Latest News
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Greece adjourns trial for deadly train crash in 2023 to April 1.
The trial for a 2023 train crash in Greece that killed 57 people was adjourned shortly after it began owing to poor conditions in the courtroom and protests outside. Judges cited sound problems as the reason for the adjournment. Lawyers and family members complained about the size of the room, which was a converted hall from an old university. On February 28, 2023, a passenger train with students collided at Tempi (central Greece) with a freight. The accident was the worst of its kind to ever happen in Greece, and it sparked a year-long investigation. The fireball-producing crash revealed a number of state failures including corruption, safety issues and the neglect of the rail network over the past decade of debt crisis. The crash has sparked mass protests in?Greece, where demonstrators are demanding?political responsibility and an end of politicians' immunity. A station master, former rail operators and managers, as well as a former railway manager, are among the 36 defendants. Charges range from traffic disruptions that caused deaths, to negligent manslaughter, to causing bodily injury. The trial of any politicians has not taken place. Most of the defendants didn't appear in court on Monday. The trial will last three years, and over 350 witnesses, including victims' families, survivors, and workers, are expected to testify. Mirela Routsi told reporters that her son was killed in the crash. Investigations revealed that most of the victims were killed in the crash. Others died from the fire. Relatives say questions remain unanswered. Rail services were stopped on Monday after Greek train workers held a 24-hour symbolic strike. Outside the heavily guarded court, hundreds of protesters gathered. Some carried banners that read: "We won’t forget, We won’t forgive." Investigations found that the project to install safety systems, co-funded by the European Union in 2014, was years behind schedule when it was completed in 2023. Families of the victims have accused authorities of attempting to hide evidence. The centre-right, which denies any wrongdoings, has promised justice, and committed to complete railway reform by 2027. (Reporting and editing by Renee Maltezou, Toby Chopra and Andrei Khalip; Editing by Edward McAllister)
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Kenya Airways claims that the war in Iran has increased demand for its flights
Kenya Airways reported on Monday that 'demand for seats in its flights has risen due to war effects in the Middle East.' The majority of these gains came from Europe, America and Asia. The U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has caused a stir in the global aviation industry. Some airlines have raised fares, changed their schedules, or even cancelled flights due to the effects of the conflict. Kenya Airways reported that the demand for seats, also known as the load factor, on its flights was almost 100%, up from 70% in January. "We were this way... until February. It then increased significantly. "We reached 90%, 90, and 99," George Kamal said to reporters. "And the biggest gains we're seeing are coming from Europe, the U.S. and Asia." "These routes contribute positively, very positively to our network," said?Kamal, without revealing any?details. Paul Njoroge, the head of flight operations at Kenya Airways, said that Kenya Airways currently has a jet fuel supply for 56 days and is working to obtain more in India. (Reporting and writing by Edwin Waita, George Obulutsa, Alexander Smith).
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Gulf Airlines recovers slowly after Iran conflict
Middle Eastern Airlines, among the 'biggest in the world, have been hard hit by the Iran Conflict. Drones and missiles have been used to attack airports, causing traffic disruptions, and even redrawing routes. After the initial strikes on February 28, the flight numbers of major state-backed carriers including Emirates, Etihad Airways (flydubai),?Qatar Airways, and Air Arabia dropped to near zero. Israel and U.S. forces have attacked Iran. Flightradar24.com data shows that flight numbers in the United Arab Emirates, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai, have gradually risen since then. However, they remain below levels before the conflict. The recovery has been uneven. Flightradar24.com shows that Emirates, based in Dubai, is now operating at almost three quarters of its capacity pre-conflict. Air Arabia and Etihad are at about half. Flydubai is at a third of normal, while Qatar Airways is at 20%. The war against Iran has affected fares and demand. It has also hit airlines that don't hedge against rising oil prices, disrupted schedules in Europe and Asia, forced airlines to store planes, and caused long "flights into nowhere".
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FAA: RPT-Newark Airport's control tower evacuated due to burning smell
After a burning smell was detected, the FAA reported that the control tower at Newark Airport outside of New York City had been temporarily evacuated. The FAA reported that "Arrivals & departures have been temporarily halted at Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey after air traffic controllers evacuated a tower due to a burning smell emanating from an elevator." Traffic slowed down at the airport around 7:30 am. The controllers returned to their stations and lifted the ground stop about 30 minutes later. Authorities said that the incident occurred the day after an Air Canada Express plane collided with a fire truck as it landed at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, killing the two?pilots and injuring many others. The airport was closed. U.S. Aviation faces a chronic shortage of air traffic control officers and a separate shortfall in?Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers as a result of a partial shutdown of the government. This has led to delays, long security lines and increased safety concerns at airports across the country. (Reporting and editing by Doina chiacu; Katharine Jackson and Susan Heavey)
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Newark Airport's control tower evacuated due to burning smell, FAA reports
The FAA reported that the control tower of Newark Airport, outside New York City, was temporarily evacuated after an odor of burning. The FAA announced that "Arrivals & departures have been temporarily paused" at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, after air traffic controllers evacuated the tower due to a burning odor coming from an elevator. Traffic at the airport slowed around 7:30 am. The controllers returned to their station, and the ground halt was lifted about 30 minutes later. Authorities said the incident occurred the day after an Air Canada Express plane collided with a firetruck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, killing both pilots and injuring many others. The airport was closed as a result. U.S. Aviation faces a chronic shortage of air traffic control officers and a separate shortfall in?Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers as a result of a partial shutdown of the government. This has led to a 'delay, long security lines and increased safety concerns at airports across the country. (Reporting and editing by Susan Heavey, Katharine Jackson)
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Spain's Minister calls on power companies to publish blackout data
Sara Aagesen, Spain's energy minister, called on power companies on Monday to "make public" all information they had relating to the massive?"blackout" that struck?Spain and Portugal in April last year to ensure a transparent investigation into its root causes. The April 28 outage, which left parts of the Iberian Peninsula with no power for as long as 16 hours, prompted multiple investigations by both the government and grid operator. The reports all point out that a sudden surge in voltage is the immediate cause. However, there was no blame assigned and the information provided by the companies was anonymous. Aagesen said at a Senate hearing: "I would like to ask that companies make this information public, as they have it." She added, "I think it would be the best for all citizens." Aagesen said there had not been any warnings of a possible blackout, like "the one that occurred last year" and that there were "sufficient regulatory" and technical mechanisms to prevent it. Aagesen stated that the blackout would not have occurred if the regulatory elements and mechanisms were in place. She said that the Spanish power system was now better prepared to handle a similar incident. (Reporting and editing by Pietro Lombardi)
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Engineers say that Libya's El Feel Oilfield has been shut down since Thursday.
Two El Feel engineers reported that the El Feel oilfield in Libya has been closed since Thursday because National Oil Corporation, the state-owned oil company, used its 'pipeline' to transport crude from Sharara after its pipeline had been damaged by fire. The engineers said that the flow of Sharara oil was redirected through the El Feel pipeline and the Hamada pipe to the storage tanks at Zawiya. An engineer at the Sharara oilfield said that Sharara's alternative pipelines can pump between 80,000 and 100,000 barrels of oil per day. El Feel is operated by Mellitah Oil and Gas. This joint venture between NOC and Italy’s Eni has a capacity of between 80,000 and 90.000 bpd in normal circumstances. One of the engineers said that production at El Feel should resume within a week or 10 days. Sharara, Libya's largest oil producing area, has a capacity between 300,000. bpd and 320,000. The field is connected to the country's?120,000-bpd Zawiya refining facility, located about 40 km (25miles) west of Tripoli. The field is operated in a joint venture between NOC and Repsol via Acacus Oil Company, TotalEnergies OMV, Equinor. Since the 2011 uprising in Libya against Muammar Gadhafi, Libyan oil production has been repeatedly closed for various technical and political reasons. Reporting by Ayman Al-Werfali Writing and Editing by Ahmed Elumami
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Pope Leo: aerial military strikes must be banned
Pope Leo, the first U.S. pope, criticized 'aerial bombings on Monday. He said they were indiscriminate, and that they should be banned. This was his 'latest anti-war comment, as the U.S./Israeli war against Iran entered its fourth week. Leo, first U.S. Pope, didn't mention the growing conflict - in a meeting with executives from Italy's ITA Airways - but he condemned the exploitation of air power. The pope said that "no one should be afraid of?threats to death and destruction?that might 'come?from the?sky. He said that aerial bombings were a terrible thing to do, and should be banned for good. "Yet, they still exist... This is not progress; this is regression!" The pope has repeatedly called for a ceasefire to be declared in the Iran War. On Sunday, he described the conflict as a "scandal for the entire human family." ITA Airways is a German-owned airline, controlled by Lufthansa, that replaced the bankrupt national carrier Alitalia. It's the airline that flies the Pope out of Rome for his overseas trips. (Reporting and editing by Alvise Armillini and Hugh Lawson; Reporting by Joshua McElwee)
Air Canada jet crash shuts down LaGuardia Airport; Pilots killed and dozens injured
Authorities said that an Air Canada Express plane collided with fire truck as it landed?at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, killing the two pilots and injuring dozens. The airport was closed.
Jazz Aviation (owned by Chorus Aviation) said that the Air Canada Express CRJ900 aircraft, operated by 'its regional partner Jazz Aviation', had departed Montreal with 72 passengers and 4 crew members. Jazz and Port Authority of New York & New Jersey confirmed the deaths of the pilot and his first officer.
A partial government shutdown has caused delays, long security queues and increased safety concerns at airports across the country.
The FAA reported that a separate 35-minute stop on the ground at Newark Liberty International Airport, which is nearby, added to delays Monday morning after air traffic controllers evacuated their tower due to a burning smell coming from an elevator.
Doug Clarke, Jazz's President, said: "Today, is a very difficult day for us, our employees and, most importantly, those who have been affected by this accident with flight 8646."
NINE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN HOSPITAL
Kathryn Garcia is the executive director of Port Authority. She said that 32 of the injured were?released', but nine of them remained hospitalized with "serious" injuries.
Sean Duffy, the U.S. Transportation secretary, said that at least two Port Authority firemen suffered serious injuries.
Aviation safety experts said investigators would examine the staffing levels of air traffic control and the actions both of the controller and the truck crew.
The radio transmissions indicate that the Airport Rescue and Firefighting Vehicle was also cleared. Anthony Brickhouse, a U.S. safety specialist, said that there are many questions regarding communications. "Communication will be a key part of this investigation."
In most air-crash cases, the accident is caused by a combination of factors rather than one.
FIRE TRUCKS WAS CLEARED to cross Runway
Garcia stated that the fire truck responded to a United Airlines aircraft which had "reported a problem with odor." United and the unions that represent U.S. Air Traffic Controllers, as well as Air Canada Pilots, declined to comment.
Air traffic control audio on LiveATC.net had indicated minutes earlier that a United Flight declared an emergency because of an odor aboard. The controllers informed the crew that there were already fire trucks on site.
Later transmissions captured a firetruck being cleared to cross Runway 4 on taxiway "Delta", where the accident occurred.
A few moments later, an ATC controller is heard saying "Stop truck 1, truck 1, stop, Truck 1."
Flightradar24's last data was recorded at 11:37 pm. ET (0337 GMT).
After the accident, photos taken showed damage to the nose. The plane was tilted up.
Two passengers, who declined to be named, told ABC affiliate WABC about the shock aboard the plane. One described a friend with a broken nose while another said that travelers were hitting their heads on the seat in front.
Three senior aviation industry sources confirmed that Global Aerospace is the insurer of the damaged regional Aircraft Air Canada.
These sources claimed that Marsh was the broker of the insurance. One source said that the insured hull of the aircraft was worth around $10 million.
Flights Canceled, Delays Expected
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board announced that it would be sending a 'team of experts' to investigate the incident. Canada's Transportation Safety Board also said it would send a team in support of the investigation. The FAA stated that the airport would remain closed 'until two o'clock in the afternoon. ET (1800 GMT), on Monday.
Air Canada, the country's largest airline, announced that its teams, as well as those of Jazz Aviation, will also be heading to this site.
Travel disruptions will increase with the closure of New York City's busiest Airport. Transportation security staff absences have increased, resulting in long lines at U.S. major airports.
On Monday, hundreds?ICE agents have been ordered to be deployed to airports in order to fill TSA staffing shortages.
FlightAware, a website that tracks flights, reported 546 cancellations at the airport on Monday.
According to the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, LaGuardia will serve more than 30 millions passengers annually in 2025. It also hosts many U.S. airlines.
Recent Incidents - Pressure aviation System
In January of this year, the FAA recorded 97 runway incidents, as opposed to 133 during the same time period in 2017.
Last month, a?bipartisan U.S. House group proposed legislation to address 50 aviation safety recommendations made after a yearlong investigation into the collision in January 2025 between a regional jet of American?Airlines and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helo that killed 67.
A UPS cargo plane crashed in Louisville, Kentucky shortly after takeoff, killing 7 and injuring 11.
Steve MacKinnon, Canadian Transport Minister, said that the Canadian government is working closely with U.S. officials "as they conduct this investigation and we are closely following developments." Reporting by Gursimran Kalia, Shubham Kaur, Abu Sultan and Preetika parashuraman in Bengaluru; Bing Guan and Allison Lampert, in New York; David Shepardson, in Washington; additional reporting by Joanna Plucinska, Susan Heavey and Jamie Freed; editing by Jamie Freed Joe Bavier, Louise Heavens and Jamie Freed
(source: Reuters)