Latest News
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Japan-born pandas Xiao Xiao, and Lei Lei return to their home in China's Sichuan
China's giants pandas Xiao Xiao & Lei Lei have arrived in Sichuan safely on Wednesday.?China's Panda Research Base said this in a post on social media, 'following a heartfelt goodbye from fans who grew up in Tokyo, where Xiao Xiao & Lei Lei were raised. A WeChat posting by the China Conservation and Research Centre of the Giant Panda revealed that Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei had arrived at Chengdu’s Tianfu International Airport around 1 a.m., on Wednesday. The pair arrived at the centre in Ya'an, Sichuan around 6 am on Wednesday. They will be quarantined. In 2021, twin pandas were born at the Ueno Zoo of Tokyo. Shin Shin and Ri Ri returned to China with their parents in 2024. China, since its founding in 1949 has used panda diplomacy to enhance its international image and strengthen ties with other nations?by loaning or gifting pandas. After the agreement expires, the pandas usually return to China. Pandas born abroad like Xiao Xiao or Lei Lei are then sent to a Chinese breeding programme between two and four years old. WeChat pictures showed pandas' crates being?unloaded from a Sichuan Airlines flight and then transported to truck as workers in protective white suits looked?on. The research centre stated that Xiao Xiao, and Lei Lei "continuously built bridges of friendship" between the 'people of China and Japan", and "made a significant contribution to promoting the friendship between people of the 'two countries". The panda’s journey coincided with a low in Sino-Japanese relationships. In November, Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi stated that Japan would'respond militarily in case of a Chinese invasion on democratically-governed Taiwan. China, which views Taiwan as a province that has gone off course, was furious at the comment, and warned its citizens not to travel to Japan. (Reporting and editing by Christopher Cushing; Colleen howe)
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Delta upgrades its long-haul fleet with 31 Airbus jets
Delta Air Lines announced on Tuesday that it will purchase 31 Airbus widebody jets as part a long-term strategy to modernize its international fleet, and support future growth. Delivery will begin in 2029 on 16 A330-900s as well as 15 A350 900s. Delta announced that the deal includes a new order, the conversion of ten previously held options to?firm purchase' and options for an additional 20 widebody aircraft. Delta has been focusing on newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft to reduce fuel burn?and gradually replace older Boeing 767s and early-generation Airbus A330s following the retirement of its?777 fleet. Delta is focusing on newer, fuel-efficient aircraft in order to reduce fuel consumption and gradually replace older Boeing 767s or early-generation Airbus A330s. Airbus's order comes after Delta recently decided to add 30 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners for its long-haul operations, which it intends to deploy primarily on transatlantic and South American route. The airline stated that the new Airbus jets would be used on medium- and long haul flights, including recently announced or launched services to Taipei and Melbourne. They will also have more premium seating which is contributing to greater profits. Delta CEO Ed Bastian stated this month that the majority of Delta's seat expansion is in premium cabins with only a limited amount in 'the main cabin. New aircraft are being equipped accordingly. The latest purchase by Delta will increase its A330-900 fleet to 55 aircraft, and its A350 fleet to 79 aircraft, including 20 A350-1000s that will begin arriving early in 2027. (Reporting and editing by Jamie Freed; Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh)
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Five people killed in a Russian attack on a passenger train in the northeastern Ukraine, according to prosecutors
Five people were killed in a Russian drone attack on a passenger train in the northeastern Ukraine, according to prosecutors. The President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called it terrorism. The prosecutor said that fragments of five bodies were found near the site of the strike in the Kharkiv region, located in the northeastern Ukraine. The train was operating from Chop near Ukraine's western border with Hungary and Slovakia to the town of Barvinkove. Online photos showed two carriages on fire next to a railbed covered in?snow. In any country, drone strikes on civilian trains would be viewed the same - as pure terrorism. Zelenskiy posted on Telegram that there is no military purpose in this. "Our cause, and this is what should 'unite all people around the world - to protect life. It is possible to achieve this by putting pressure on Russia. The prosecution said that one drone hit the train, and two others struck an area adjacent to it. Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram that four people had been?killed. He said the train was carrying over 200 passengers including 18 people in the wagon which was hit. The prosecutor had earlier stated that there were 155 passengers aboard the train. Oleksiy Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister, described the drone attack as "a direct act of Russian terror." Oleksandr P. Pertsovskyi is the CEO of Ukrzaliznytsia - Ukrainian national railways. He thanked the rescue teams, fellow passengers, and those who helped evacuate people. Pertsovskyi posted on Facebook that "keeping things moving has become more difficult." "We're regrouping." Even on the most terrifying days, we will not give up. (Reporting and editing by Peter Graff; Ron Popeski, Chris Reese, Deepa Babington, Deepa Peleschuk, Deepa Babington, Deepa Babington, Deepa Babington, Ron Popeski)
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NTSB: FAA failed to act properly before fatal Washington DC collision
National Transportation Safety Board: The Federal Aviation Administration had a number of failures prior to a deadly collision in January 2025 between an American Airlines regional plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people. The FAA's safety culture needs to be reformed and the agency has not acted on a recommendation that helicopter traffic should be moved away from Reagan,?the board stated during a one-day hearing. Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the NTSB, said that FAA should've known about a problem. She cited repeated failures. The data was available. Homendy stated that the data was on their systems. "This was 100% avoidable... "There's definitely a need for serious reform." The hearing quickly became a long rebuke by the safety panel of the FAA, which shed light on serious issues of communication, culture, and safety surrounding the 26th busiest U.S. Airport, which is home to the busiest runway in the United States and is frequently used by members from Congress. The hearing also raised concerns about the Army's conduct in the busy airspace. The FAA didn't immediately comment, but the Trump administration announced on Monday that it was restructuring the organization of the agency to improve safety oversight. The FAA showed a dramatic animation of the accident and some families in tears, wearing photos of their loved one's left the room before the show. Homendy said that there could be other hotspots, saying that commercial airlines had contacted her to tell her "the next midair will be at Burbank and nobody at FAA pays attention." She also said, "People are raising red-flags." In October, the FAA was reported to have been examining the traffic flow around Hollywood Burbank Airport (less than 10 miles away) and Van Nuys Airport (less than 10miles apart), which serve a mixture of aircraft that are closely spaced on their arrival and departure routes. The NTSB has made numerous recommendations to the FAA, citing failures that occurred before the crash. In March, the NTSB reported that there have been 15,200 incidents of air separation near Reagan between helicopters and commercial planes since 2021. This includes 85 close calls. The 'NTSB' also found problems with the way the FAA handles traffic at Reagan. It questioned the reason why the FAA downgraded Reagan Tower in 2018. They said the FAA refused to provide any criteria or metrics as to why it had been downgraded. The FAA rejected suggestions to include hot spots on a chart of helicopter routes. The NTSB stated that airplane pilots did not know about the conflict between helicopter routes, because aeronautical charts provided insufficient information. The Justice Department ruled in December that the federal government is responsible for the crash. The government acknowledged that it "owed plaintiffs a duty to care, which it breached thereby proximately leading to the tragic accident," and that pilots of both the Army helicopter as well as the regional?jet failed to maintain vigilance to avoid each other. The NTSB stated that the controller should've issued a safety warning, which "may had allowed action to be done to avoid the collision." Homendy stated that the FAA had not reviewed the routes of the helicopters and that they were not designed in a way to ensure separation. Homendy stated that "we have an entire 'tower' who took it upon themselves repeatedly to voice their concerns, only to be squashed by the management and everyone above them." "Were these people set up to fail?" She said that a critical safety system called ADS-B in and out could have alerted the pilot of the passenger aircraft 59 seconds prior to the collision, and the crew of the helicopter 48 seconds beforehand. The lawmakers are trying to mandate this technology. U.S. LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES The collision took place at a height of approximately 300 feet, despite the fact that the maximum altitude allowed for the route taken by the helicopter was 200 feet. According to the Justice Department, an air traffic controller also failed to comply with an FAA directive. As a result, both agencies were liable for damages. The Potomac River crash was the worst U.S. aviation disaster in over 20 years. The NTSB revealed last year that in 2022, members of an FAA working group on air traffic had recommended moving helicopter traffic from Reagan airport. They also suggested establishing airborne "hotspots" but the proposal was rejected by an FAA official because it was deemed "too politically charged". The NTSB found that the Potomac FAA facility regularly delivered airplanes with less space than was required. In March, the FAA restricted helicopter flight after the NTSB stated that their presence was an "intolerable" risk to civilian aircraft at Reagan National. After a near-miss that caused two civilian planes abort their landings, the FAA banned the Army in May from helicopter flights over the Pentagon.
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Gatik, a self-driving truck company, secures $600M in contract revenue
Gatik announced on Tuesday that it had secured $600,000,000?in contract revenue and has deployed 'fully driverless trucks' for commercial operations. This highlights the ambitions of the autonomous trucking company to gain a foothold in the market. The heavy regulatory scrutiny surrounding safety has made the commercialization of autonomous vehicles a challenge. However, advances in artificial intelligent have helped many firms improve their technology. Gautam Nang, CEO and founder of Gatik, said: "Today we operate fully driverless trucks across multiple logistic networks and markets. We serve the largest retailers and CPG firms in the country." Gatik's trucks operate nearly?24-hours a day. They move goods between distribution centres and?stores in order to increase delivery frequency, reduce costs, and keep shelves stocked. Public listings in the autonomous trucking industry have also risen, as rivals try to tap into this lucrative market.
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Sources say that the US is working on a general license to lift some sanctions against Venezuelan oil industry
Three sources familiar with this preparation revealed on Tuesday that U.S. officials are preparing to issue a license to lift'some sanctions' from Venezuelan energy companies. This is a departure from the previous plan of granting individual exemptions for sanctions to companies wanting to do business there. U.S. officials said that following the capture by the U.S. of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in the first week of this month, Washington would ease the sanctions on Venezuela's energy sector to facilitate a $2 Billion oil supply deal and an ambitious $100 Billion reconstruction plan for the country's petroleum industry. In recent weeks, many partners and customers of the state oil company PDVSA have applied for individual licences to increase oil output or exports. These include producers Chevron and Repsol, as well as refiner 'Reliance Industries' and some U.S. service providers. Two sources claim that the volume of requests made to the U.S. Government has slowed down progress in plans to 'expand exports' and?move investment quickly into the country. Requests for comment from the U.S. Treasury Department and Venezuela's Oil Ministry were not immediately answered. A broad license issued by former U.S. president Joe Biden exempted a number of companies from U.S. sanctions and allowed them to export Venezuelan oil. This allowed for higher crude exports and production until President Donald Trump's second term began in the first quarter last year. Trump's administration revoked authorizations to exert pressure on Maduro and ordered companies to stop transactions. In December, he ordered a ban on all vessels sanctioned from entering or leaving the country. This reduced Venezuela's oil exports by half, to about 500,000 barrels each day. The exports of Venezuelan crude oil have increased in recent weeks, after the trading houses 'Vitol' and?Trafigura were granted the first licenses for supplying up to 50,000,000?barrels to the U.S. Sources said that a sweeping reform to Venezuela's main oil legislation, which would facilitate oil and gas investments, production and exports, was approved by an initial vote in the last week. It is expected that it will receive a final greenlight from the National Assembly next week.
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JetBlue quarterly loss exceeds forecasts, shares dive 8%
JetBlue Airways on Tuesday posted a ?bigger-than-expected fourth-quarter loss, citing factors including inclement weather and the government shutdown, and the carrier's shares tumbled ?8% ?in afternoon trading. New York-based carrier said that the quarter was marked with a large number of unforeseeable external events. However, growth in premium categories helped boost revenue. U.S. carriers are looking to high-end product and loyalty programs to offset the tepid demand for main cabins in 2026. Joanna Geraghty, CEO of the airline, said on a earnings call that "macro-uncertainty" impacted industry demand and results last year. She added that this hindered the airline's efforts to restore operating profitability. MORE ?PREMIUM REVENUE IN 2026 JetBlue reported an adjusted loss per share of 49 cents for the quarter that ended December 31. This compares to a loss per share of 21 cents a year ago. LSEG data shows that analysts had predicted a loss per share of 45 cents. Operating expenses per seat-mile available, excluding fuel and disruptions such as the government shutdown, increased 6.7% on an annual basis during the third quarter. Fuel prices also posed a challenge to the airline during the third quarter. JetBlue's operating revenue for the period October to December was $2.24 billion, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.23billion, due primarily to an increase in domestic demand and its premium growth strategies. Geraghty said, "The majority of our RASM beat (revenue per seat mile) was driven by underlying strength in demand, along with loyalty, ancillaries and other revenue that exceeded expectations." These initiatives included releasing the company's premium card. JetBlue expects RASM – an industry metric known as unit revenue and a proxy of pricing power – to be between 0% and 4% in the first quarter, and 2%-5% for the entire year. The company wants to increase premium revenue by 2026. It plans to open a second lounge this year in Boston, launch a domestic "first class" and expand its Fort Lauderdale operations. The airline expects to break-even in 2026 and is expecting capacity growth of between 2.5% and 4%. JetBlue's President Marty St. George said, "The macro-background is improving, we are excited to be growing, and our operation is performing in a way we haven't experienced for years." No material impact from the storm is predicted JetBlue has said that it does not anticipate a material impact of the winter storm disrupting air travel in a large part of the U.S. The 'carrier' has cancelled about 1,100 flights. This is less than American Airlines, which has canceled over 9,000 flights during 'the largest weather-related disturbance in its history. JetBlue anticipates that RTX’s Pratt & Whitney geared Turbofan Engine will cause a mid-single digit number of aircraft to be ground in 2026. The airline said it is still working with RTX to reach a settlement. "We're focused on what we think we deserve," an executive stated on the earnings call. However, the amount does not matter in terms of whether JetBlue meets its full-year guidance. Alaska Airlines forecasted a full-year loss last week, citing fuel price volatility, seasonality and economic uncertainty. (Reporting from AnshumanTripathy in Bengaluru, and DoyinsolaOladipo in New York, with editing by ShaileshKuber, Jan HarveyMark Potter, and David Gregorio.)
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Boeing makes a quarterly profit despite unit losses
Boeing reported a profit for the fourth quarter on Tuesday. This was due to the sale of its digital services provider as well as a rise in?jet production and increased deliveries. Investors' reactions were dampened by the fact that losses in two of its largest divisions exceeded expectations. The company recorded a $565'million charge for its KC-46 aerial-refueling-tanker program because of higher estimated costs. Boeing increased production of its most popular jetliners – the 737 MAX & 787 – and reported positive free cash flow — a metric closely monitored by investors. Boeing was able to end the year in profit despite continuing losses in Boeing’s commercial and defence divisions, thanks to the $10.6 billion Jeppesen sale that closed in the fourth-quarter. In an email, Third Bridge analyst Peter McNally stated that "While Boeing seems to be on the firmest footing it has been since the company's problems began in 2018 the quarterly results serve as a reminder of how difficult managing this business can be." 737 MAX REACHES 42 A MORNING Boeing produced 42 737 MAX aircraft per month at the end of the year. The company is now working to increase the rate of 787 production?to eight a monthly. The company intends to increase MAX production this year to 47 airplanes per month and 787 production up to 10 each month. For the quarter ending in December, the planemaker made a profit of $8.22billion, or $10.23 a share ($9.92 a share for core operations), compared to a loss of $5.46 a share or $3.86billion a year ago. LSEG data shows that Boeing's loss after excluding the windfall from the Jeppesen deal was much higher than the analysts' projection of 39 cents per share. Boeing's commercial aircraft unit, despite the improvements in production, posted a loss of $632 millions for the quarter. Boeing's Defense and Space unit lost $507 million. In a CNBC Interview on Tuesday, 'Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg stated that he expected the KC-46-4 charge to be a?one-time event. In midday trading, the company's stock was down by 2.3%. In the quarterly results, Spirit AeroSystems was repurchased for $4.7 billion worth of stock. Boeing reduced Spirit's debts by more than $3.3 billion. The company has not provided financial projections beyond 2026. Jay Malave, the Chief Financial Officer, said in a conference with analysts that he expected $1 billion to 3 billion of positive free cash flow for this year. This is dependent on delays with the 777X and the smaller 737 MAX versions - the 7737-7 and the 737-10. Most deliveries since 2018 The company delivered 600 aircraft last year across all its jet programs. This is the highest number of airliners it has ever delivered. Boeing has been hit by a number of issues in the interim years. These include the 737 MAX Scandal, the 'pandemic', supply-chain bottlenecks and a midair accident which exposed systemic safety and quality problems. Malave said the planemaker is expecting to deliver 500 737s in 2018, compared with last year's total of 447. This included 55 jets which were stored. The company plans to deliver between 90 and 100 737?jets in 2019, up from 88 jets in 2025. On the conference call, he stated that "the company seeks to better manage (delivery delay) exposure in new contracts by tighter underwriting standard." Ortberg stated that despite Boeing's turbulent relationship with President Donald Trump, since his election, "the Administration has been accessible to me, has listened when I've raised concerns, and I believe we've achieved pretty good results so far." The planemaker earned $375 million in the fourth quarter but still lost $1.9 billion for the entire year due in part to certification delays with the 777X and 737 MAX programs. In a memo sent to employees, Ortberg stated that "progress brings expectations. Our customers and stakeholders will expect more of us this year." "And we should all expect more of each other." Ortberg, Boeing's CEO, said that the company has identified a "potential issue" with the GE engines used to power its widebody 777X. The engine manufacturer is working to resolve the problem, Ortberg added. He did not expect the delay in delivery to 2027. In a press release, a GE Aerospace spokeswoman said: "We have a program of on-wing inspections in place to assist Boeing as we analyze the problem and define the corrective actions, guided by our quality and safety systems." Boeing's revenue for the fourth quarter rose 57%, to $23,95 billion, compared to expectations of $22,6 billion.
Sun PhuQuoc Airways, Vietnam's first international airline, will launch its service by the end of March
Sun PhuQuoc Airways, a newly-established airline in Vietnam, will launch its first regular flight overseas by the end of March.
The company announced that the flight to 'Taipei' is scheduled for 29 March.
Sun PhuQuoc began operations in November of last year and focuses on serving tourists to Phu Quoc Island, off the coast of Southern Vietnam.
It said that the airline would begin flying to other destinations in Asia, such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangkok from May and then Kaohsiung, and Kuala Lumpur, starting from October.
Sun PhuQuoc said it aims to increase its aircraft fleet from 25 to 100 by 2035.
The airline operates six aircraft including four Airbus A321NXs. Khanh Vu (Reporting; David Stanway, editing)
(source: Reuters)