Latest News
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Trump will meet with the CEOs of the travel industry to discuss tourism.
U.S. President Donald Trump will be meeting with executives from major travel companies on Wednesday, including American Airlines, Marriott, MGM Resorts, and Carnival, amid a drop in international visitors. The FIFA World Cup in this summer gave U.S. Tourism a "big boost". The U.S. tourism industry got a?a?big boost from the FIFA World Cup this summer. International arrivals in the U.S. dropped?5.5% in 2025. Travel officials cited a number factors, including long visa interview waiting times, higher airfare prices, stricter immigration policy, tariffs and U.S. restrictions on travel for certain countries. Commerce Department reported that overseas visitors have fallen another?4.7% from July 2026. The tensions in the United States and Canada have affected the number of visitors from Canada. Las Vegas, and border states are popular tourist destinations. The number of Las Vegas tourists is expected to drop by 7.5% in 2025. Trump will meet with members of U.S. Travel Association. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will also attend. Caesars Entertainment, Hard Rock International and IHG Hotels & Resorts are also participating, as well as Venetian, Raffles & Fairmont, Venetian, Raffles & Fairmont, Venetian, Raffles & Fairmont, Venetian, Raffels & Fairmont, Raffles & Fairmont, Venetian, Raffles & Fairmont, Raffles & Fairmont, Venetian, Raffles & Fairmont, Raffles Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, said Trump will meet with travel companies to "celebrate the achievements that produced an historic summer travel season" and gave a boost to local economies and small business. The White House stated that it had made airport screenings easier by allowing passengers to leave their shoes on and adding "family screening lanes" at certain airports. The White House also wants to create biometric fast lanes to help returning U.S. Citizens and to make international flights more accessible. Over the past year, airport security lines and flight delays were slowed down by partial government shutdowns. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin threatened in May to stop border processing at Newark, and possibly other airports in "sanctuary" cities. Travel groups warned it could cause chaos, leave thousands of tourists and Americans stranded, and stop vital cargo shipments.
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Southwest launches first airport lounges in order to expand premium appeal
Southwest Airlines announced plans on Wednesday to open the first airport lounges in its history. The carrier is stepping up efforts to attract higher-spending premium passengers and diversify revenue sources. The airline has announced that it will partner with JPMorgan Chase in order to launch the first airport lounges. It is working hard to shed its low-cost reputation and boost revenue by introducing assigned seating, extra legroom seats, and other product improvements. Airport lounges are a popular attraction for travelers. They offer a place to relax or work in peace, as well as complimentary drinks and food. They help airlines retain customers, drive premium fares, and increase spending on co-branded credit card. Southwest?will launch a co-branded Chase credit card by 2027, giving customers access to the?airport lounges. It plans to initially open four lounges, in Austin, Baltimore?, Honolulu?, and Nashville. The lounges are expected to open in late 2027. Fuel prices have risen sharply due to the U.S./Israeli war on Iran. This has squeezed already thin airline margins. Carriers that offer a strong suite of premium services are better placed to withstand the pressure, as they can attract travelers who will pay more for high-margin features such as lounge access and premium seating. Southwest Airlines has restructured its business in order to "better compete" with the network carriers, following pressures from Elliott Investment Management as well as lower profit margins due to the pandemic and activist investor Elliott Investment Management. In May, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said that Southwest would be able to offer more cabin options including "true First Class" and will likely in the future expand into international long-haul flying. He said, however, that these were "still ideas". Jordan acknowledged previously that the carrier lost customers to competitors because it did not offer premium amenities such as airport lounges or serve destinations like London.
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Uber leaves Nigeria after 12 years in operation
Uber Technologies, a ride-hailing service, will stop?operations on 'September 2' in Nigeria. This marks the end of its 12-year presence in Africa's largest country. Uber announced that it would be closing its Nigerian operations after reviewing the business. It did not provide any further details on the decision. The competition in Nigeria's ride hailing?market has increased in recent years. Operators are facing challenges such as rising fuel prices, currency volatility, and inflation. These have led to higher operating costs and pressure on drivers and platforms. In a message to users, the company stated that "after a thorough review of our business we have taken the difficult decision to wind up our operations in Nigeria with effect from 2 September 2026." In 2014, the San Francisco-based firm launched in Lagos before expanding into other cities to meet the growing demand for app based transportation. Uber announced that its help centre will remain open until September 23 for users to resolve outstanding account issues. Uber didn't say how many drivers or riders would be affected or if any assets would sold.
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Ukraine asks aviation watchdog back ban on flights into Russian airspace
?Ukraine has urged ICAO to ask its member countries to ban all operations in russian airspace. This comes a day after the President Volodymyr?Zelenskiy?warned he it was "becoming totally unsafe". Top Ukrainian officials announced on Tuesday that the country will intensify its retaliation for Russia's increased strikes against Kyiv. The city has been on continuous alert since seven days, and it has also suffered attacks on civilian infrastructure. Ukraine will only target Russian military installations and not threaten civil aircraft,?Zelenskiy said, but he stressed that "the growing number of Ukrainian drones" in Russian skies should be taken into consideration. Mykola Kalashnyk, Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister, wrote to ICAO Chairman Juan Carlos Salazar in a letter that was exclusively shared with him. He said Kyiv believes the risk of tragedies should be minimized. Ukraine asked ICAO for encouragement to aviation authorities and airlines in order to protect civil aviation. "Including by facilitating full prohibition of civil aircraft operations by ICAO members states within the Russian Federation's airspace". Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, said that Zelenskiy’s remarks amounted "state terrorism". Moscow pledged on Wednesday to prevent any disruptions to civil aviation. In 2024, a?Azerbaijan Airlines?plane?headed to Russia's Grozny crashed-landed in Kazakhstan when it diverted from its course. Putin said that two 'Russian missiles' were detonated after Ukrainian drones invaded the airspace. When Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and launched missile barrages without warning civilian aircraft, Ukraine shut down its airspace. Since then, Ukraine has been without an airport. SkyUp, the only airline that is still operating, operates out of Moldova.
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Europe could accelerate satellite launches to meet demand
The European Space Agency is looking at increasing the launch schedules for Ariane 6 & Vega C rockets over the next few years to overcome a possible bottleneck in satellite launches. Aschbacher, the Director General of the DG, told reporters that an immediate decision was needed if projections were correct and a surge in demand would peak by 2030. Arianespace's latest?projection? calls for nine or ten launches of Ariane-6 rockets per year starting in 2027. Aschbacher, a member of the AJPAE aerospace association, said that based on Europe's scientific missions and other missions as well as... possible further interest from Amazon or other commercial activity there is... more?demand? than planned capacity. Amazon has already ordered 18 launches. "Ofcourse, the question is: Can we satisfy all of these launches?" Aschbacher stated that this is exactly what we are doing at the moment. "We are investigating the costs and benefits... You can imagine that this is not trivial," said he. "We have already made some progress in these estimates. But it is also?clear... that if you want to meet?launch requirements by 2030, we will need to take a quick decision to?build the capacity needed." Arianespace, the subsidiary of Airbus and Safran rocket venture ArianeGroup declined to comment before a scheduled regular press briefing on September 7.
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Zelenskiy aviation warning not enough for Moscow to prevent airspace disruption
After warnings from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, that the drones used by Russia had made its?airspace? dangerous to use, Russia promised to prevent any disruptions to civil aviation. Zelenskiy, a Russian-born Ukrainian pilot, warned insurance companies and airlines on Tuesday about the "war that Russia started" by closing their own skies. He claimed he wasn't targeting civil aviation. Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, said that on Wednesday the Ukrainian government had officially informed the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that Russian airspace is not safe. Other airlines, such as those from China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and other Gulf States, use the airspace of?Russia. Interfax reported that Andrei Nikitin was the Russian transport minister and he said: "We have solutions to all of these problems." "We work in close communication with the Ministry of Defence, and the Russian National Guard." "I believe that we won't allow any disruptions to civil aviation," said he. SOME FLIGHTS CANCELLED Flightradar24 showed that there were disruptions on Wednesday at Moscow's main airport. Some airlines also cancelled flights, but did not give a reason. Flydubai issued a statement saying that it would continue to monitor closely the situation in the area and make any necessary adjustments to its flight schedules or routings. Our teams constantly assess operational requirements as the situation is dynamic. We are aware that delays and diverts may occur. "The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority." Pegasus Airlines, Turkish carrier, said that it cancelled certain flights to Russia due to "technical" and "operational" reasons. RUSSIAN ATTACKS KIEV Flightradar24 reported that the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow had 21 cancelled flights, 235 delays and 22 cancelled flights at Vnukovo Airport. Pegasus Airlines cancelled six arriving flights and six departing ones at Vnukovo Airport on Tuesday. The carrier stated that overnight flights into the Wednesday were affected, but that other flights "operated as scheduled". Requests for comments from other carriers, such as Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Emirates, that regularly fly to or over Russia were not answered. Aviation risk advisory firm, Osprey?Flight Solutions, has issued an alert to its clients, stating that daily attacks on Russia, including Moscow and St Petersburg, are likely until 2026. In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its air strikes on Kyiv as well as 'other cities. Residents of the Ukrainian capital endured the 7th?day?of intense attacks on Wednesday. Ukraine responded by launching frequent drone attacks on Russian targets. Many of these are associated with Russia's oil industry and retail sites.
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Bessent: US targets digital assets and airlines as Iran-related targets
Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury secretary, said on Wednesday that digital assets and the maritime industry as well as airlines could be targets of the Trump administration's plan to squeeze Iran’s economy. Bessent warned that "everyone" should not support Tehran when asked about Russian support of Iran during a Fox News interview following the G20 gathering in North Carolina. "My message to everyone is to'stay away. We 'all want this war to end. The fastest way to make it end is to have no one?support this regime", he said to "Fox & Friends", one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin threw their?support - behind Iran. He added, "We have very full-blown talks with anyone who supports the regime." Bessent stated on?Tuesday that the administration may also target airline leasing companies, and that more Iran bank sanctions could be coming this week.
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Heat wave puts US electricity grids under stress
On Wednesday, the?risk of a power outage? is expected to increase across a large swath in the United States as the intense heat will put the electricity supply serving millions of homes from the Midwest up through the Mid-Atlantic. The U.S. Department of Energy has warned of increased blackout risks on?the PJM Interconnection. This is the largest U.S. electrical grid that serves 67,000,000 people across a?territorium extending from Washington D.C. up to Chicago. Last night, DOE Secretary Chris Wright gave PJM the authority to 'direct backup generation resources as a last-resort before declaring a Level 3 Energy Emergency Alert, which could be one of the final steps before ordering rotating blackouts. The DOE said the move was part of a plan to "stabilize the Mid-Atlantic Grid and reduce the risk of blackouts." Wright stated in a press release that "maintaining reliable, affordable and secure power during hot weather for hard-working American families and business is non-negotiable." The temperatures in Chicago, St. Louis, and Washington D.C. are expected to reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degree Celsius) at the peak of electricity demand. PJM issued an alert on "maximum generator emergency" early Wednesday, asking generators to report on how quickly they could restore units to service. Midcontinent Independent System Operator, a regional grid operator for 15 U.S. States in the Midwest, South and Midwest, has predicted that peak demand will be near a record on Wednesday, at about 121 gigawatts. MISO's record high is 127.1 GW. MISO warned of tight conditions, and increased its reserve requirement to protect against unexpected power plant failures and transmission line congestion. Howell-Oregon?Cooperative in rural Missouri's Ozark region advised its customers to unplug chargers and other appliances that were not being used due to the extreme heat. Customers were also asked to raise their thermostats in order to reduce the use of air conditioning.
Sources: Ethiopian Airlines is close to ordering Boeing cargo planes
Ethiopian Airlines has reached a 'deal to purchase up to 10 Boeing long-haul freighters, as it moves forward with plans to build a new African hub to compete with Gulf carriers.
Sources said that the deal will likely include two Boeing 777F aircraft of the current generation, which would help the U.S. planemaker to bridge the gap until the new 777-8F model is ready. This is expected to be the remainder of the order.
A source stated that the order will include eight to 10 aircraft, if there are no last-minute changes. Boeing refused to comment on speculation. Ethiopian Airlines had ?no immediate comment.
Boeing will cease production of the widely-used 777F by the end of 2027 under international emission rules. This will close a profitable chapter after sales of over 400 units.
Boeing has been under pressure to continue making the current 777F to avoid its supply chain going cold due to delays in developing the successor of the 777 jets, the 777X. This includes the new 777-8F freight model.
Boeing requested a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration in December to allow it to deliver 35 more 777F cargo aircraft, citing a strong demand for the planes and a delayed certification of 777X. The FAA stated on Tuesday that the waiver request was still pending, and that no decision had been made.
Boeing's request will allow them to meet some demand up until the new 777-8F enters service.
Boeing was confident that the exemption would be approved.
According to a FAA filing, Boeing builds two 777F Freighters per month.
(source: Reuters)