Budapest Airport reopens after storm damage

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• The Kremlin is shocked at the tragic death of a former minister who Putin fired

  The Kremlin announced on Tuesday it was shocked at the sudden death, which occurred hours after President Vladimir Putin sacked Roman Starovoit as Russia's former Transport Minister. Starovoit, who was found shot to death in his car near Moscow on Monday by state investigators, is believed to have committed suicide. When asked about Starovoit’s death, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded that Putin was briefed and called the news "tragic and tragic". Peskov refused to speculate about the cause of Starovoit’s death citing an ongoing investigation. It can't but shock the average person. Peskov said, "It shocked us as well." "An investigation is underway." This investigation will provide all the answers. The presidential decree issued on Monday did not give any reason for Starovoit's dismissal after only a year at the job. However, political analysts suspect that it is linked to an investigation into corruption in the Kursk Region, where he was once in charge. Could not independently confirm these suggestions. However, a source in the transport industry, who refused to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the issue, stated on Monday that Starovoit’s position has been in doubt for months because of questions regarding the same corruption scandal. This investigation focuses on whether the 19.4 billion roubles (about $246 million) allocated in 2022 to fortify Russia's border in the Kursk area with Ukraine was spent properly or if some of this money was embezzled. (Reporting and writing by Dmitry Antonov; editing by Guy Faulconbridge/Andrew Osborn).

• Budapest Airport reopens after storm damage

  Budapest Airport has resumed its operations after a temporary stop when the runways were closed due to debris from a storm. The airport operator announced this in a Facebook post. Budapest Airport reported that the airport had cleaned one of its runways, and traffic was resumed at 14:00 GMT. It was reported earlier that "heavy thunderstorm activity... affected Ferenc Liszt International Airport." The runways were closed temporarily for safety and the airport operations suspended due to debris on them. Airport officials also confirmed that water had entered the roof of Terminal 2A's departures hall. The terminal was then emptied, and all check-in processes were moved to Terminal 2B. No injuries were reported at the airport due to storm damage.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin dismisses transport minister Starovoit

  According to a decree issued by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, his transport minister was fired on Monday. Roman Starovoit had been in his position for just over a month. Starovoit was abruptly dismissed without explanation. After almost five years of serving as the governor of Russia's west Kursk region, he was appointed Transport Minister in May 2024. Few months after leaving this role, Ukrainian forces spilled across the border to Kursk when Kyiv launched their The biggest incursion Since the beginning of the war, in 2022. Vitaly Savelyev was Starovoit’s predecessor in the role of transport minister. He became deputy prime minister. Vedomosti newspaper reported that Starovoit could be replaced by his deputy minister Andrei Nikitin. Nikitin was previously the governor of Novgorod Region. Starovoit was a regional governor before he became a federal road agency Rosavtodor. He led the Rosavtodor in Russia for six years. (Reporting and writing by Gleb Stlyarov and Anastasia Teterevleva, with editing by Andrew Osborn.)

• Ships use a message to avoid Red Sea attacks: 'All crew Muslim'

  After the Houthis' deadly attacks on commercial ships this week, commercial ships still sailing in the Red Sea broadcast messages about their nationality or even religion to their public tracking systems so as to avoid being targeted. The Red Sea is an important waterway for oil, commodities and other goods. However, traffic has declined sharply ever since the Houthi began their attacks on Yemen's coastline in November 2023. This was in support of the Palestinians during the Gaza War. After months of calm, the group has sunk two ships and Abdul Malik al-Houthi, its leader, reiterated that no company transporting goods to Israel will be allowed passage. Recent days, more ships that sail through the southern Red Sea or the Bab al-Mandab strait added messages to the public tracking profiles of their AIS. These can be viewed by clicking on a ship. The messages have mentioned an all-Chinese management and crew, as well as the presence of armed guards. MarineTraffic's and LSEG's ship tracking AIS data show that some messages read "All crew Muslim" while others make it clear that the ships have no connection with Israel. Sources in maritime security said that this was an indication of growing desperation, but also believed it would not make a difference. One source claimed that Houthi intelligence was "much more advanced and forward-looking". Shipping analysis revealed that vessels in the larger fleets of the two ships attacked and sunk this week by the Houthis had called on Israeli ports over the last year. Sources in maritime security said that even though shipping companies are required to do a thorough due diligence check on any possible tangential links with Israel before they sail through the Red Sea the risk of an attack is still high. The U.S. Central Command reported that in March 2024 the Houthis fired ballistic missiles at the Chinese-operated Huang Pu despite having previously said they would not target Chinese vessels. Houthis also targetted vessels that trade with Russia. In a recent report, Aon Insurance Brokers stated that despite declared ceasefires areas like the Red Sea or Bab al-Mandab Strait are still considered high-risk. Ship operators must take continuous monitoring and adaptable security measures. Insurance costs for goods shipping through the Red Sea have more than doubled in recent weeks, and some underwriters are suspending coverage on certain voyages. According to Lloyd's List Intelligence, the number of vessels passing through the Strait of Aden at the southernmost tip of the Red Sea, which is a gateway into the Gulf of Aden was 35 on July 10 and 32 on July 9. This compares with 43 vessels on the first of July. This compares to a daily average sailing of 79 in October 2023 before the Houthi attacks started. Seafarers are essential to global trade. They keep countries stocked with fuel, food and medicine. The UK-based Seafarers' Charity stated this week that seafarers should not be required to risk their life to do their jobs. (Reporting and editing by Andrew Cawthorne, with additional reporting by Renee Maltezou)

• Heathrow Airport in the UK says mini-expansion could add 10 millions passengers by 2031

  Heathrow Airport in Britain said that it could add 10 million additional passengers per year to its existing terminals by 2031 if it increases fees. The airport presented their plans for the five-year period on Friday to the regulator. Heathrow Airport, which is located west of London, is Europe's most busy airport. The government wants to expand it by building a new runway. However, this isn't expected to happen until at least 2035. Heathrow's 2027-2031 plan, which was presented on Friday to the Civil Aviation Authority, said that it could expand even before the new runway construction is completed by upgrading its facilities in order to accommodate more passengers. A 12% increase in current passenger numbers would come from an additional 10 million passengers each year. The airport stated that the expansion plan will require it to increase the fees charged to airlines from 28.46 pounds to 33.26 pounds (45.07 dollars) per passenger. Heathrow Airport is one of the world's most expensive airports, and airlines have been calling on regulators to lower the fees for years. The CAA will review the plan and make a decision before responding. ($1 = 0.7385 pounds) (Reporting and editing by William James; Sarah Young)

• Red Sea insurance increases after deadly Houthi attacks

  Industry sources reported on Thursday that the insurance costs for shipping goods across the Red Sea have more than doubled since Yemen's Houthis attacked two ships and sank them, killing four seafarers, after months of calm. The Red Sea is an important waterway for oil, commodities and other goods. However, traffic has declined sharply ever since the Houthi began their attacks on Yemen's coastline in November 2023. This was said to be in solidarity with Palestinians fighting in Gaza by the Iran-aligned Houthi group. Sources familiar with the issue said that war risk premiums had risen from 0.3% to 0.7%, compared with 0.3% the week prior to the recent attacks. Some underwriters have also paused coverage for certain voyages. This week, rates for a seven-day period of travel, set by each underwriter, were quoted at up to 1 percent, the same as in 2024, when there was a daily attack. The additional costs of each shipment can be hundreds of thousands. The recent attacks on the Red Sea have shown the importance of caution when planning a transit, said Neil Roberts. Roberts is the head of marine aviation at the Lloyd's Market Association. This association represents all Lloyd's of London underwriting companies. Officials from the maritime industry confirmed that four people on board the Greek ship Eternity c were killed in a Houthi attack Wednesday. Rescuers rescued four more survivors on Thursday from the Red Sea. Houthi militants claimed to be holding some of those still missing. The Houthis have claimed responsibility for the attack, which came after the sinking on Monday of a Greek-operated ship. An analysis of shipping data revealed that some of the vessels' sister ships had called at Israeli ports during the last year. From November 2023 until December 2024, the Houthis have attacked over 100 ships. The U.S. announced in May a deal that would stop bombing Houthis if they stopped attacking ships. However, the Houthis claimed the deal didn't include Israel. Insurance sources say that underwriters will try to avoid any vessel with a connection to Israel, no matter how indirect. Munro Anderson is the head of operations for marine war risk insurer Vessel Protect. He said: "What we've seen in the past week appears to... be a return to targeting criteria mid-2024, which involves essentially any vessel with a distant Israeli connection." "With ambiguity, comes risk." (Reporting and additional reporting by Michael Jones, The Insurer. Editing by Ros Russel)

• After mysterious explosions, the Greek tanker fleet increases ship inspections in Russian ports

  Six Greek shipping and security companies report that Greek shipping companies visiting Russian ports have boosted their vessel's defences following a series mysterious explosions in the last few months which damaged tankers connected to Moscow's oil trading. Two Greek sources who are familiar with the strategy say that the measures include underwater inspections of foreign objects by divers. The West has imposed sanctions on Russia for its involvement in the war in Ukraine. Separately, the Group of Seven major countries has capped the price of oil exported by Moscow at $60 per barrel. This is the lifeline of the Russian economy. A large amount of Russia's crude oil is exported now by a "shadow fleet" (or unregulated fleet) of tankers. However, shipping data indicates that Greek-owned vessels, which are part of the largest tanker fleet in the world, also carried Russian crude. Greek shipping companies maintain that transporting Russian crude oil within the G7 cap is a legal trade. The explosions that occurred on at least six ships this year, which called in Russia's Baltic Sea Port of Ust-Luga, and its Black Sea Port of Novorossiysk, have shaken the market. One of the Greek sources who refused to be named due to the sensitive nature of the issue said that vessels waiting outside Russian anchorages or other zones would move their position at different times in order to make it less predictable. Crews were alert to any movement around their ship. Two other sources said that remote underwater inspections of the hulls and other measures were being considered. No official results have yet been released from the various investigations into these incidents, but security sources claim that some of the explosions were probably caused by limpet mines. These are magnetized mines that attach to targets. Three sources who advise the industry but are not directly involved with the investigation said that they were looking into the possibility of Ukrainian teams being involved in some blasts. This is because Kyiv has objected to Greek ships transporting Russian oil. Ukraine has not commented on these incidents before. Both its military intelligence agency, and its security services declined to comment about this story when contacted. The latest incident occurred on 6 July, when the Eco Wizard LPG tanker (liquefied petrol gas) experienced a series blasts in Russia's Ust-Luga Port. The transport ministry in Moscow said that a small leak of ammonia liquid occurred while the tanker was loading. A dive inspection was scheduled. Stealth Gas, a Greek-based company, declined to comment. Other sources claimed that the explosion was caused by an explosive device. An explosion damaged the Greek oil tanker Vilamoura earlier last week as it was sailing near the coast of Libya. According to TMS Tankers, an external explosive device was most likely responsible for this incident, citing a preliminary investigation. When asked about the investigation that was launched in January after the tanker Seacharm suffered damage in a February blast, the Greek authorities refused to comment citing the classified nature of the information. The Italian authorities who opened a terrorist investigation at the time into the damage caused to another tanker called the Seajewel have not provided any updates since. MEDITERRANEAN CONNECTION According to the data analysis, four of the tankers which suffered explosions this year had Greek operators, with another one located in Cyprus. The incident was the first in many years to involve non-military ships in the central Mediterranean. Corey Ranslem of Dryad Global's maritime cyber defence and risk information company, Dryad Global in Britain, said that vessels with Russian port callers were "increasingly exposed to sabotage" by state-sponsored or proxy actors amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Ranslem stated that "despite the relative stability of the Mediterranean compared to other high-risk areas like the Red Sea," vulnerabilities still exist during transit and at anchorages where there is less oversight, such as in Libya. Ellie Shafik is the head of intelligence at UK-based maritime risk management firm Vanguard Tech. She said that patterns of activity and likelihood of involvement indicated "Ukrainian actors or those with state-aligned interests" may have been involved in certain incidents. She said that the strategy appears to be covert maritime sabotage using limpets mines. This method will ensure engine room flooding and immobilization, without causing total destruction to the vessel or casualties among the crew. The nature of this sabotage indicates professional military capabilities. (Reporting and editing by Rachel Armstrong, Tomaszjanowski, and Renee Maltezou; additional reporting by Yannis Soulieotis and Tom Balmforth; Emilio Parodi, Gleb Stolyarov, and Yannis Souliotis);

• Mexico announces measures to increase state control over the skies

  Mexican officials announced on Tuesday that they want to increase state and military control of the country's aviation system, and include increased subsidies and investment in order to boost regional airports which have been neglected for a long time. Claudia Sheinbaum, the president of the United States, has redoubled her efforts to follow the path of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who, as her mentor and predecessor, handed control of several public airports over to the military, and revived the bankrupt airline Mexicana. David Sandoval is the deputy director at Grupo Mundo Maya - a military-run airport operator. He said that both the federal and state government are offering incentives for services, ranging from parking and landing fees to checked luggage. He called the newly opened Tulum airport a "cherry-on-top" success. Analysts have stated that the airport already draws traffic from nearby vacation hub Cancun operated by ASUR. The airports run by the military also have lower tariffs for their use than other airports. The military was given the task of increasing traffic to older regional airports that are unprofitable. Eric Mario Barrera is the technical corporate director at Mexico City Airport Group. He said that they are working to upgrade infrastructure and attract airline interest. He said airports in Sonora like Guaymas have been "a bit of a hassle" because they are under-trafficked and the facilities are neglected. Before leaving office, Lopez Obrador began a massive expansion at the port of Guaymas to transform it into a major export hub. Raul Revuelta is the CEO of GAP airport operator. He said that many regional airports do not break even, and need about one million passengers per year to be profitable. Officials insisted that profit was the priority but also mentioned a social mandate, to serve areas where private operators and airline companies failed to reach. Sheinbaum said last week that Mexicana was "by the people and for the citizens" and "would fly wherever you are." Mexicana's projected losses were expected to last for almost a decade when it relaunched its services in 2023. Carlos Merino said that the administration is considering more public-private partnership after seeing signs of success in a joint venture between Mota Engil and airports at Tepic and Puerto Escondido. (Reporting and editing by Richard Chang; Kylie Madry)

• Pakistan approves four bidders to take over the struggling national airline PIA

  The Pakistani Government announced on Tuesday that it had given approval to four parties, which included business groups and an army-backed firm, for them to bid for a stake of the debt-ridden Pakistan International Airlines. Pakistan is looking to sell 51-100% of its struggling national airline in order to raise money and reform state-owned, cash-sucking enterprises as envisaged by a $7 billion International Monetary Fund program. This would be the first major privatisation of the country in almost two decades. One of the bid groups is a group consisting of four major industrial companies: Lucky Cement, Hub Power Holdings, Kohat Cement and Metro Ventures. One is led by Arif Habib Corp, which includes the private education provider The City School and real estate company Lake City Holdings. Fauji Fertilizer Company (a conglomerate backed by the military) and Pakistani Airblue have also been given approval to bid on PIA. In a press release, Pakistan's Privatisation minister Muhammad Ali stated that "the pre-qualified parties" will proceed to the due diligence stage for buyers. Ali said that the review process will last between two and two-and-a half months. The final bidding, negotiations, and discussions are expected to take place in the fourth quarter 2025. The privatisation ministry of the country also announced that the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation had approved the transaction structure, which included options for outright sale as well as long-term leasing for the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. Ali told us that Pakistan expects to receive a payment of over $100 million from the Roosevelt Hotel in this year. Reporting by Mrinmay dey in Bengaluru, and Asif shahzad in Islamabad. Mark Potter is the editor.

• Bergamo Airport in Italy temporarily closed due to runway failure

  The Italian Bergamo Airport, which provides low-cost airline services to and from Milan, was closed temporarily on Tuesday following the death of a man on a runway while preparing for takeoff. The airport announced that flight operations had been suspended between 1020 and 12 local time (820-1000 GMT), "due a problem which occurred on the taxiway", adding that authorities were investigating the incident. A spokesperson confirmed the death of a man, but added that he wasn't a passenger or airport staff member. ANSA reports that the man died after being sucked into the engine of the Volotea plane. The Italian press office of the Spanish low-cost carrier was not available to comment immediately. Bergamo Police also had no immediate comments.

• Kerala State in India seeks compensation of $1.1 billion from MSC for oil spill

  Kerala, a state in southern India, has sued the Swiss-based Mediterranean Shipping Company for $1.1 billion after one of their container ships sank in May and spilled fuel into Arabian Sea. The High Court of Kerala issued an Order late Monday ordering port authorities to "arrest, seize and detain" another MSC Ship anchored at the Vizhinjam Harbour in the state. This will continue until the ship deposits the required security for the claim. MSC did respond immediately to a comment request. In a May statement, the Indian government said that MSC had hired a marine service company to remove oil and clean up the environment. The MSC ELSA3 under the Liberian flag, travelling from Vizhinjam at India's southernmost tip to Kochi, capsized on May 25. Fuel and cargo were released in the incident, including some hazardous materials. In a court filing that was not made public, but reviewed by, the state government stated the incident had "resulted in massive pollution of Kerala’s marine ecosystem with oil slicks, and floating cargo, causing serious harm to the environment, fisheries, and public health." After the incident in May, the state asked local fishermen not to go into the sea. It also distributed food and cash to around 105 518 families who are involved with the fishing industry. (Reporting and editing by Aditya K. Kalra, Raju Gopalakrishnan, and Arpan Chaturvedi)

• Portugal expects that large non-EU carriers will also show an interest in TAP

  Luis Montenegro, the Prime Minister of Portugal, said that Portugal expects to attract large airlines from both within the European Union as well as outside the bloc due to its untapped potential. Portugal has relaunched its long-delayed TAP privatisation on Thursday. The aim is to sell a stake of 44.9% to a company that can bring scale and global competitiveness to the airline, while also offering an additional 5% for TAP staff. In the last year, three major European airlines, Lufthansa and Air France-KLM as well as British Airways owner IAG have met with the government to discuss TAP. Air France-KLM confirmed its interest in the process after Thursday's announcement. It said it "will take part once all details have been released". Montenegro also said that he expected non-EU carriers would express interest. However, he did name any potential bidders. He said at a press conference that TAP integrating "into larger group with greater capacity to create synergies has untapped potential which is very positive, appealing and valuable". The Portuguese flag carrier’s sale model allows an airline to partner up with private investors or investment funds, and then submit a bid together. The government is keen to keep and even expand its links with Brazil, Portuguese-speaking African nations, and the United States, as well as its hub in Lisbon. Montenegro stated that Portugal also wishes to increase the airport capacity of the cities of Porto and Faro as well as the autonomous regions Madeira and Azores.