmed by authorities, one of whom is trapped in a submerged car, and another is missing. Soldiers were dispatched in the area to assist with relief efforts. Toshihito kumagai, Chiba governor, told reporters Friday morning that the case presented was "extremely unusual." "I've responded to many disasters in the past, but i've never seen a situation like this." Tokyo Electric Power reported that more than 22,000 homes were still without electricity at 11:00 am (0200 GMT) on Friday. In Chiba, one of Japan's worst-hit areas, hundreds of residents slept under foil blankets in government buildings that served as temporary evacuation centers. A spokesperson for the airport said that the disruption in transport left approximately 7,000 people stranded. All flights are expected to operate normally Friday. Japan Airlines has said that some flights could experience delays, but there are no cancellations expected at this time. According to highway operator NEXCO East, some?major roads in?Chiba are closed, forcing drivers on alternate routes and causing heavy congestion. On Friday morning, several rail services were also suspended, although some trains linking Narita to Tokyo resumed service, helping ease congestion at the international transportation hub. NHK footage showed that hundreds of passengers waited overnight to receive blankets, snacks, and water bottles from airport staff before sleeping in the terminal. NHK reported that an American passenger stranded at the airport with his family said, "We will never forget this trip." (Reporting and editing by Stephen Coates, Hina Suzuki, Mariko Katsumura)
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Brazilian airline Azul cuts capacity in the third quarter, but expects growth thereafter
John Rodgerson, the Chief Executive Officer of Azul Airlines, said that the airline expects to reduce capacity again in the third quarter following recent major cuts. Then it will return to growth for the final three months of the year. Azul reduced its capacity in the second quarter by an unprecedented 10.6% compared to the same period last year, with a reduction of 24.9% in international operations. This was due to the disruptions caused by the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran, which pushed up jet fuel prices. Rodgerson said, "The fuel crisis peaked in the second quarter and it is also the weakest quarter for the year." "We cut capacity because we believed it was the right thing to do." The Brazilian carrier is the largest in terms of number cities served. It expects to reduce its capacity by around 4% during the third quarter, before returning to growth by 'the fourth quarter, as it completes its transition to a widebody aircraft. Rodgerson said that he remains optimistic about Brazil's airline market. He cited the resilient demand. He said, "The fundamentals are good in Brazil at the moment and we think we're well-positioned." "Wars and crisis don't last forever." Azul reported a record operating revenue for the second quarter of 4,98 billion reais (960 million dollars), up 0.7% on a year ago. However, core earnings fell 55.4% to 5010.1 million reais as fuel costs per liter soared by 61.8%. The company said that higher fares offset a part of the cost increase. Was it the final result that we desired? "Of course not. Fuel costs rose?by almost 700 million reais?during the third quarter, and we reduced?capacity. This was always going be a quarter of transition," Rodgerson stated, highlighting higher unit revenues and operational improvements.
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Four people are killed in record-breaking rain at Japan's Narita Airport
On Thursday morning, thousands of passengers were stranded in Tokyo's Narita Airport due to record rainfall. Flooding in the area had disrupted travel and knocked out electricity for homes. At least four people died. In Chiba Prefecture, near the capital Tokyo, more than 360 millimetres rained in just 24 hours, flooding roads and railways, and knocking out electricity to nearly 25,000 homes during one of Japan's most busy holiday weeks. The authorities have confirmed four deaths so far, including one trapped in a submerged vehicle. Soldiers were 'dispatched to assist with relief efforts. Toshihito Kumagai, Chiba governor, told reporters Thursday morning that the situation was "extremely unusual" even compared to Japan's weather history. "I've responded to many disasters, but this is the first time I've seen a situation like this." A spokesperson for the airport said that approximately 7,000 passengers were stranded in Narita due to the transport disruption. All flights are expected to operate "normally" on Thursday. Japan Airlines has said that some flights could experience delays, but there are no cancellations expected at this time. According to NEXCO - East, major highways in Chiba remain closed. This includes routes connecting Narita Airport, one of Japan's most important international transport hubs. On Thursday morning, several rail services were still suspended. However, some trains between Narita and Tokyo resumed service. (Reporting and editing by Mariko Katsumura and Hina Suzuki)
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PJM offers plan to purchase more power for data centres
PJM Interconnection is the largest?U.S. grid operator. Grid operator proposed on Thursday to federal regulators a backstop plan to purchase more?power?generation in order to avoid outages due to the surge of electricity needs for data centers. PJM, the company that manages electricity for 67,000,000 people across a region stretching from Washington, D.C., to Chicago, has filed the proposal at the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, who would need to approve any move by the grid operator. The proposal highlights the growing tension between data center expansion and the ability of the power grid to keep pace. If PJM is unable to close the supply gap, residents and businesses will face a greater number of blackouts. The cost of the new generation may be passed onto consumers with no connection to data?centers. PJM recently held a capacity auction where power prices were capped at $325 per megawatt day. PJM's reliability requirement for meeting projected demand was 6.8 gigawatts short despite the high prices meant to encourage the construction of 'new power plants. This'shortfall raises the risks of grid -blackouts. PJM would like to close this gap with its proposed procurement plan. The results of the plan will be revealed in December. Critics of PJM’s proposal claim that the grid operator has failed to attract billions of dollars for new generating sources to meet the increasing energy demand of data centers. Don Mosier is the chief executive officer of East Kentucky Power Cooperative which provides energy to 1.2 million people and businesses. Mosier's comments appear in a letter sent to the U.S. Energy Department on August 6. PJM's proposals, according to the company, are designed to prevent residential customers from being charged higher energy costs due to the expansion of data centres. PJM also proposed creating a "registry" for data centers, and other large energy consumers that would track their location and electricity usage. PJM suggests that for data centers which do not'supply' their own electricity, it should temporarily cut off the electricity at the?sites during periods of extreme grid stress to prevent rolling blackouts. PJM stated that it does not have the power to cut off the electricity to these sites and would need the cooperation of each state government. The rapid growth of data centers has become a political headache for PJM, which includes Virginia, the home of the largest data center collection in the world. Residents are becoming increasingly concerned about the costs of powering data centers they consider noisy and intrusive. (Reporting By Tim McLaughlin; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
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Derailment of UK passenger train in southeast England causes 11 injuries
The British Transport Police said that the derailment?of a passenger train near Lewes station in southeast England?on?Thursday?left?two people with serious injuries and nine other persons with less severe injuries. British Transport Police reported that three carriages of the train rolled onto their side after the incident was reported at 3:44 pm local time. The police reported that a number of passengers were trapped at first but they have now been safely evacuated. At the scene, emergency services including Sussex Police, local fire, ambulance and rescue?teams and Sussex Police responded. Some of the injured were treated on site while others were transported to local hospitals. No immediate reports have been made of any injuries. In a press release, Assistant Chief Constable Ian Drummond-Smith said: "We have declared a major accident and an emergency response is ongoing at the scene. All passengers on the train are now safely evacuated from the service." He said that authorities are supporting the Rail Accident Investigation Branch's efforts to determine the cause of the derailment. In a recent post on 'X, Heidi Alexander, the Transport Minister said that the Government was 'working quickly with the rail industry to help passengers. (Reporting and editing by Andrew Heavens and David Goodman, and Aurora Ellis.)
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US revises Jones Act compliance rules and extends waiver of 90-day Jones Act.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced on Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security approved a second 90-day extension to a Jones Act waiver originally issued on March 17, 2026. This will allow certain cargoes covered by the Jones Act to continue moving between U.S. port on foreign flagged vessels under specified conditions. The waiver will begin on August 17, 2026 at 12 a.m. The CBP guidance stated that the waiver will begin on August 17, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. ET. CBP stated that any product covered must be loaded onto a vessel by 11:59 pm ET on November 15, 2026. ET, November 15, 2026. The agency also released a list of updated potentially covered products on August 17. CBP stated that "this?guidance serves as a notice of significant changes to the waiver requests process." Before a voyage starts, parties wishing to use a vessel flying a foreign flag under the waiver must submit a "vessel availabilty request" to the Department of War(DOW), Maritime Administration(MARAD) and CBP. CBP stated that the request must include information such as the vessel owner, the date of the voyage, the ports of loading and discharging, the cargo description, the frequency of shipment, the identity of the vessel, etc. MARAD will conduct a survey to determine if a U.S. vessel with coastwise qualifications is available for the transport. DOW will then decide if the waiver is applicable to the proposed trip based on the survey results. CBP said that the trade?community member initiating the request would contact the appropriate carriers to arrange transport. Carriers who operate foreign-flagged ships under the waiver must submit voyage information to CBP, and MARAD post-voyage report within 10 days after the completion of the voyage. This includes cargo details and the justification for waiver.
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UAE claims Iran attacked two ADNOC ships in Strait of Hormuz, but there were no injuries
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company reported that two of its vessels were attacked Thursday evening while they transited the Strait of Hormuz. No injuries were reported. This was the second incident in which ADNOC vessels were involved in less than one week. The UAE condemned an alleged Iranian attack against a vessel associated with the state oil company on Saturday as it crossed the strait. According to WAM, the state news agency of the UAE, ADNOC has confirmed that the situation is under control. The UAE Foreign Ministry condemned a "hostile Iranian assault" on the two ADNOC ships. The UAE Foreign Ministry said that Iran's Revolutionary Guards committed "acts piracy" in targeting commercial shipping, and using the Strait of Hormuz as a means of economic pressure or extortion. This posed a threat to regional stability and global energy safety. WAM and the Foreign Ministry did not provide any details on the ships, their cargo or any possible damage. There were no reported injuries. The IRGC or Iran's Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment. Before the conflict, a fifth (or more) of the world's oil & liquefied gas was transported through the narrow waterway that connects Oman to Iran. Shipping has been disrupted repeatedly since the U.S. and Israel war against Iran began on February '28. This has increased freight rates, and raised security concerns. Iran's Revolutionary?Guards had previously threatened to take action against vessels that transited the strait if their crews were linked with Tehran's enemies or failed to?obey Iranian directives. ADNOC stated on Friday that it had been'significantly affected' by unprovoked attacks against its personnel and assets. It continued to meet customer demands in an "exceptionally difficult environment." ADNOC is Abu Dhabi's state oil company. It is the largest energy producer in the world and exports crude, natural gas, and refined products to countries around. Reporting by Enas Alashray and Eman Aboushassira, Editing by Chris Reese and Rod Nickel
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Bird remains found on 737 engine after Ryanair Greek incident
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board reported on Thursday that bird remains were discovered in the 'engine' of a Ryanair Boeing 737 NG where a 'passenger' was partially sucked out through a broken window in July. The NTSB investigates the incident in which a piece from the engine of the plane broke and smashed a window. The plane was headed for Germany when it lost pressure, forcing the pilot to land in an emergency. In its preliminary report on the July 10 incident, the NTSB stated that there were four suspected bird strikes against the No. 2 engine of the aircraft. The flight crew reported that the No. 2 engine was damaged in the year before the accident. It was reported that "bird remains" were found in two?cases, although there was no damage discovered during the subsequent maintenance. The NTSB said that the CFM engine, made by a joint venture between France’s Safran and U.S. based General Electric, had been inspected?in May without any findings. Boeing and Ryanair declined comment on Thursday. GE and Safran did not respond to requests for comment. The NTSB is an independent U.S. agency that investigates accidents in civil aviation. It is leading the investigation of the Ryanair flight. The agency is still examining whether this incident is similar to others, such as the April 2018 engine failure that killed a passenger on a U.S.?Southwest?Airlines flight whose partial sucked-out window was fatal. The report stated that "the investigative team was aware of prior... events with similar engine models which resulted in damage engine?inlets, cowlings or fuselage structures." The investigation is still ongoing to determine if there are any similarities or details that can be drawn between this accident and other events. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in an interview: "I don't think the early indications are that (the recent Ryanair problem) mimics what the Southwest incident was." In an interview, Bryan Bedford said: "I do not think that the Ryanair incident is similar to the Southwest incident." (Reporting from David Shepardson, Washington; Allison Lampert, Montreal; editing by Matthew Lewis).
How most likely is an Air Canada strike and what effect would it have?
Air Canada and its pilots are locked in a standoff over a new labor agreement and face a deadline by Sunday to reach a deal that would avert strike action.
WHERE DO THE TALKS STAND?
If the 2 celebrations do not reach an agreement by the end of Saturday, Sept. 14, they will both have the choice to problem either a strike or lockout notice, which would trigger Air Canada's three-day plan to wind down operations.
The airline company would gradually cancel flights over three days, with a complete shutdown as early as 00:01 EDT (0401. GMT) on Wednesday, Sept. 18.
On Thursday, Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau stated the. airline company was still dedicated to reaching an offer but implicated the. pilots' union of making extreme wage demands.
The union has stated a strike could be avoided if Air Canada. works out a reasonable contract.
WHAT EFFECT WOULD A STRIKE HAVE?
Air Canada and its inexpensive Air Canada Rouge subsidiary. together run almost 670 flights per day, and a shutdown. might impact 110,000 passengers daily along with freight. carriage.
It is Canada's largest airline company, flying to more than 180. airports worldwide. The strike will likewise likely result in. less flights for American tourists as the airline flies. guests from U.S. cities to Europe and Asia through its. Canadian hubs.
In a research note, Desjardins economic experts estimated a. two-week pilot strike might result in a loss of around C$ 1.4. billion ($ 1.03 billion) to Canada's real GDP in September,. implying everyday losses of roughly C$ 98 million.
A spokesperson for Air Canada said once the airline starts. executing its wind-down strategy, it would trigger days and weeks. of disturbances.
Air Canada estimates it can take close to eight hours for. its maintenance group to have each airplane all set for a return to. service. That indicates it will take four to 5 days to bring all. aircraft back into service.
WHAT ARE THE ISSUES INVOLVED THE DISPUTE?
Air Canada's 5,400 pilots are demanding wage rates that. would narrow the pay space with their equivalents at significant U.S. providers such as United Airlines.
Pilots at U.S. airline companies have negotiated substantial pay raises in. brand-new contracts in the previous two years, helped by a travel boom and. staffing shortages. United's brand-new pilot contract, for instance,. consisted of pay boosts of about 42%.
As a result, some United pilots now earn 92% more than their. equivalents at Air Canada, according to information from the Air Line. Pilots Association, which represents the provider's pilots. In. 2013, the pay space was simply 3%.
The association states Air Canada pilots are working under pay. rates and quality-of-life arrangements negotiated in 2014.
Rousseau said Air Canada had used a wage increase of more. than 30%, as well as improved pension and health advantages in the. new agreement.
WILL THE GOVERNMENT INTERVENE?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated on Friday the federal government. would not intervene and planned instead to pressure both sides. to avoid a strike.
On Thursday, Air Canada took the unusual action of saying the. federal government must be all set to step in to avoid a. strike. While Ottawa has actually intervened several times in labor. disputes over the last few decades, it just did so after. interruptions have begun, not previously.
Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon has broad powers to. deal with conflicts and last month stepped in within 24 hr to end. an interruption at the two largest rail business, Canadian Pacific. Kansas City and Canadian National Railway.
That relocation was denounced by unions and slammed by the. federal New Democratic Celebration, which has assisted keep Canada's. minority Liberal government in power through a deal offering. automated support. Previously this month NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. withdrew that support.
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY FLIGHT IS CANCELED?
If Air Canada cancels a flight due to the fact that of a strike by its. own workers, the airline must provide to rebook guests complimentary. of charge on the next available flight offered by any provider,. or use a refund and transportation to return passengers to. their point of origin.
Air Canada has actually offered flexible travel waivers for. guests set up to fly Sept. 15-23. The airline has stated it. is likewise dealing with other carriers to secure seats for. clients to alleviate the effect of its flight cancellations.
However, it advised clients to accept refunds or future. travel credit as seats on other airline companies are expected to be. limited.
Under Canada's airline company passenger security guidelines,. consumers will not be entitled to cash payment for expenditures. sustained as an outcome of delayed or canceled flights due to labor. disruption if they are flying within Canada. Travelers. traveling internationally may be entitled to payment.
(source: Reuters)