Latest News
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French aircraft carriers moving into Red Sea, Gulf of Aden
France's Charles de Gaulle carrier group has moved into the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea as part of a?France-Britain?preparation for a?future?mission? to assist freedom of navigation in the 'Strait of Hormuz'. In a press release, the French Armed Forces ministry said that the "aircraft carrier group" had crossed the Suez Canal Wednesday on its way to the southern Red Sea. The French aircraft carrier group can stay at sea between 4 and 5 months. France and Britain lead efforts to lead an international team to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz when conditions allow. The conflict in Iran has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of?Hormuz, which carries nearly?a?fifth of?the?world's oil. (Reporting and editing by John Irish)
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Alaska Air offers $500 million in debt as fuel prices rise due to the Iran War
Alaska Air announced on Wednesday that it would raise $500 million via a debt offering. The airline is looking to bolster liquidity in the face of a rise in jet fuel prices due to war. The carrier announced that it would issue debt securities with a maturity date of 2031. After Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, airlines around the world cut capacity and raised baggage fees. They also added fuel surcharges in order to combat the skyrocketing cost of fuel. Since the U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, jet fuel prices have almost doubled. Financial strains are more severe for airlines such as Alaska Air, which is based in the U.S. West Coast. There, pipeline capacity and refinery capacity remain limited. This forces airlines to depend on oil imports. Last month, the airline announced that it would increase its fuel sourcing from Singapore from 20% to between 30% and 40% in time. American Airlines and JetBlue Airways, two rivals, also took advantage of the debt market in the last month to combat the rising costs resulting from the Iran War. American raised $1.14 Billion, JetBlue $500 Million. (Reporting by Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru; Editing by Diti Pujara)
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Airport operator: Summer seat availability in Cyprus will not fall more than 5%.
Hermes Airports, Cyprus' airport operator, said on Wednesday that the number of seats available to Cyprus this summer would be "no more than" 5%. The Iran war has dampened the outlook for tourism in the region. Since the U.S. launched the war against Iran, in late February, the number of tourists to the island has decreased. On March 2, a single drone attack hit a British military base in Cyprus. Hermes, the company that operates Larnaca and Paphos airports, has said that airlines have reduced their schedules by about 600,000. Passenger arrivals will also be down around 9% or approximately 450,000 passengers. It said that the majority of adjustments were made to lower flight frequencies rather than cancelling routes, and that there was no impact on schedules because of fuel shortage issues. The arrivals in the'recent weeks' have shown signs of improvement, with passenger loads on aircraft increasing to between 80% and 85% from April 20, compared to averaging 76.8% earlier in April. Hermes reported that key?tourism markets such as?Britain, Poland and the United States were experiencing load factors above 90%.
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Ship-tracking data shows that a second ADNOC LNG Tanker crossed the Strait of Hormuz during Iran War, showing a second ADNOC tanker crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
Ship-tracking data?showed that a second liquefied gas tanker managed by Abu Dhabi's National?Oil?Company?(ADNOC) had crossed the Strait of Hormuz and appeared to be near Indonesia. The first LNG tanker managed by ADNOC to cross Hormuz since the conflict began was reported on April 27, 'that LNG tanker Mubaraz crossed Hormuz. ADNOC didn't immediately respond to a comment request. According to Orbify's LNG vessel tracking platform, the 136,357 cubic meter tanker Mraweh chartered by ADNOC GAS was loaded on Wednesday off Indonesia, indicating that it has already passed through the strait after going dark on April 19 - without AIS signals. Ship-tracking data revealed that ships around the Gulf were using evasive tactics such as not transmitting their location or sending false identification numbers in order to avoid being "targeted" or detained. "Mraweh", Al Hamra",?Umm Al 'Ashtan" and Marigold all went into anchorage near Fujairah. They have also shown a similar AIS disconnect pattern. ADNOC's?Mubaraz transited the Strait Of Hormuz earlier this month on its way to Asia. Orbify executive Kyle Hewitt said, "I would expect these vessels to follow the same route."
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Uber predicts strong bookings for the second quarter despite Middle East woes
Uber Technologies announced Wednesday that it would exceed Wall Street's expectations for the second quarter, despite the Middle East conflict. The shares of the San Francisco based company increased by about 8% during premarket trading. The company's strong forecast shows that its strategy to keep prices stable while moving into higher-margin fields such as the platform for business is paying off. It helps it navigate rising fuel costs and geopolitical tensions. Growth has also been fueled by strong delivery demand on international markets such as Australia and the expansion of new geographies, like Denmark. Uber expects gross bookings between $56.25 and $57.75 for the second quarter of 2016, which is above the analysts' average estimate?of $56.07, according to LSEG data. The Middle East conflict is responsible for a 60 basis point drag. The company forecasts a?second quarter adjusted earnings per share between 78 and 82 cents. This is slightly higher than the 79 cents estimate. The first-quarter gross bookings exceeded expectations by $52.84 billion. Uber has said that its increasing adoption of artificial-intelligence tools helps moderate the pace at which it hires by improving productivity in its operations. Uber is pushing to expand its platform beyond ride-hailing, into food delivery, groceries, travel, local commerce and more recently, hotel bookings. Uber has been focusing on its Uber One membership, which has now surpassed 50,000,000 users and accounts for approximately half of its gross bookings. The March quarter revenue was $13.2 billion. This is below the $13.62 billion estimate due to the Middle East conflict, severe winter storms and higher gasoline prices. Even so, the adjusted profit per share in the first quarter of 72 cents beat expectations of 70 cents. The ride-hailing sector missed the estimates by $6.8 billion in the first quarter. Sales from the delivery and freight segments, however, exceeded expectations. The latter division returned to growth after nearly two years. Uber has opted for a partnership approach in the development of 'autonomous vehicles. It is working with over 20 companies to integrate robotaxis onto its platform, rather than developing it itself. As it expands its partnerships with AV providers, the company expects to provide autonomous vehicle trips as many as 15 different cities worldwide by 2026. (Reporting and editing by Arun K. Koyyur in Bengaluru)
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Uber predicts strong bookings for the second quarter despite Middle East woes
Uber Technologies announced Wednesday that it had exceeded Wall Street's expectations for second-quarter bookings due to strong demand for its ride-hailing, delivery and e-commerce services. The company's strong forecast shows that its strategy to keep prices stable while moving into areas with higher margins, such as the platform for business, is paying off. It helps it navigate rising fuel costs and geopolitical tensions. Growth has also been driven by strong delivery demand from international markets such as Australia and the expansion of new geographies, like Denmark. Uber expects gross bookings between $56.25 and $57.75 Billion for the June quarter. This is above analysts' average estimates of $56.07 Billion, according to LSEG data. The Middle East conflict is responsible for a 60 basis point drop in the index. The company forecasts second-quarter adjusted earnings of 78 to 82 cents per share, which is slightly higher than the 79 cents estimate. The gross bookings for the first quarter totaled $53.7 Billion, which exceeded expectations of $52.84 Billion. Uber said that its increasing adoption of artificial intelligence tools helps to moderate the pace of its hiring by improving productivity throughout its operations. Uber is pushing to expand its platform beyond ride-hailing, encompassing food delivery, groceries, travel, and local commerce. It has also recently entered the hotel booking market. Uber has been focusing on expanding its Uber One membership, which now has over 50 million members and accounts for about half of the company's gross bookings. The March quarter revenue was $13.2 billion. This is below the $13.62 billion estimate due to the severe winter storms in the U.S. and the Middle East conflict, as well as higher gasoline prices. Even so, the adjusted profit per share of 72 cents in the first three months beat expectations of 70 cents. The first quarter revenue of $6.8bn for the ride-hailing sector missed the estimates?of $7.11bn. Sales from the delivery and freight segments exceeded expectations. The latter division returned to growth after nearly two years. Uber has a partnership-led strategy for autonomous vehicles. It works with more than 20 companies in order to integrate robotaxis onto its platform, rather than building the technology themselves. As it expands its partnerships with AV providers, the company expects to provide autonomous vehicle trips as many as 15 different cities worldwide by 2026. (Reporting and editing by Arun K. Koyyur in Bengaluru)
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Bild reports that a German woman aboard a ship infected with hantavirus will be tested by s German hospital.
The Bild newspaper reported that the woman did not show any symptoms. Bild reported that the passenger was in contact with another German woman who died on board. A German newspaper reported that a high-risk "patient transport" unit of the Duesseldorf fire brigade had left for Amsterdam International Airport to pick up the woman. The hospital has not yet commented on the report. Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship operator, said that a planned transfer of 3?passengers to specialized aircraft from the cruise vessel was scheduled for Wednesday morning Cape Verde time. Since the outbreak began in early April, a Dutch couple has also?died. A British national was evacuated from the ship and is currently in intensive care in South Africa.
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What is the hantavirus which killed three passengers on a cruise ship?
In an outbreak of the hantavirus on a luxury ship, three people died. Five other confirmed or suspected cases were also reported. What is the exact definition of a hantavirus and what are its?implications for public health? What is it? Hantaviruses can cause disease in humans and are transmitted by rodents. World Health Organization estimates that there are between 10,000 and 100,000 cases of human infection worldwide each year. The severity can vary by strain. How is the virus spread? Hantavirus is primarily spread by rodents. It infects people through contact with their urine, droppings or saliva, and often becomes airborne during cleaning. It is spread less commonly through contaminated surfaces. The Andes strain, which is primarily found in Argentina and Chile, is the only variant known to spread via close, prolonged contact between humans. The WHO confirmed Wednesday that the outbreak on the cruise ship was the Andes Hantavirus. What are the symptoms of infection? Hantaviruses are found in many parts of the globe and cause different symptoms. Some cause no symptoms at all. According to the WHO, symptoms usually begin between one and eight weeks following exposure. They may include fever, muscle pains and gastrointestinal problems. Hantaviruses are known to cause haemorrhagic syndrome with renal syndrome in Europe and Asia. This condition primarily affects blood vessels and kidneys. In America, hantavirus can cause cardiopulmonary syndrome. This condition progresses rapidly and causes fluid to accumulate in the lungs, along with other heart problems. WHO reports that the death rate from hantavirus is up to 50%. This compares to the 1-15% of infections?commonly found in Asia and Europe. Can HANTAVIRUS infection be treated? As there is no specific treatment, the current approach focuses on supportive measures, such as rest and fluids. Patients may need breathing assistance, such as a ventilator. The prevention of rodents is based on measures such as keeping surfaces and areas clean. Contact tracing during outbreaks can improve outcomes by allowing others who may have been exposed to the virus to receive hospital treatment earlier. What are the risks to the general public? WHO states that the outbreak on cruise ships is unusual, and experts from several countries are investigating it. However, the risk for the public is low. WHO's Americas branch warned in December that hantavirus infection was on the rise in the region. This is especially true in Bolivia and Paraguay. Brazil and Argentina, which have the most cases, are also seeing an increase in lethality. Argentina reported 21 deaths in the last year. This is a 32% mortality rate among 66 people who contracted hantavirus respiratory syndrome. The average death rate over the previous four years was 15%.
Price hikes and outlook cuts are used by airlines to combat the fuel price surge.
The aviation industry was blindsided by the sudden increase in jet fuel costs from $85 to $100 to $150 to $200 per barrel during the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. Fuel accounts for as much as a quarter or more of the operating costs, which has forced airlines to raise their fares and change their financial forecasts.
Here is an alphabetical list of the ways airlines are responding to this issue:
AEGEAN AIRLINES
The Greek airline anticipates that the suspension of Middle East flights, as well as a spike in fuel costs will have a "notable" impact on its first quarter results.
AIRASIA X
Malaysian Airlines executives announced that the company has cut 10% of its flights in the group and imposed a fuel surcharge of around 20%.
AIR CANADA
Canada's largest airline has suspended its full year guidance due to the volatility of jet fuel prices.
The company announced previously that it would reduce four of its daily flights from New York to just 38 due to rising fuel prices.
AIR CHINA, CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES, CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES
China's "big three" airlines have increased surcharges for domestic flights to 60 yuan (8.78 dollars) for flights less than 800 kilometers and 120 yuan (about $13.80) for those more than 800 kilometers, respectively, from 10?yuan or 20 yuan.
AIR FRANCE-KLM
The airline group has said that it expects a fuel bill increase of $2.4 billion this year. It also downgraded the capacity outlook from 2025 to a 2%-4% increase. It had previously predicted an increase between 3% and 5%.
Cabin fares will increase by 50 euros ($59), per round-trip, to reflect the'surging fuel prices'.
KLM, the Dutch subsidiary of the group, announced on April 16 that it would cancel 160 flights across Europe in coming months due to rising fuel prices.
AIR INDIA
The Indian airline said that it will change its fuel surcharge system from a flat surcharge for domestic flights to one based on distance. The Indian carrier said that surcharges for international routes do not compensate the steep rise in fuel costs.
AIR NEW ZEALAND
On April 7, the airline announced that it would cut flights in May and June, and raise fares. It was one of the first airlines to announce a large increase in ticket prices after the conflict broke. The airline also suspended its earnings forecast for the full year due to volatility in the fuel markets.
AIR TRANSAT
The Canadian airline announced that it would reduce its planned capacity by 6 percent from May to October of this year. Cuts are expected to be made on routes to Europe, the Caribbean, and Cuba.
AKASA AIR
Akasa Airlines, based in India, announced that it would be introducing fuel surcharges ranging from 199 to 1,300 Indian Rupees ($2 - $14) for domestic and international flights.
ALASKA AIR
Fuel prices are rising sharply, putting pressure on airline margins.
The carrier had previously withdrawn its profit forecast for the full year and warned that earnings would be severely affected in the second quarter. The carrier has also reduced capacity in certain markets.
AMERICAN AIRLINES
The U.S. airline slashed their 2026 profit projection, pushing lower expectations to a loss. They also said they expected to see an increase in jet fuel costs of more than $4 billion for this year.
The government has increased the fees for checked bags on domestic flights and short-haul flights by $50 for the third bag and $10 for each of the first two bags. It also reduced certain benefits to economy passengers.
It said that higher fuel costs would increase its costs by approximately 140 billion yen (890 million dollars) this year. However, it is expected that hedging, lower fares, and cost-cutting measures will limit the impact to around 60 billion. It has said that it will consider introducing an internal fuel surcharge for the fiscal year starting April 2027.
ASIANA AIRLINES
Newsis reported that the South Korean airline would cut 22 flights from April to July because of fuel price increases.
CEBU AIR
The Philippines-based carrier said that the sharp increase in fuel prices is a major concern. It will continue to review pricing and network strategies and try to minimize the impact.
DELTA AIR LINES
Delta announced that it would reduce capacity by 3.5 percentage points compared to its original plan and raise fees for checked baggage in order to offset the rising costs of jet fuel. The increase will be $10 on the first and second bags, and $50 on third bags.
The U.S. carrier pulled all planned growth in capacity for the current quarter, and forecast profits below Wall Street expectations.
EASYJET
EasyJet has warned that it will suffer a larger half-year loss before tax of between 540 and 560 millions pounds ($732 and $759million), including an extra 25 million pounds of fuel costs in march.
FRONTIER Airlines A group of U.S. Budget Airlines, including Frontier, has proposed a $2.5 Billion Relief Plan to the U.S. Government. The Wall Street Journal reported. The report stated that the figure was based on the amount of jet fuel the group is expecting to spend this year in comparison to previous forecasts.
Fuel prices have increased dramatically since the carrier's forecast, and it has stated that it will be reviewing it.
GREATER BAY Airlines
Hong Kong based company, said that it will increase fuel surcharges for most routes on April 1 and keep them the same on routes to mainland China?and Japan.
HONG KONG Airlines
The airline announced that it would increase fuel surcharges up to 35% on flights between Hong Kong, the Maldives and Bangladesh, and Nepal.
British Airways' owner IAG announced it would increase ticket prices in order to reflect the higher costs of jet fuel. Despite its fuel hedges it is "not immune" from the wider fallout caused by fuel price volatility.
INDIGO
India's largest airline announced that it will introduce fuel charges for domestic and international flights starting March 14. The charge for flights into the Middle East is 900 rupees and for flights into Europe, 2,300 rupees.
JETBLUE AERWAYS
JetBlue announced that it would reduce hiring, reduce capacity, and raise fares in order to mitigate the impact of the rising jet fuel prices. CEO Joanna Geraghty stated on a earnings call that the airline had suspended its outlook for the full year.
Sources with knowledge on the subject have confirmed that KOREAN will be entering emergency management mode in April as oil prices continue to rise.
LATAM AIRLINES
The Chilean carrier has cut its core earnings forecast for 2026 after rising jet fuel costs pushed up costs.
LUFTHANSA
The German airline group has said that it will be hit by jet fuel prices of 1.7 billion euros in 2026.
Its subsidiary ITA Airways announced that it would increase ticket prices by between 5% to 10% in 2026, to compensate for rising fuel costs.
The group announced in April a new low-cost "Economy Basic", which limits free carry-on luggage to a "laptop or small backpack".
The group had previously announced that 20,000 short-haul flight would be removed from their schedule by October, which is equivalent to approximately 40,000 metric tonnes of jet fuel.
PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS
The airline said that it would increase domestic flight fares up to $20, and international flight fares up to $100. It cited higher fuel surcharges as the reason for this.
QANTAS AIRWAYS
Qantas, an Australian airline, said that it has delayed a planned A$150-million ($108-million) buyback. It also increased its fuel estimate for the second half 2026 from A$2.5 billion to A$3.1-3.33 billion.
Scandinavian Airlines announced that it would cancel 1,00 flights in April due to high jet fuel and oil prices. In March, the airline had cancelled "a couple hundred" flights.
SPIRIT AIRLINES
The U.S. Low-Cost Carrier shut down abruptly, after collapsing due to financial pressures. This included the sharp increase in fuel prices caused by the Iran War.
SPRING AIRLINES
Budget Chinese airline announced that it will increase fuel surcharges for domestic flights starting April 5. Details to be announced in due course.
SOUTHWEST SOUTHWEST SOUTHWEST SOUTHWEST SOUTHWEST SOUTHWEST SOUTHWAST AIRLINES
The?U.S. The?U.S.
The previous increase in the cost of checked bags was $10.
The Portuguese airline claimed that its price increases would partially offset the impact of fuel prices changes on its revenues.
THAI AIRASIA
The Thai low cost carrier announced that it would reduce its overall seat capacity between May and July by 30% on average to offset the impact of rising aviation fuel costs and a softening of demand.
THAI AIRWAYS
The Thailand-based airline said that it would increase fares between 10% and 15% in order to combat rising fuel prices.
The European airline, tour operator and travel agency cut their full-year profit forecast and suspended revenue guidance. They said they had incurred extra costs of about 40 million euro due to the March war, including repatriation and operational disruptions.
TURKISH AIRLINES LUFTHANSA
SunExpress, the joint venture between Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa and Lufthansa announced that it would charge a temporary fuel surcharge of 10 euro per passenger for routes between Turkey, and continental Europe. The fuel surcharge applies to all bookings made after April 1, for departures after May 1.
Turkish Airlines announced on April 10, that it would not be distributing any dividends from its net profit for 2025, instead choosing to keep the earnings and preserve cash.
T'WAY AIR
As part of measures taken to combat the effects of war, the South Korean low-cost carrier said that it would furlough cabin crew in May and/or June without pay.
UNITED AIRLINES
Scott Kirby, CEO of the U.S. airline, said that ticket prices could need to increase by up to 15% or 20% in order to offset an increase in jet fuel prices. The company has already implemented five fare hikes late in the first-quarter, along with increased baggage fees that it says have begun to offset rising fuel prices.
The carrier forecasted second-quarter profits and full-year profit below Wall Street expectations. It said it would recover only 40-50% through fares and revenue measures during the second quarter, but that this figure could rise to 70-80% by the third and up to 85-100% in the fourth.
VIETJET
Vietnamese budget airline has announced that it has adjusted flight frequencies on certain routes due to possible fuel shortages.
VIETNAM Airline
Vietnam's Aviation Authority announced that the carrier will cancel 23 flights a week on domestic routes starting in April after it requested assistance from the government to remove an environment tax on jet fuel.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
Corneel Kster, the CEO of the airline, told The Financial Times that despite adding fuel surcharges on fares this year it will struggle to achieve profitability.
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA
Virgin Australia has said that it expects an increase of jet fuel costs of between A$30 and A$40 million in the second half of the fiscal year. It also anticipates a 1% decrease in capacity for the fourth quarter.
VOLOTEA
The Spanish low cost airline has introduced a new pricing strategy that links ticket prices with fuel costs. This could add an additional surcharge after purchase of up to fourteen euros per passenger per flight.
WESTJET
Globe and Mail reports that the Canadian airline has reduced seat capacity in June. The Canadian Press reported previously that the airline would add C$60 ($44.50) to certain bookings, and combine flights due to rising costs.
(source: Reuters)