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Congress will hold an hearing on US airline regulation and competition
The House of Representatives will hold an hearing on June 24 to discuss 'the state of U.S. airlines competition and regulation following the collapse of low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines last month. The?subcommittee of the House Judiciary that oversees antitrust matters will hold an hearing entitled "The 30,000-Foot View: Competition and Regulation in America." Airline Industry." The CEO of Airlines for America, Chris Sununu, is expected to give testimony at the hearing. Republicans will likely use the hearing as an opportunity to claim that the Biden administration failed to protect jobs through its airline competition policies, while Democrats are going to seize the Trump administration's efforts to rollback?aviation consumer-protection measures and to void airline penalties for misconduct issued by Biden. Spirit Airlines collapsed on?May, after President Donald Trump proposed $500 million in order to save Spirit Airlines despite the opposition of some of his closest advisors and many Republicans in Congress. Despite the intense efforts of the Trump?administration, creditors rejected the deal. About 15,000 Spirit employees and contractors lost their jobs as a result of the collapse. Biden officials have rejected this claim. The Trump administration believes that the former administration of Joe Biden blocked a merger between JetBlue Airways in 2024 and Spirit. Spirit had twice filed for bankruptcy in a single year, and it had not turned a profit since the beginning of 2019. USDOT announced this week that it had 'closed its investigation into the July 2024 Delta Air Lines meltdown, which disrupted the travel plans of over 1.3 million passengers. Last year, USDOT waived a $11 million fine against Southwest Airlines for a December 2022 meltdown, during a busy travel season. In May, the Federal Aviation Administration closed its investigation of airlines that failed to comply with required flight reductions at?40 airports major during the '2025 shutdown government without seeking any fines. USDOT retracted a proposal under Biden in November that would have required airlines to compensate passengers with cash when they are responsible for U.S. flights being disrupted.
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Germany's Bosch will pay U.S. $36 million for shipments made to China's Huawei
The U.S. Commerce Department announced on Wednesday that Robert Bosch, a German technology company, had agreed to pay $36 Million in restitution for the shipment of over $70 Million worth of'sensor products' and'software for cell phone sytems?to Huawei. Huawei is listed on a U.S. blacklist of companies that do not allow the sale of certain items produced abroad that use U.S. technology. According to a settlement agreement signed between the Commerce Department, and Bosch, two?non U.S. Bosch subsidiary exported the goods and the software on more than 100 occasions between 2020 and 2024 without a licence. Bosch stated in a statement that the violations were "unintentional". The U.S. Justice Department has agreed to close its investigation into the matter and said it would not prosecute the company that self-reported the misconduct. In a press release, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg stated that "this declination reflects clear benefits to companies who promptly disclose potential violations" and fully cooperate with our investigations. Bosch has agreed to pay the Justice Department profits from transactions in question. Authorities said that the 'company' will receive credit for the Justice Department payment in the $36 Million Commerce Department settlement. Bosch is a global technology and service company headquartered in Stuttgart. It has nearly 500 subsidiaries and will generate approximately $90 billion of revenue annually by 2024. Bosch stated in its statement that it has enhanced its compliance program for future violations. (Reporting and editing by Karen Freifeld)
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Tropical Storm Arthur forms near Texas Coast, with life-threatening floods expected
The U.S. National Hurricane Center announced on Wednesday that Tropical Storm?Arthur?formed off the Texas coast. It is expected to cause life-threatening floods in parts of the Southeastern U.S. The first named system for the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season was about 40 miles east-northeast from Port O'Connor in Texas on Wednesday morning. It produced maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h. Tropical storm warnings are in effect from High Island, Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana. This is an important energy corridor, which includes major refineries, liquefied gas processing facilities, and other key energy infrastructure around Port Arthur and Lake Charles. Earth Science Associates COO Tony Dupont said that an Earth Science Associates model, based on previous storms, predicts that "around 10,000 barrels" of oil may be lost due to shut-ins offshore platforms along the storm's path. In an email response, he explained that "part of the past losses were due to the 'overabundance of caution for personnel, other dangers and the weather forecast model. For the current storm, we haven’t seen these actions so the forecast is more likely to be low." Gulf Coast refinery region, which runs from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Pascagoula in Mississippi, has around half the total U.S. capacity of 18.4 millions barrels per day. According to Motiva Enterprises, the Saudi Aramco owned Port Arthur, Texas plant has a throughput of 730,000 bpd. Exxon Mobil in Beaumont, Texas is another major Gulf Coast refinery that could be in the path of the storm. Cheniere, Venture Global and other LNG giants have also built major?liquefaction plants along the coast. Exxon Mobil Motiva Enterprises Cheniere Venture Global and Cheniere did not respond immediately to requests for comments about storm preparations. Arthur will produce rainfall totals between 5 and 10 inches. The Miami-based NHC stated that isolated higher totals of 20 inches were expected to continue through Friday, from the Mid- and Upper-Texas coast east-northeast, into the southern and central parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, as well as the?western portions Georgia and the Florida Panhandle. Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather's Hurricane Expert, said that "very heavy rain is expected across southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi where there can be life-threatening floods, before spreading northeastward to the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida Panhandle." AccuWeather predicts significant rain to continue through Friday in the Southeast. The zone of highest risk will move from Louisiana and Texas to Georgia on Friday. Reporting by Anjana Anil in Bengaluru and Ashitha Shivprasad; editing by Mark Porter, Nathan Crooks, and Aurora Ellis
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CNBC reports that JetBlue will reduce its Newark and LaGuardia services.
JetBlue Airways will close its 'flight attendant' base in New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport, as well as its 'tech operations' bases at the airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York this fall. CNBC reported. The report said that the move was part of an effort to reduce costs and improve service at Florida's Fort Lauderdale airport. JetBlue is a major carrier in the area, which is a lucrative hub. According to the company's annual report, JetBlue had a 13% market share for airline seats in?five airports of the New York metropolitan area, including Newark, LaGuardia, and JFK. According to CNBC, the airline said that staff would not lose their jobs if operations were stopped; they could instead "bid or move to other bases". JetBlue announced plans earlier this year to reduce?hiring and?cut the capacity of its flights, as well as to raise fares, to help ease the impact of soaring jet fuel prices that threatened to halt the carrier's turnaround efforts. The company said, however, that it would continue to expand?in South Florida by leveraging the?increased availability of gates in this region. (Reporting and editing by Aatreyee Dasgupta in Bengaluru, Nandan Mandayam)
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US and Europe close to approval of Boeing 737 MAX 7, 10, airplanes
Europe and the U.S. Both Europe and the?U.S. On Wednesday, an aviation official confirmed the news. Chris Rocheleau, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said that the FAA is in the final stages certifying both the MAX 7 and the MAX 10, the smaller one. At a recent safety conference, the Executive Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency Florian Guillermet stated that validating the MAX 10 is the top priority for his agency. Guillermet stated at the forum that "we are making good progress in the final closure?of the last action." "It's great that we can close this?in the next period because then we will be able turn the page, and move forward." He told reporters, "We haven't got many obstacles or major milestones." It's the last step of the process. According to the current schedule, it's "very, very intensive" to process all of the?relevant documentation. Rocheleau, FAA's Rocheleau, told reporters at the event that most of the remaining MAX certification is "crossing t's and dotting i's." The FAA "is making sure there's a level of comfort between our two authorities and our two certification offices - that this is ready for flight." Rocheleau believes that EASA will either validate FAA certification for the MAX planes at the same time or very shortly after. Rocheleau stated that "we're in a great place." FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated last month that he expects the MAX 7 will be certified by the summer, and the MAX 10 before the end the year. The MAX 7 is a shortened version of the MAX 8 and 9 which are already in service. These aircraft have accumulated thousands of flight hours. Boeing has faced delays with the certification of 7 and 10 aircraft due to an engine de-icing problem. The relationship between EASA and FAA deteriorated after the fatal Boeing 737 MAX crash in 2018 and 2019. This was attributed to faulty software and inadequate oversight. Rocheleau stated that the FAA and EASA were working on a data sharing agreement to improve certification and risk management. (Reporting and editing by David Shepardson)
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While Trump praises Gulf oil flow, Iran's Fleet is also gearing up for increased exports
Iran is also preparing to resume its exports and trade. This comes as U.S. president Donald Trump recently welcomed the return of oil from Gulf allies. Shipping data shows that at least three tankers, each carrying?some 5 million barrels of Iranian crude oil, have passed through the U.S. Naval Blockade in the past week. This is despite the U.S. Military saying it will continue its operations to block Iran-linked ships until Friday. The oil market is focused on the deal that Trump announced on 14 June and which will be signed in Switzerland on Friday. Trump posted on Sunday,?Sunday, that the deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran was now completed. Start your engines, Ships of the World! "Let the oil flow!" Iran's deputy Foreign Minister said that a more comprehensive agreement would be discussed during a period of 60 days ceasefire. The gap between the announcement of the agreement and its expected signing on 19 June gives both sides the opportunity to issue conflicting statements about the agreement, said Torbjorn Sltvedt principal Middle East Analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk. Ship-tracking data from Kpler & Vortexa revealed that the Hero II & Diona, two very large crude carriers each carrying 2,000,000 barrels of oil, had passed through the Gulf of Oman and were heading to Asia. Kpler data, Vortexa data, and LSEG's data show that the Sonia I with 1 million barrels has also cleared the blockade. It is now heading towards Singapore. According to Kpler data and LSEG, the Herby supertanker, which is partially laden with Iranian cargo, was close behind the empty VLCC Stream. The signal has been sent and the ships are repositioning themselves in anticipation of the lifting of the U.S. Blockade. Charlie Brown, senior adviser at UANI, a U.S. advocacy organization that monitors Iran's tanker traffic, said: "Clearly, a reboot of the system is underway." The U.S. Central Command did not respond immediately to a question about the movements of Iranian-linked tankers on Wednesday. UANI's analysis revealed that other vessels were also in motion. Five dry bulk and container ship flagged with the Iranian flag, which had been anchored for weeks off Malaysian coast, are now sailing towards Iran. IRAN EXPORTS ARE AT A SIX-YEAR?LOW Kpler data show that the U.S. Blockade in May sent Iranian crude oil exports to their lowest levels in six years, at 260,000 barrels a day. This is a fraction of the average 2025?of 1,67 million bpd. A senior U.S. government official stated on Tuesday that the memorandum o' understanding, announced by Trump on Thursday and scheduled to be signed this Friday, calls on the U.S. for it to allow Iran to begin selling fuel?and oil immediately. Benchmark Brent crude futures are already down, falling below $80 a barrel this week from highs of $120 per barrel. This is due to the prospect of a return in Gulf supply. This drop in prices could lead to a return of demand from China, Iran's largest buyer. China has been lukewarm due to high prices. Sources in the industry said that companies will wait until there is more clarity about the opening of "the strait" before they resume voyages. Kpler's analysis shows that 118 tankers with cargoes of other Gulf producers are still stuck in the Gulf. Intermodal, a shipbroker based in Greece, said this week that despite a formal agreement to reopen the Strait of Gibraltar, safe passage still needs to be demonstrated in practice. Reporting by Florence Tan and Siyi Liu; editing by Kate Mayberry, Jason Neely, and Jonathan Saul.
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Kyiv denies that Russia has attacked a school bus with children on board.
Russia has accused Ukraine of a drone attack that killed Belarusian children on a school bus Wednesday. Ukraine's military denies this accusation. Yegor Kovalchuk is the acting governor of the Bryansk region in?Russia, bordering?Ukraine. He said the bus was carrying a Belarusian children's soccer squad on a vacation to southern Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the attack a "monstrous crime" and said that a woman who was accompanying the children died. Eight others, including six kids, were also injured. The Ukrainian General Staff denied the Russian claim, saying via Telegram that the "Defence?Forces in Ukraine" did not use unmanned aerial vehicles to attack targets in Bryansk Oblast during the specified time period. I was unable to verify the report. Both sides deny targeting civilians. Kovalchuk posted images online showing a silver school bus with its windows blown, its right front tyre damaged, and what appeared to be bloodstains on its interior seats. The Russian authorities opened an investigation into terrorism and found that the bus was carrying 44 passengers including 28 children. It was traveling from Gomel, Belarus, to Gelendzhik, Russia. Russia has accused Ukraine of a drone attack this month on a bus that it says killed eight civilians in eastern Ukraine in the Donetsk Region under Russian control. Since the beginning of its war with Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has regularly attacked Ukrainian towns and cities such as Kyiv. Kyiv increased drone strikes against Russia in recent months in an effort to weaken Moscow's economy and bring an end to the war that has killed thousands of Ukrainians. (Reporting and editing by Andrew Osborn, Kyiv buro)
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Qantas chooses London as the first non-stop flight to break Qantas' record
Qantas Airways announced on Wednesday that?London was the first destination of the world's largest direct commercial flight. The trip is roughly 20 hours from Sydney, eliminating the?traditional halt on the "Kangaroo Route". Vanessa Hudson, the CEO of Australian carrier, told an audience in Toulouse, France that they plan to start selling tickets by February, and launch flights in October 2027. The airline is part of "Project Sunrise", which will serve New York in the future using modified Airbus A350 1000ULR jets that can fly up to 22-hours with 238 passengers aboard. The announcement is part a fleet revamp that began in 2017, when Qantas challenged Airbus to develop planes capable for ultra-long haul non-stop routes out of Australia. Hudson, who unveiled the first Airbus plane in bright sunshine without its Rolls-Royce XWB-97 engine because it was still in its early testing stages, said: "Australia's separation from the rest should not stand in the way." It is hoped to reduce the five-day journey on the Kangaroo Route to London from around 19 to 21 hrs, depending on wind direction and routing. Qantas plans to use polar routes around a quarter of time, particularly during winter in the northern hemisphere. The journey now takes between 24 and 25 hours, via Singapore. Qantas is taking a big risk with this project, which involves billions in aircraft upgrades, research on passenger health and a re-design of the cabin. It must be able to convince passengers to pay more in order to avoid long layovers while minimizing the discomfort of long flights. John Strickland, aviation analyst, said: "What they're selling is time. They need to charge a premium for all cabins, especially premium economy and business." Qantas named Project Sunrise in honor of its double sunrise endurance flight during World War Two. The airline remained airborne for long enough to witness two sunrises. The airline estimates that the project will add A$400,000,000 ($283,000,000) to its earnings every year. Hudson stated in February that this was based on ticket prices being around 20% higher in premium cabins than other one-stop options. Analysts say that high energy prices due to the Gulf conflict has raised the threshold for achieving break-even. 'POSITIVE MARKET' In an April note, Jefferies analysts predicted that after the initial U.S. Iran ceasefire and before this week's peace agreement, passengers would continue to prefer direct routes to Europe via Perth. They also said they expected Middle Eastern hubs to shift to Asian hubs through 2027. They said: "We expect Project Sunrise flights from London to have a good market." Gulf carriers like Emirates, who re-drew the aviation map around their hubs are expected to defend their share of the market. Australia lifted its "do-not-travel" warning against Gulf hubs, which had been in place for months. This had invalidated many travel insurance policies, even those of transit passengers. Airbus won Project Sunrise?order in 2019, after a fierce battle with Boeing's 787X. Airbus conducted the first test flight of one of 12 modified A350 1000ULR aircraft ordered by Qantas earlier this month. The planes with 238 seats have an additional rear-centre tank that helps to increase range from 1,000 nautical miles (1.852 km) up to 10,000 nautical mile. Flights are so long that fuel is used to carry the weight. Due to COVID-19 and the supply chain delays, the?first aircraft will be delivered in April 2027. This is about five years after originally anticipated. Reports this month stated that Qantas was in discussions to purchase 20 additional wide-body jets, including the smaller A350 900 or Boeing 787s.
Kyiv denies that Russia has attacked a school bus with children on board.
Russia has accused Ukraine of launching a drone strike that killed a Belarusian bus full of schoolchildren, an accusation which the Ukrainian military says is "false".
Yegor Kovalchuk is the acting governor of Russia's Bryansk Region, which borders Ukraine. He said that the bus was carrying a Belarusian children's soccer club to southern Russia for a vacation. Kovalchuk wrote on Telegram that he visited the injured and described the incident as "a completely deliberate strike against civilian transport on a busy road".
The Russian Foreign Ministry called the attack "another horrific crime" and said that a woman who was with the children died, while eight others, including six children were injured.
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, "the Defence Forces of Ukraine have not used unmanned aerial vehicles in Bryansk Oblast during the specified period."
I was unable to verify the report. Both sides deny targeting civilians. Alexander Khodzhayev of the Belarusian Ministry of Health, as quoted by Belta (the state news agency), said that two people, an older adult and a young child, are in a serious condition. He stated that Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko issued an order to airlift back all injured Belarusian citizens. Belarus's Foreign Ministry stated that it demanded "complete" explanations from Ukraine about the incident.
Kovalchuk posted pictures online of a bus that had some of its windows blown out. Its front right tyre was damaged, and some seats appeared to have blood stains.
Investigators in Russia opened a terrorism probe and said that the bus was carrying 44 passengers including 28 children. The bus was traveling from Gomel, Belarus, to Gelendzhik, Russia. Russia has accused Ukraine of a drone attack this month on a bus that it claimed killed eight civilians in eastern Ukraine in an area controlled by Russia. Since the beginning of its 'war in Ukraine', Russia has been regularly attacking Ukrainian cities and towns such as Kyiv. Kyiv has increased drone attacks on Russia over the past few months in an effort to weaken Moscow’s economy and bring an end to a conflict in which thousands have died. (Reporting and editing by Andrew Osborn, Kyiv buro and Ron Popeski)
(source: Reuters)