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Transport Infrastructure

Transport Infrastructure

FAA waives emission rules so Boeing can sell 35 more 777F freighters

Federal Aviation Administration announced on Thursday that it had approved a waiver to the airplane emission rules, allowing Boeing to continue selling 35 more 777F Freighters after 2028. Boeing will be able to continue selling the planes until January 1, 2028 when new emission rules come into effect. This would have prevented the sale of this plane. Boeing had asked for approval in December 2025, citing a strong demand from customers and a delay with the certification of the next-generation aircraft. The 777F remains the only large-widebody freighter currently in production. Its next-generation replacement, the 777-8F (which is expected to...

Transport Infrastructure

Canada's airports are expected to attract a large amount of investment from pension funds at home.

The Canadian Transport Minister said that he expected a'strong interest' from Canadian pension funds and possibly Australians as well, when the country opened its four biggest airports for private investment. In an interview, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said: "We expect a very strong Canadian participation in these concession agreements." The Canadian investors have proven over time that they are very adept at investing in other jurisdictions. Mark Carney, the Canadian Prime Minister, said earlier that his government is seeking private investment via long-term concessions for airports to be operated in Toronto, Montreal?Vancouver?and Calgary as part a campaign to stimulate the...

Transport Infrastructure

Carney: Canada will seek private investment for major airports

Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, said that the country is looking for?private investments through long-term concessions to 'operate' the four largest airports in the nation as part a campaign to stimulate the economy. Toronto, Montreal Calgary and Vancouver are the airports. Last year, the Liberal government announced that it was exploring ways to boost airport investment but did not provide specific details. Carney will welcome dozens of international investors to Toronto in the coming 'week. He hopes to attract investments for more than 160 projects, which he believes are crucial to Canada's economic survival during a trade conflict...

Transport Infrastructure

Oil tanker prices reach record highs after US and Iranian shipping attacks

This week, the cost of'shipping' oil in the largest tankers reached record levels following the most intense wave of attacks against shipping since the U.S. - Iran war began late in February. According to Baltic Exchange, the shipping rate for supertankers, also known as very large crude carriers (VLCCs), loading oil in the Gulf of Oman to be shipped to China, reached around 450 on Worldscale, which is?roughly?$11.50 per barrel. The rate is at its highest level since it was introduced earlier this year after the U.S. and Israel war against Iran. The increase in rates is a sign of...

Transport Infrastructure

Can Africa seize the moment to compete for critical minerals? Andy Home

Africa could transform itself as global competition increases for essential minerals. Although the continent has a large amount of energy transition metals like copper, manganese and cobalt but it is still far from its full potential. According to the Brookings Institution, Africa's share of global mineral revenue is only 10%, even though it holds 30% of world reserves. It's possible that there are still more hidden treasures underground. According to CSIS, the U.S. think tank, only 10% of the global mineral exploration was focused on the continent in 2024. As Africa moves to the forefront of the global battle for...

Transport Infrastructure

Can Africa seize the moment to compete for critical minerals? Andy Home

Africa could transform itself as global competition increases for essential minerals. Although the continent has a large amount of energy transition metals like copper, manganese and cobalt but it is still far from its full potential. According to the Brookings Institution, Africa's share in global mineral revenue is only 10%, even though it has 30% of the world’s reserves. It's possible that there are still more hidden riches underground. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the U.S. think tank, only 10% of global exploration will be focused on the continent by 2024. As Africa moves to the...

Transport Infrastructure

US Senate Democrats ask Postal Service to stop work on new mail-in voting regulations

The?U.S. Postal Service was urged by lawmakers to halt the work on new mail-in voting rules. Postal Service ordered the halt to "work" on new rules for mail-in voting, Friday. In a letter to the USPS, Senator Gary Peters from Michigan and six other Democrats on the Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee wrote: "The Postal Service’s continued illegal efforts to transform itself into an electoral administration agency under the direction of President Trump risk disenfranchising American voters and threatening the integrity of the upcoming elections." On Thursday night, the Trump administration requested that the Supreme Court allow it...

Transport Infrastructure

France begins testing Tesla's self driving tech

The French Ministry of Transport, Philippe Tabarot, announced that France had begun testing two cars in order to assess Tesla's FSD (advanced driver assistance system). This could be a major step towards Europe's approval of Elon Musk’s autonomous driving technology. The Netherlands Road Authority RDW approved Tesla’s Full Self Driving System for use on Dutch highways on a proviso basis in April. This prompted Belgium, Denmark and Estonia to follow suit in anticipation of a bloc wide vote on the plan that could happen as soon as next month. FSD is an assistance system for drivers that allows them to...

Transport Infrastructure

Bessent: US targets digital assets and airlines as Iran-related targets

Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury secretary, said on Wednesday that digital assets and the maritime industry as well as airlines could be targets of the Trump administration's plan to squeeze Iran’s economy. Bessent warned that "everyone" should not support Tehran when asked about Russian support of Iran during a Fox News interview following the G20 gathering in North Carolina. "My message to everyone is to'stay away. We 'all want this war to end. The fastest way to make it end is to have no one?support this regime", he said to "Fox & Friends", one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin threw...

Transport Infrastructure

Chile copper thieves are undermining security measures on mine train

In a memo, Antofagasta Plc, a miner in Chile, warned that gangs are raiding copper trains across the remote Atacama Desert, becoming more bold and tactically sophisticated. They have breached anti-theft measures which had been effective for years. In a meeting this year, the copper miner and railroad operator raised alarms. Chilean prosecutors claim that some 'thieves' jump from trucks to rail cars, crossing isolated desert stretches. They then throw 80-kilogram copper slabs to waiting gangs and escape into the desert. Other people use hook lines in order to remove entire stacks from slow-moving trains. Copper stolen from illegal scrap...

Transport Infrastructure

EU Aviation Safety Agency narrows Gulf Airspace Warning

The European Union's?Aviation Safety Agency extended Monday its warning for airlines to avoid airspace over the waters of the Persian Gulf in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, while reducing an earlier advisory which recommended avoiding all airspace within the four countries. The latest advisory comes just hours after U.S. and Iran resumed hostilities, the first since late July. EASA's newest advisory to the Persian Gulf nations stated that "while risks remain high over the waters of this region, operations necessary for arrivals or departures at aerodromes in the affected Flight Information Regions can be carried out with enough mitigation." The agency...

Transport Infrastructure

Tennessee Governor: Nashville airport will be named after Dolly Parton

Tennessee plans to name Nashville International Airport after country music icon Dolly Parton. The singer passed away in the 'country music capital' earlier this week at age 80. After Parton's death, fans launched a social media campaign to change the name of the airport. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee discussed the change with Parton's staff this week, according?to statements from the airport and Lee’s office. Lee stated in the statement that "Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life will forever be woven into the fabric of our State." Nashville International Airport is named after 'our favorite daughter' Dolly Parton, who has left a legacy...

Passenger Transportation Services

Passenger Transportation Services

American Airlines warns that high fuel prices may force capacity adjustments

Robert Isom, CEO of American Airlines, said that high fuel prices may force the airline to reduce capacity despite the fact that strong demand and increased revenue have offset the cost. Isom, speaking at a Morgan Stanley Conference, said that he was "really happy" with American's forecasted revenue growth of between 16% and 19% for the third quarter. He also predicted that the majority of recent revenue gains would be durable. Comments from the airline industry highlight the pressure that is being placed on them as another increase in fuel prices will test how much the increased cost can be...

Passenger Transportation Services

Documents show that To Lam will sign an agreement with US firms while he is in New York.

According to two documents and officials, a number of agreements are expected to be announced by U.S. and Vietnamese corporations next week, involving energy, technology, aviation, and financial firms, as?Vietnam leader To Lam visits New York. Vietnam has been negotiating commercial agreements for months, most of which will be non-binding. This is part of its strategy to appease Washington, as the Trump administration threatens new tariffs against the Southeast Asian nation that relies heavily on exports. A note of internal planning lists 29 agreements which could be announced in New York on 23 September at a conference attended by To...

Passenger Ground & Sea Transportation

US agency asks Tesla to provide answers on Cybercab certification

The?U.S. The?U.S. NHTSA stated that Tesla was required to answer questions such as whether Tesla used temporary human driver controls, or any other equipment in its certification of compliance. The auto safety regulator announced this month that it would be examining the data and process the EV maker used to demonstrate compliance with federal motor vehicles safety standards prior to deploying the robotaxi. Tesla and other robotaxi firms, including Google's Waymo, have supported plans by the Trump administration to change regulation so that these vehicles don't need to have steering wheels, break pedals, back-view mirrors, or other equipment needed by...

Transportation

Ground Freight

Ground Freight

Fuel prices are a concern for Norfolk Southern in the third quarter, despite gains in freight share.

Norfolk Southern executives told investors on Tuesday at the Morgan Stanley conference that higher fuel prices will 'create a significant headwind for the third quarter. CFO Jason Zampi stated that fuel prices were expected to peak in May. However, continued increases now represent a roughly 250-basis point headwind for Norfolk Southern's Operating?ratio when compared to expectations two months earlier. He said that the third-quarter performance is expected to be slightly lower than normal seasonal trends. Executives see continued incremental gains in freight market share, even with the current fuel pressure. Norfolk Southern's next big opportunity to move freight from highways...

Ground Freight

Sabotage disrupts Dutch rail services before the state opening of Parliament

ProRail, the rail infrastructure operator, said that deliberate acts of sabotage disrupted train services across 'the Netherlands on Tuesday just hours before a ceremonial opening of Parliament. ProRail reported that pipes were found on railways at over 20 locations in rural areas, mostly in the middle and east of the country. We found materials that were deliberately placed. Joke van Der Cruysen, spokesperson for ProRail, said that they now consider this a'sabotage of railway infrastructure. The King Willem-Alexander was set to open the new session of Parliament on Tuesday with a speech presenting the budget plans for 2027. All trains...

Ground Freight

US rail fuel surcharges for grain have reached record levels, pinching farmers during harvest season

The railroad fuel surcharges on U.S. grain shipment have more than doubled in the last year. This has impacted the entire farm belt, increasing transportation costs at a time when many farmers are also struggling with higher production costs. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, the average fuel surcharge on grain shipments rose to 48 cents per mile for rail cars in the second?week of September. This is a?153% increase compared to the weighted averaging rate a year ago. Surcharges are used by railroads to recover the majority of fuel costs and add them to long-haul rates. According to...

Ground Freight

Tesla targets European freight market by releasing long-delayed semi truck

Tesla will bring its Semi-electric truck to Europe, expanding its reach beyond North America. It is looking to gain a foothold in the heavy-duty market where competitors already sell battery-powered models. Elon 'Musk-led 'automaker will reveal European specifications and launch information at the IAA Transportation Trade Fair in Hanover Germany next week. It said in a posting on X. The European push comes almost a decade after Tesla unveiled the Semi back in 2017. The company initially planned to produce the Semi by 2019, but this timeline was continually delayed because the company prioritized the supply of battery cells for...

Ground Freight

Wall Street Journal, September 11,

These are the top stories from the Wall Street Journal. The Wall 'Street Journal has not?verified?these stories or?cannot?guarantee?their accuracy. - The Pentagon is in talks to lend roughly $5 billion to AI cloud-computing startup Fluidstack, adding the U.S. military ?to the growing list of financiers of artificial-intelligence infrastructure. - 'Lineage, world's biggest cold-storage operator based on capacity, is suing Altus Power, a solar-panel supplier, and Pearce Services. They claim that their negligence led to a fire in a Los Angeles warehouse. The prediction markets platform Kalshi plans to apply for regulatory approval in order to offer the first U.S. perpetual...

Ground Freight

Trump administration wants to eliminate the grace period for H-1B visa holder after job loss

According to a government announcement posted on Thursday, the Trump administration is proposing to eliminate a grace period of 60 days that allowed certain immigrants to remain in the U.S. and find a new employer after losing their jobs. This includes skilled workers on H-1B visas. According to the proposed rule change published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in the Federal Register, those with H-1B visas and certain other temporary work permits would be required to leave the United States as soon as they finish their employment. This could cause a major blow to American tech companies who...

Ground Freight

House Democrat calls for US action against sleeping Tesla drivers

A Democratic lawmaker called for a U.S. agency responsible for auto safety to take action against misuse of Tesla Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Systems, citing videos that appeared to show drivers sleeping or disengaged. In a letter sent to Sean Duffy, the U.S. Transportation secretary, Illinois Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi cited a report by NBC News that identified 43 videos of individuals sleeping in the driving seat of Teslas moving, including 17 of them this year. Krishnamoorthi, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's director of safety policy and research, said that "the agency must ensure that manufacturers provide adequate safeguards for...

Ground Freight

The yen is also rising in the morning bid for Europe

Gregor Stuart Hunter gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. The summer is officially over. Buckle up! Carry trades are starting to fail as the markets expect a path of rate increases from the Bank of Japan. The?Japanese?currency?traded as much as 1 percent firmer at 152.89. This is its highest since February. Just weeks after it hit a four-decade low, the U.S. government and Japanese authorities intervened to stabilize the currency. The yen was also boosted by data released on Wednesday showing that Japan's economy expanded faster than originally estimated from the previous...

Freight Logistics

GLP Japan raises $3.76 billion to build logistics centers, Nikkei reports

The Nikkei reported that GLP - Japan has raised 600 billion dollars ($3.76 billion) to create a fund for building logistics centers. This is a result of an influx in overseas capital. GLP Japan is a Japanese subsidiary of Singapore-based logistics firm GLP. The?Tokyo GLP Japan fund's investments, including borrowings, will total 1.7 trillion yen. This makes it the largest real estate fund in the country, according to?Nikkei. The report stated that the majority of investors are from outside Japan. The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board allocated 150 billion yen. The funds raised are expected to be used for the...

Ground Freight

Russia's Ozon claims that a drone damaged its Ufa logistic hub

A drone attack overnight?caused?minor damage and??temporarily???closed? a logistics complex operated by Russian online retailer Ozon, according to the company on Thursday. Ukraine has been 'attacking' several Ozon facilities in the city of Ufa since Saturday as it continues its campaign against Russia by targeting ecommerce giants who are?key employers in an?expanding?sector. The company stated that no fire broke out at the Ufa Complex in Bashkortostan Region, but the complex sustained minor damages. The area is temporarily closed as it undergoes an inspection. The company said that a second Ozon facility in the southwest city of Orenburg had been evacuated due...

Ground Freight

US railroad Union Pacific made money by charging fuel costs spikes from the Iran war to cover their charges.

U.S. railroad Union Pacific made $91.1 million in fuel surcharges more than it paid out for fuel during the second quarter. This is according to an?company filing at the Surface Transportation Board, first reported by. These excess surcharges increased Union Pacific's profits, despite criticisms from shippers who believe that the surcharges are excessive. The only U.S. transport companies to report fuel costs as well as fuel surcharge revenues to regulators is railroads. This rare insight provides insights into how fuel surcharges improve company profits. Union Pacific has said that its fuel surcharge increases are in line with industry standards. STB...

Ground Freight

Third Point discloses Warner Bros Discovery share, adding to Alphabet exposure

Third Point, the hedge fund of billionaire investor Daniel Loeb, has taken a stake in Warner Bros. According to a Friday regulatory filing, Discovery took a stake in Warner Bros. during the second quarter. According to LSEG, the fund's position of 20,000,000 shares would make it one of the 20 largest investors in the media company. This is at a time when the $110 billion Paramount Skydance acquisition has been halted due to court challenges. Third Point is a long-time investor in the media industry. In 2022, it will push for changes at The Walt Disney Company. The New York-based...