South America

The 'Air -Line Pilots Association', which represents the 725 pilots of Air Transat, reported that the majority of the airline's pilots approved a five-year contract. According to the union, approximately 90 percent of Air Transat's pilots have approved the contract. It reportedly increases flexibility in pay and schedules. Early December, the two sides reached a deal that narrowly avoided a strike by the pilots. "While it was unfortunate that this level of pressure had to be applied, our unity was what ultimately produced results," said Captain Bradley Small, Chair of the?ALPA Air Transat Master Executive Council. The new agreement has...

Brazilian airline Azul launched on Monday a 'primary share offer' to raise around 7.44 billion reais (1.33 billion dollars) to settle financial debts. The filing indicated that Azul is offering 724 billion ordinary shares and 724 billion preferential share. Azul filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy at New York in May. The company wanted to reduce its debts and increase the resilience of their business to market challenges such as fluctuations in fuel prices and currency rates. A U.S. bankruptcy court judge approved the debt restructuring of the Brazilian airline earlier this month. This allowed the airline to reduce?more than 2...

Senator Flavio Blsonaro is the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. He plans to run for president next year in order to moderate his family's legacy and deliver?smaller government?, tax cuts, and privatizations. In his first international interview since announcing his presidential ambitions earlier this month, the Senator said that he planned to travel abroad next January. The senator may visit the United States as well as Argentina, Chile and Israel. He could also travel to Europe, the Middle East, Europe, and the Middle East. He was elected to Brazil's Senate on the conservative wave which brought his father...

Jeferson Castro, dressed in his familiar furry green suit and a festive motorcycle taxi, isn't prowling the streets of Lima to steal Christmas. He is instead delivering'smiles and hugging from his festive motorbike taxi, spreading holiday cheer to a city where crime is an everyday occurrence. Castro is a well-known local celebrity. He has a three-wheeled cab with lights and a plastic reindeer. Castro says that the act gave him the courage he needed to make sure fear didn't ruin the holiday season for Peru's capital. Castro said, "This is my tool of work," during a brief stop to speak...

A JetBlue passenger plane bound for New York avoided a mid-air crash on Friday with a U.S. Air Force Tanker near Venezuela by taking evasive actions, according to a recording of an air traffic control system. JetBlue Flight 1112 was departing from Curacao in the Caribbean and flying approximately 40 miles (64km) off the coast Venezuela when an Airbus A320 reported spotting the Air Force jet. The Air Force plane did not have its Transponder turned on. JetBlue's pilot stated that the Air Force pilot flew within a few mile of the plane at the same height. They passed directly...

JetBlue avoids collision with Air Force jet that was not tracked Incident after US military build-up near Venezuela FAA warns airlines about risks in Venezuelan airspace By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, DECEMBER 15: A JetBlue passenger plane bound for New York avoided a midair collision on Friday with a U.S. A pilot reported in an air traffic recording that a?Air Force aircraft was near Venezuela. JetBlue Flight 1112 was departing Curacao in the Caribbean and flying approximately 40 miles (64km) off the coast Venezuela when an Airbus A320 reported that it had encountered the Air Force plane, which didn't have its...

A U.S. bankruptcy court judge approved Azul’s debt restructuring on Friday, allowing it to reduce more than $2 billion of debt and raise capital via a new equity right offering and investment from American Airlines and?United?Airlines. At a hearing in White Plains (New York), U.S. Bankruptcy judge Sean Lane approved Azul’s?bankruptcy plans. Azul filed Chapter '11 bankruptcy in New York, in May. Its goal was to reduce its debts and to make its business more resistant to market challenges such as fluctuations in fuel prices and currency exchange rate. The bankruptcy plan of the company converts much of its existing...

Iberia, the Spanish airline, extended its suspension of flights to Venezuela through December 31 citing a recommendation by Spain's aviation agency AESA. Tensions between Caracas & Washington continue to roil the commercial aviation. The decision was made just days after Venezuela revoked the operating rights of six major international carriers that had suspended services in response to a U.S. Aviation warning about a 'potentially dangerous situation' in Venezuelan airspace. Caracas accused carriers of participating in "actions of State Terrorism" promoted by the United States. Iberia, which is owned by International Consolidated Airlines (ICA), said that passengers affected could either change...

Airbus, Europe's largest aircraft manufacturer, ordered the immediate repair of 6,000 A320 jets that are widely used. This recall affects more than half of Airbus' global fleet. According to a notice sent to airlines, the fix involves mostly reverting back to older software. However, it is necessary to do this before planes can be flown again. Some airlines have warned that the repairs may cause flight cancellations or delays. Airbus announced on Monday that most of the jets recalled had been modified. The following are the major disruptions reported by airlines on Monday at 853 GMT, alphabetically: Aer Lingus The...

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, confirmed to reporters on Sunday that he spoke with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He did not give any details about what they discussed. I don't wish to comment. When asked if he'd spoken to Maduro, Trump replied "yes". He was talking to reporters on Air Force One. The New York Times was the first to report that Trump spoke with Maduro in early this month, and they discussed a potential meeting between them both in the United States. Trump has continued to spout bellicose rhetoric about Venezuela while entertaining the possibility that diplomacy could be...

The U.S. president Donald Trump stated on Saturday that airspace surrounding Venezuela and above it should be "closed completely", but did not provide any further details. Washington is increasing pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government. Trump stated in a Truth Social posting that "All Airlines, Pilots, Drunk Dealers, and Traffickers, Please consider the entire airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed." Venezuela's Communications Ministry, which is responsible for all government press inquiries, didn't immediately respond to a comment request on Trump's tweet. The U.S. Defense Department didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. U.S. attacks against alleged drugs...

Airbus, Europe's largest aircraft manufacturer, ordered the immediate repair of 6,000 A320 jets. The recall affected more than half of the world fleet and threatened disruption during the busiest weekend for travel in the U.S. According to a notice sent to airlines, the fix involves mostly reverting back to older software. However, it is necessary to do this before planes can be flown again. The repairs may cause flight cancellations or delays, according to several airlines. The following are the major disruptions reported by airlines at 0733 GMT, in alphabetical order. Aer Lingus Aer Lingus, the Irish airline, said that...

The European Union was thanked by Ukraine on Friday, even though the bloc did not agree to an ambitious plan that would use frozen Russian assets as a means of financing. The stakes were high for 'Kyiv' to find money because, without EU financial support, Ukraine will run out of cash in the second quarter next year, and may lose the war. This would increase the risk of Russian aggression towards the EU. The 90 billion euro loan was approved by EU leaders at a summit in Brussels. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine's president, wrote the following on Telegram: "This is a...

The federal government of Brazil plans to auction off the massive Tecon '10 container terminal at Santos Port in the first half of March, said Minister of Ports and airports Silvio Costa Filho on Friday. He said that more than 10 bidders have expressed interest in the auction, including the Philippines-based ICTSI, JBS, JSL and unnamed 'Arab investors. The Minister said that the minimum bid price will be below?6.4 billion (about $1.19 billion), the amount of money the winning bidder must invest to build and run the terminal. Roberto Lopes confirmed that the Rio Brasil Terminal, controlled by ICTSI will...

Argentina, a global food supplier, is planning to boost its grain and mineral exports through privatization, and a modernization program of its railway network. Industry leaders claim that this will reduce freight costs in regions located far from ports by half. The first tender will be for the Belgrano Cargas, which runs the three biggest freight train lines in the country. The initiative, which will be launched in early 2019, could increase production of global commodities like soybeans and corn. It also includes copper and lithium. The project could also help transport sand from Vaca Muerta in Argentina's Southwest. The...

The Brazilian Agricultural Exchange (BAB), announced on Thursday, had recorded the first physical settlement in Brazil of a grain derivative in over 15 years. Corn was delivered to a railroad terminal in Rondonopolis in Mato Grosso. Eric Cardoni, chief executive of BAB, a platform for agricultural trading that started operations in September, said that the volume of trading at BAB increased dramatically last month. Cardoni stated that the first delivery of corn was 1,800 metric tonnes, which is equivalent to three contracts. Cardoni also said that another 9,000 metric tons (15 contracts) will be delivered later this month. The market...

Sources in Berlin confirmed that the German government supports Brazil's proposal for a fund to protect rainforests, but it hasn't yet decided on how much money they will contribute. Brazil, as host of the COP30 Climate talks, will launch its flagship Tropical Forests Forever Facility next week in order to raise $125 billion for the conservation of endangered forests. Sources claim that the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will attend the talks and finds the idea extremely interesting. They added that the amount of the financial contribution should be left undetermined for the time being. The German development minister indicated that...

In a statement released on Wednesday, the workers' union of BHP's Escondida copper mine in Chile, which is the largest mine in the world, expressed concern over two recent accidents that involved autonomous trucks. The union, who has been critical of BHP in the past and has held strikes during contract negotiations, stated that on August 25, an autonomous truck crashed into shovel machinery, and the previous week, another truck overturned. No injuries were reported. Patricio Tapia, head of the Union, said that workers do not operate vehicles but they are responsible for other tasks, such as maintaining the roads....

The Brazilian coffee harvest for 2025/26 accelerated in the last week to 35% but remained lower than the level in 2024. Sales of the anticipated output were on par with last year's, at 22%. Safras & Mercado reported that the robusta bean harvest increased by seven percentage points in the week ending June 11. The dry weather favored the robusta beans. Rains have slowed down the work on arabica fields in the states of Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, and Parana in the southeast. This is two percentage points less than the level of 37% seen at the same time last...

Brazilian rail operator Rumo has terminated a 2024 deal to sell a part of the terminal at Latin America’s largest port, to U.S. commodities traders Bunge and to a subsidiary from Japan’s Zen-Noh Group. Rumo stated in a filing with the Securities Commission that the conditions of the agreement for a 50% stake in the XXXIX Terminal, located in Santos Port, had not been fully met before the deadline. It did not give any further details. The parts were Announcement of the Deal Rumo reported that the agreement would be worth 600 million reais ($107.44 millions) in May 2024. Bunge...

Abiove, the traders' association, and a toll-road operator announced on Tuesday that indigenous Brazilian protesters had lifted their blockade of Brazil's Trans-Amazonian Highway. This reopened a vital grain shipping route connecting farmers to the Miritituba River Port. On March 25, Munduruku activists shut down the road (also known as BR-230) to pressure Brazil's Supreme Court into overturning a law that limits indigenous land rights in 2023. Grain traders reported that the protests prevented the shipment of around 70 000 metric tons worth nearly $30 million of grains every day. Abiove reported that it had learned on Tuesday morning the indigenous...

In recent days, protests by indigenous peoples and poor roads disrupted the shipping of Brazil's bumper soya crop via the river port Miritituba within the Amazon rainforest. This has caused concern for global companies such as Cargill and Bunge who have important operations. Abiove, the association of grain handlers in Nigeria, reported on Friday that road access to Miritituba had been partially or totally blocked for two weeks. This has prevented the shipment of almost 70,000 tons per day of grain, equivalent to almost $30 millions of product value. In a statement issued jointly with the farm group Aprosoja Brasil,...

The tariffs imposed by U.S. president Donald Trump on Mexican imports pose a significant risk to farmers in Jacksonville. This is because Mexico's retaliation could cause corn buyers to switch to South American rivals. Mexico is the top corn-importing country in the world. At a time when prices of grains have plummeted and chemical and seed costs for crops are on the rise, this market is crucial for U.S. producers. Farmers in Jacksonville, a small city of 17,000 residents, are more likely to benefit from Mexican demand than other farmers. The residents live near a grain loading facility where corn...

Analysts said that the sale of Brazil's soy crop was lagging, due to high freight costs, an increased local currency, and the extra caution taken by trading companies to complete purchases. According to the consultancy Safras & Mercado, Brazil's soybean crop for 2024/25 has already sold 39.4% more than total production expected. This is higher than the 31,9% recorded in the same time period of 2024. It is still below the average for five years of 43.2%. Guilherme Palahares, Santander Research's head of food and beverage research, said that "Freight was the biggest factor in limiting business." To reduce risk,...