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Smoke in the cabin causes emergency landing of a Boston bound Delta flight in Portugal
Delta Airlines reported that a flight from Barcelona to Boston made an emergency landing in Porto, Portugal on Sunday afternoon. The company reported that Flight DL251 had been diverted from Barcelona to Porto due to a mechanical problem and landed safely there. Flightradar24, a tracking service, indicated that the plane left Barcelona at 3:15 pm (1315 GMT), and landed in Porto at 5 p.m. (1645 GMT). A spokesperson for Portugal's emergency and civil protection authority said that eight passengers who were on board the Airbus A330 were treated at the Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport, while three others were transported to hospital. The Portuguese spokesperson said that the forced landing was due to "smoke" in the cabin.
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Increased security at US Fairford Air Base in England
A witness said that security measures at an 'US airbase in southwest England have increased significantly in the last few days, with roadblocks and armed police blocking access, as well as emergency vehicles parked near. A spokesperson from the US Air Force confirmed that they are aware of the current reports but will not discuss specific measures to protect forces. The spokesperson stated that "the 501st combat support wing and our UK-based Wings will remain vigilant and take appropriate actions to ensure safety and security for?our US servicemen, civilians and contractors, as well as their families." "We continually assess a number of factors to determine which measures we implement?or change in order to protect our installations and our people, as well as their families." Britain declared?in July that its armed forces were ready to protect the country against any attack, after Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned not to allow US bombers fly out of Fairford. Fairford in Gloucestershire was used to launch operations against Iran during the Middle East Conflict.
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Boeing flags 737 MAX Software Bug Affecting Landing Navigation Feature, WSJ Reports
The Wall Street Journal, citing documents from the company, reported that Boeing has discovered a previously unknown software bug in its 737 MAX aircraft. This glitch could cause an automated navigation 'feature' to fail on landing. Report said that the issue was caused by a software update in the cockpit and could occur when crews change their flight plan after a missed landing. Boeing, when asked for comment, said that it had informed 'all 737 operators' last month of the software problem under which pilots could not?have access to automated flight guidance in a certain landing scenario. Our engineers are working on a software update to 'permanently address the issue. Boeing stated in an email that engineers were working on a permanent software update. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that it was aware of a possible issue with a software update to the flight computers in certain Boeing 737 MAX aircrafts, and worked closely with Boeing as well as the airlines. The FAA issued a statement saying that it would convene a Corrective Action Review Board if a safety concern was identified. Boeing has come under heavy regulatory and safety scrutiny over the past few years, following two 'fatal 737 MAX crash incidents in 2018 and 2019, which led to a 'worldwide grounding of the aircraft. Also after a cabin panel blew out mid-air on a brand new Alaska Airlines MAX 9 in 2018. Southwest Airlines and 'United Airlines' have requested that Boeing not deliver new 737 MAX aircraft with the affected software, and instead request an earlier version. The report stated that it was not immediately clear how many aircraft were operating with the flawed software. Boeing, airlines, and regulators are evaluating the issue to determine if it poses a safety concern for flight, according to the report.
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Russia claims it has struck Ukrainian defence industry vessels and facilities
On Friday, the Russian Defence Ministry said that 'its forces' had carried out drone strikes overnight on Ukrainian defence industry installations, logistic centres and vessels used in Ukraine by its armed forces. The 'Ministry' said that the strikes targeted a 'drone assembly and storage site, in the Kyiv region; logistics hubs in Odesa and port infrastructure in Reni along the Danube River. It was also reported that Russian forces had struck a cargo vessel carrying dual-use and military goods bound for the port of Odesa. Later, on Friday, the ministry announced that its forces had hit another cargo ship?in Odesa that was delivering a?logistics centre?to the port Chornomorsk. This centre is used by Ukraine's armed forces and security forces. It also houses a data center for the?processing of intelligence data and the transmission of it. Could not independently verify statements.
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Volkswagen recalls 4 million cars, Handelsblatt reports
The Handelsblatt reported that Volkswagen, the German automaker, will recall 4 million vehicles from four different brands. This is the largest recall since the Dieselgate scandal. According to the German KBA, there will be a recall of 2.16 million VW and 700,000 Audi vehicles. The Handelsblatt reported that Volkswagen's Czech?brand Skoda, and Seat in Spain would also be affected by the action. Seat confirmed that the number. Skoda has not yet commented on the report. Volkswagen stated in an earlier press release that customers were asked to bring their vehicles to be repaired due to a?risk of corrosion associated with a screw within the steering system. If left unchecked this could affect the steering system's function in the long run. The company said that the recall is a precautionary measure, and that replacing the screw will take less than an hour. Volkswagen refused to comment on the cost estimate of the recalls.
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US airlines oppose China’s bid to increase flights
On Thursday, the head of the industry group Airlines for American?said that US carriers opposed adding more direct flights to the United States from China despite the fact that Xi Jinping, the Chinese President raised the idea. Chris Sununu, the head of the group that represents American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, among others, has said US carriers are still hampered because their Chinese counterparts have been allowed to fly over Russia on eight flights. He told reporters that he had been urging officials in the Trump administration not to cave. It's not a small thing. Sununu told an interview that it is a costly exercise for airlines to travel around Russia. Xi brought up the issue of increased flights at a Washington event on Thursday. At the moment, each country can only operate 50 round-trips per week. "Our two parties may also increase direct flight to facilitate travel in both directions and trade," Xi - said. The White House has not yet commented. Before the COVID-19 epidemic, each side was allowed to fly more than 150 round-trip flights per week. Chinese and US carriers were limited to 12 flights a week each between the two nations until August 2023. Air China was asked to increase the number of flights it offers from the US East coast to China, but Airlines for America resisted the request last week. US carriers are banned from doing so because they cannot access Russian airspace. Chinese carriers however can fly eight US flights. "It's imbalanced. Sununu stated, "It's unfair." "They have an advantage already with eight flights. "It would be a huge advantage to give them even more," he said. "Don't worsen it for us." In?March 2022, the US banned Russian flights in American airspace following Russia's invasion into neighboring Ukraine. This prompted Russia to prohibit US carriers from flying over?the country. The United States did not ban other countries from flying over Russia, but they made a deal in 2023 with China that any additional flights would not be allowed to do so. The US Transportation Department proposed in October 2025 to ban Chinese airlines from flying above?Russia along routes between the United States and Canada. They argued that the shorter flight times this practice allows puts American carriers at an unfair disadvantage. The proposal was withdrawn after it faced opposition from US agencies.
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Alaska Air expects certification of the Boeing 737 MAX 10 by end-September
Alaska?Air?expects Boeing’s?737 MAX 10 aircraft to be certified before the end of September, and plans to deliver its?first plane next spring. Chief Operating Officer?Jason Berry said on Thursday. Berry said that the airline expects to begin passenger service with the MAX 10 between mid-April and April. Before Boeing can start deliveries, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must certify that aircraft. This timeline could be impacted by any delays in the 737 MAX 10 certification process, which is already several years behind schedule. Alaska must then certify the heads-up displays for pilots after the single-aisle aircraft is certified by federal regulators. This will take "a few?months," according to him. He said that the tight schedule "is sport," adding, "We're not panicking yet."
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Maguire: The cement boom in Africa signals the next big shift in global energy usage.
Africa consumes less than 5% of the global energy supply. It is therefore vastly outweighed by other regions when it comes to assessing current trends in energy and pollution. The aggressive plans to build cement plants in the region may change this. Global Energy Monitor data shows that Africa dominates the global pipeline of cement production capacity being built. This construction share is compared to a 8% share of the currently operating cement capacity. This indicates a 'rapid growth in planned production on the continent. But cement investments are about a lot more than just construction materials. These bets are on urbanization, regional economic growth and industrialization. Concrete is used to build roads, houses, factories, ports and other infrastructure before countries use more steel, chemicals or manufactured goods. The cement pipeline is a good indicator of Africa's energy needs. These are expected to increase dramatically if the construction boom linked to the plans for cement capacity materializes. The trend of energy consumption and emissions in the rest of world is expected to be curbed by electrification, and the slowing of heavy industrial production. Leaning In GEM data indicates that Africa has a cement production capacity of 441 million metric tons per year in operation and 43.3 millions tons per annum under construction. African nations also announced plans to add 23 million tons to the current annual cement production capacity. This would increase the total capacity of the region by 15%, compared to its current level, bringing it to just under 507 million tonnes. The overall increase in capacity for cement in Africa is far greater than planned additions to cement capacity in other regions. This indicates that Africa’s development plan looks set to be?more raw materials-intensive' than other parts of the globe. Africa's heavy-duty cement plans indicate a similar steep rise in raw materials and energy requirements, since cement production is notoriously high energy-intensive and requires large quantities of coal, petroleum, coke, and natural gas to ensure ample output. These cement projects will increase the demand for electricity, as well as infrastructure to import, store, and distribute coal, gas, and other fuels. They also need to ship out concrete produced. The plans to expand Africa's cement manufacturing footprint are a response to the growing demand for industrial energy in Africa, which will initially be supplied by fossil fuels. FRONTRUNNERS EGYPT & NIGERIA Egypt, among African countries, has the largest cement production footprint of 88 million tonnes per year. Nigeria is second to India for the amount of cement currently being produced. Libya, Mali and Angola are also among the top 20 countries in the world for cement construction. This shows that growth is expected across the entire continent. Even if Africa adopts cleaner energy technology more rapidly than other industrializing regions, the scale of planned construction of cement suggests that it will still need large quantities of materials to urbanize. The fact that 16 African nations are building new cement kilns suggests that Africa is on the right track to follow some of the same blueprints as countries in Asia. CLEANER CONCRETE? The African cement plan is different from those of other regions because African developers can use the most modern and efficient components to build their?cement plants. Modern kilns have a higher efficiency than those that were installed ten or more years ago. They should therefore be able to produce more cement using fewer inputs. Locally produced renewable electricity -- such as rooftop solar installations -- may also be used to run milling and processing equipment, reducing energy costs for producers. Electric cement kilns, which are becoming more widespread, offer the potential to further reduce energy intensity in countries that want to limit their industrial carbon footprint. Cost considerations will likely remain paramount on many African markets. This may delay the adoption of expensive emissions-reduction techniques such as carbon sequestration. This means that cement production in Africa will be energy- and material-intensive, even though they use the latest kilns available and the most advanced components. Cement projects in Nigeria, Libya Mali, Mozambique, and other countries are not just industrial investments. These projects are early indicators of future growth in?energy demand. Africa's urbanization and industrialization could make it one of the world's largest sources of demand for electricity, fuels for transport and industrial energy. This would force policymakers to find a balance between rising living standards and rising emissions. These are the opinions of the columnist, an author for. You like this column? Check out Open Interest, your new essential source for global financial commentary. Follow ROI on LinkedIn, X and X. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast daily on Apple, Spotify or the app. Subscribe to the Morning Bid podcast and hear journalists discussing the latest news in finance and markets 7 days a weeks.
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./Israeli war on Iran. Fuel accounts for as much as a quarter or more of the operating costs, which has forced airlines to increase fares and re-evaluate 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 significant impact" on its first-quarter results.
AIRASIA X A Malaysian airline said that it will suspend its services between Melbourne and Denpasar, and Adelaide and Denpasar on June 18, due to higher fuel prices.
Executives had previously stated that the airline has cut 10% of its flights and imposed a fuel surcharge of around 20%.
AIR CANADA
Fuel price volatility has caused Canada's largest carrier to suspend its full-year forecast.
The company had 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, REGIONAL CHINESE CARRIER
Chinese airlines are increasing fuel surcharges on domestic flights starting May 16. Surcharges will range from 30 to 90 Yuan ($4-$13) for flights less than 800 km. Surcharges for longer routes will rise by up to 170 yuan.
AIR FRANCE-KLM
The airline group expects to pay $2.4 billion more in fuel this year. The airline group has downgraded the full-year forecast for capacity growth to an increase between 2% and 4%. Previously, it had guided to a 3% to 5 percent increase.
The airline announced earlier that it would be increasing the price of long-haul tickets to address rising fuel costs. Cabin fares will increase by 50 euros ($58).
KLM, the Dutch subsidiary of the group, announced on April 16 that it would cancel 160 flights across Europe in the next month due to increasing fuel prices.
AIR INDIA
Between June and August, the Indian carrier will temporarily reduce flights on several international destinations.
Bloomberg News reported that the airline was considering furloughing employees who are not technical and reducing flight capacity more than 20% over the next three month.
Air India said that it will also revise the fuel surcharge, moving from a flat surcharge for domestic flights to a grid based on distance. The company said that surcharges for international routes do not compensate the steep rise in fuel costs.
AIR NEW ZEALAND
The New Zealand airline said that it will review its capital expenditure plans and the timing for aircraft deliveries in order to better align themselves with market demand.
It was one of the first carriers to announce a large increase in ticket prices as the conflict began. The airline warned that further capacity consolidation could occur if fuel costs remain high.
AIR TRANSAT
Canadian Airlines said that it will reduce its planned capacity of 6% between May and October this year. The airline expects to make cuts on routes to Europe, the Caribbean and Cuba, while suspending service until October.
AKASA AIR
India's Akasa Airlines introduced a fuel charge 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 deficit, and stated that it expected jet fuel costs to rise by more than 4 billion dollars this year.
The government has increased the fees for checked bags on domestic flights and short-haul international flight by $50 for the third bag and $10 for the second bag. It also reduced certain benefits for economy passengers.
According to the Japanese airline, higher fuel costs will increase its costs by approximately 140 billion yen (883,3 million dollars) this year. However, cost reductions, fares, and hedging are expected to reduce that impact to about 60 billion yen. The airline is also looking at a domestic fuel charge for the fiscal year beginning April 2027.
ASIANA AIRLINES
Newsis reported that the South Korean airline would cut 22 flights from April to July because of fuel price increases.
CATHAY PACIFIC
Hong Kong Airlines said it will reduce fuel surcharges on most flights starting May 16, as part of its "agile response" in response to the fluctuation of jet fuel prices.
CEBU AIR
In response to the rising fuel prices, the Philippine-based airline announced that it has implemented fare adjustments as well as surcharges in various parts of its network.
DELTA AIR LINES
Delta announced that it would reduce capacity by approximately 3.5 percentage points compared to its original plan, and increase fees for checked baggage in order to offset the 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 back on all capacity increases for the second quarter, and forecast profits below Wall Street expectations.
EASYJET
EasyJet has warned that it will suffer a larger half-year loss before tax of 540-560 millions pounds ($721-748million), which includes 25 million pound in additional fuel costs for March.
FRONTIER Airlines According to The Wall Street Journal, a group of U.S. low-cost airlines, including Frontier Airlines has proposed a $2.5 billion plan for relief to the U.S. Government. 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
The Hong Kong based company said that it would 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% starting March 12. The biggest increases would be on flights between Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and Nepal where the charges would go from HK$284 to HK$384 (US$49).
IAG, the owner of British Airways, warned that its annual profit will be lower than anticipated due to rising jet fuel prices and supply disruptions.
It had previously stated that it would increase ticket prices in order to reflect the higher fuel costs. Despite fuel hedges, the company was "not immune" from the wider fallout of 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 has suspended its full-year forecast and announced that it will slow hiring, reduce capacity and raise fares in order to mitigate the impact of rising fuel costs.
Sources with knowledge on the subject say that KOREAN Air entered emergency management mode in April as oil prices rose.
LATAM AIRLINES
Fuel prices have increased, causing the airline to cut its core earnings forecast for 2026.
LUFTHANSA
The German airline group has said that it will be hit by jet fuel prices of 1.7 billion euros in 2026.
ITA Airways, a member of the group, announced that it would increase ticket prices by between 5% to 10% in 2026, to compensate for rising fuel costs.
The Lufthansa Group announced in April a new low-cost "Economy Basic", which limits free carry-on luggage to a laptop bag or small backpack.
The airline had previously cut 20,000 short-haul flight from its schedule until October, claiming that it was the equivalent of 40,000 metric tonnes of jet fuel.
PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS
The airline said that it would raise domestic fares up to $20, and international 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 ($107-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.
RYANAIR
Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, warned that the airline's profits could be "a little under pressure" if oil prices continue to rise in the fiscal year that ends March 2027.
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 "couple hundred" of flights.
SPIRIT AIRLINES
Low-cost carriers in the United States have abruptly shut down after collapsing due to financial pressures. This includes the steep rise in fuel prices.
SPRING AIRLINES
Chinese budget airline, China Airlines, announced that it will increase fuel surcharges for domestic flights starting April 5.
SOUTHWEST SOUTHWEST SOUTHWEST SOUTHWEST SOUTHWEST SOUTHWEST SOUTHWAST AIRLINES
The U.S. airline forecast a second-quarter profit that was below the market's expectations. Its CEO also warned of a fuel price spike that would cost the airline billions in the quarter.
The previous increase in the cost of checked bags was $10.
The Portuguese airline claimed that price increases would partially offset the impact of fuel price changes on revenue.
THAI AIRASIA
Thai low-cost airline said that it would reduce its overall seat capacity by an average of 30 percent between May and July to offset the impact of rising fuel prices 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 fee of 10 euros for each passenger on routes connecting Turkey with mainland Europe. The fuel surcharge will apply 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
South Korean low cost carrier, South Korean Low-cost Airlines, announced that it would furlough cabin crew in May and/or June without pay as part of measures to address the effects of war.
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 fuel costs. The company had already implemented five fare hikes late in the first-quarter, along with increased baggage fees that it claimed were helping to offset rising fuel prices.
The carrier forecasted second-quarter and annual profits that were below Wall Street expectations. It said it would recover only 40-50% through fares and revenue measures during the second quarter. This figure was expected to improve to 70-80% by the third quarter and up to 85-100% in the fourth.
VIETJET
A potential fuel shortage has led to the Vietnamese budget airline reducing flight frequencies on certain routes.
VIETNAM?AIRLINES
Vietnam's Aviation Authority announced that the carrier will cancel 23 flights per day 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 be difficult to achieve profitability.
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA
Virgin Australia has said that it expects fuel costs to increase by around A$30-40million in the second half of the fiscal year and a reduction of 1% 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.
WIZZ AIR
Low-cost carrier revised upwards its guidance, citing strong bookings in advance and quick action to offset rising fuel prices and flight cancelations by adding capacity on new and existing routes and using promotional rates. The company had warned of a possible profit drop at the beginning of the Iran War.
(source: Reuters)