Transport Infrastructure

A union statement said that about 3,500 workers from the New York Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), who failed to reach an agreement on wages, went on strike Saturday. This halted the busiest commuter train system in the United States. The Long Island Rail Road is operated and owned by the state’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). It serves nearly 300,000 passengers per day. In a press release, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union stated that a group of five unions had launched a strike. This was 'the first strike in 32 years. The union said that the workers went three...

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)?said on Friday that it would be reducing its target of?air traffic controller staffing. It also pledged to modernize the scheduling system and increase the amount of time employees spend managing traffic. The FAA announced that it has lowered its target to 12,563 certified air traffic controllers from 14,633. According to a National Academies of Sciences study published last year, overtime costs for air traffic control have increased by over 300% in the past two years, reaching more than $200 million. The report cited a misaligned workforce and an inefficient schedule. According to the report, 'the time...

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday that it would'spend $16.5m to install transponders on its airport vehicles following a fatal accident in March between an Air Canada Express plane and a firetruck at New York LaGuardia Airport. The fire truck lacked a transponder which would have sent its location to the?air traffic controller. Last month, the Port Authority of New York &?New Jersey (which oversees LaGuardia Airport and other airports in the area) announced that it would add transponders on its vehicles which?operate near runways. The FAA intends to immediately start equipping its 1,900 vehicles in 264 airports with surface...

Waymo announced on 'Tuesday that it was recalling approximately 3,800 robotaxis from the United States. They identified a 'risk?that vehicles could enter flooded roads and higher speed limits raising safety concerns. Alphabet said that the recall was a result of an April 20 incident in which a Waymo car drove into a "flooded lane" in San Antonio, during severe weather. Waymo stated that the vehicle was not occupied and no injuries were reported. However, the incident prompted the company's review of similar scenarios with high speeds and impassable roads. Waymo stated that they are working on implementing additional software protections,...

Adani Ports, an Indian company, announced on Tuesday that it will expand its European presence?by building off-shore capabilities with the United States. Oceaneering International has committed $1.36 billion to capital expenditures through fiscal year 2031. The largest private port operator in the country said that it aims to generate marine revenues of?60 trillion rupees ($627.43 millions) through its expansion. In order to support the expansion plan, Astra Offshore will build a fleet 200 vessels equipped with offshore specialised capabilities. Adani Ports is implementing a'strategy' to increase its global presence and tap into the rising demand for offshore logistics in Europe....

A witness at Incheon Airport said that Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng arrived in South Korea on Tuesday to hold trade talks with an American delegation before a summit between leaders of the largest economies this week. Li Chenggang was also a member of the delegation. He is China's chief trade negotiator. He Lifeng will meet U.S. Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent for talks on Wednesday, ahead of the upcoming meeting between U.S. president Donald Trump & Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled from Thursday through Friday in Beijing. Koo Yun Cheol, South Korean Finance Minister, told a briefing that Bessent will...

The major Gulf stock exchanges declined on Monday morning amid signs that U.S. Iran talks have stalled. This has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. president Donald 'Trump' dismissed Iran's response on Sunday to the U.S. proposal for peace talks that aim to end the war. He called Tehran's requests "totally inacceptable." Iranian media reported that Tehran's proposal included a comprehensive ending to the war, a lifting of sanctions, compensation, and recognition of the control it has over the Strait. Since the beginning of the war in late February, Iran has effectively blocked the Strait. This has disrupted a...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Friday that it is launching an investigation into a number of crashes involving Avride’s autonomous vehicles. These crashes raised concerns about the?performance?of these vehicles. NHTSA said that the behavior of vehicles may be indicative of excessive assertiveness or insufficient capabilities, which "may also constitute violations of traffic safety". Several of the crashes caused property damage, and there was one minor injury. NHTSA stated that the vehicles failed to avoid vehicles or objects on the road and had performed lane changes. NHTSA stated that Avride operated?some of their AVs on Uber’s platform and offers...

Caixin, the Chinese media outlet, reported that a Chinese-owned oil product tanker was attacked on Monday near the 'Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump launched a U.S. Plan to assist stranded ships, but then suspended it one day later. Caixin reported on Thursday that this was the first attack on a Chinese oil-tanker. Since the Iran conflict began, traffic through this vital strait has virtually stopped. It is through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass. Caixin reported that the deck of a?unnamed ship caught fire. The ship's marking was "CHINA OWNER & CREW". The crew...

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be questioned on Capitol Hill, on May 19, after a report revealed that'systemic failures within the agency led to the devastating mid-air collision last year which killed 67 people. The collision of an American Airlines regional plane and a Black Hawk Army helicopter in January 2025 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, was the most deadly aviation accident to occur in the United States for more than two decades. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford is scheduled to appear before a Senate Aviation Subcommittee on Wednesday, April 17, to answer questions regarding the...

Court documents state that a?man working as a contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration in New Hampshire was arrested and charged after the White House had received an email from the suspect about his plans to "neutralize/kill' the president. Documents show that Dean DelleChiaie, a resident of Nashua in New Hampshire, was arrested on Monday for interstate communication of an alleged threat. The Secret Service filed a court document stating that the FAA suspended DelleChiaie's job in mechanical engineering when it discovered that he used his "work computer" to conduct searches on assassination efforts. The FAA refused to comment. DelleChiaie's...

Investor confidence was boosted by the opening of most major Gulf exchanges on Monday. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that the United States would start efforts on Monday morning to help ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. He did not give any details of his plan. Iran's military warned U.S. troops on Monday to avoid entering the Strait of Hormuz, after President Donald Trump announced that the United States was going to start helping free ships stranded by the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. He did not provide any details of the plan. Trump's priority is to...

According to shipping data and industry sources, the United Arab Emirates, along with buyers, have recently sailed several oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz to transport the oil that has been bottled up by the Middle East conflict in the Gulf. These volumes are only a fraction of what the UAE used to export before the U.S./Israeli war against Iran, but they demonstrate the risk that the buyer and producer are willing to accept to increase oil sales. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq have all stopped selling oil, or cut prices dramatically to attract buyers who are not interested....

Saudi Arabian state oil producer Saudi Aramco has held its official selling prices for liquefied petroleum gas in May, while Algerian Sonatrach cut it by up to 18%, due to a higher global supply. Saudi Aramco’s?OSPs for May were at $750 per metric ton of propane Butane is priced at $800 a ton . Propane and butane, two types of LPG, have?different boiling point. LPG is used primarily as fuel for vehicles, for heating and for other petrochemicals. Sonatrach has reduced its?May OP for propane from $700 to $150 per ton And?for Butane by $20 per ton?to $880 . The...

The U.S. and Israel war on Iran is causing financial stress for companies in Australia and New Zealand. Higher fuel prices are stoking inflation, reducing consumer and business confidence and weighing on corporate earnings. Below are some of the companies from Australia and New Zealand who have reported an impact on their business due to the Middle East conflict. Air New Zealand, New Zealand's flag carrier, announced that it would be raising fares in response to the volatility of jet fuel prices in early March. It was one of the first airlines to do so. The airline announced on April...

Investors reacted positively to the United Arab Emirates decision to leave OPEC and the stalemate of the 'Iran conflict. The United Arab Emirates announced on Tuesday that it would leave OPEC, dealing a major blow to the alliance. The UAE is one of OPEC’s biggest producers. Its departure will weaken the group’s grip on the global oil?supply, and further its rift with Saudi Arabia. In Abu Dhabi, the share index rose 0.8%. This was boosted by a rally of companies linked to the oil giant?Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. ADNOC Drilling grew by 8.3%. ADNOC Gas grew by 3.1%. ADNOC...

Shipping data revealed that a superyacht associated with Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov, who is sanctioned, sailed the Strait of?Hormuz Saturday. It was one of?very, very few vessels? to pass through the blocked shipping lane in the?heart of U.S.Iran conflict. Nord, a 142-meter (465 foot) yacht valued at over $500 million, left a Dubai Marina on Friday around 1400 GMT, crossed the Strait on Saturday and arrived in Muscat on Sunday morning. The multi-deck vessel's route is unclear. Iran has restricted the flow of traffic through the Strait since?February. The strait is responsible for around a fifth of the world’s oil...

China's Foreign Ministry rejected on Friday an accusation made by U.S. president Donald Trump, that a cargo ship?flagged with Iranian flag?was seized by the United States. The "gift" from China was the armed forces. The U.S. claimed it had fired and seized a cargo ship from Iran that was trying to evade the blockade of Iranian ports. The Iranian military claimed that the ship was en route from China, and promised retaliation for what it called "armed piratery by the U.S." military." Trump told CNBC on Tuesday that the ship had "some things on it, which weren't very nice." "A...

As fuel prices rise, they are causing inflation and affecting consumer confidence, while also weighing on the earnings of Australian and New Zealand companies. Some of the companies from Australia and New Zealand have reported an impact on their business due to the Middle East conflict. Air New Zealand, New Zealand's flag airline, announced that it would be raising fares in response to the volatility of jet fuel prices. It was one of the first airlines to do so. The airline announced on April 7 that it would cut flights by 4% and 1%, respectively. Auckland International Airport, New Zealand:...

Gulf equities fell in?early trading on Monday on fears that the ceasefire?between Washington, D.C., and Tehran, could unravel, after the U.S. seized?an Iranian freight vessel. Meanwhile,?traffic along the?Strait of?Hormuz remained largely halted. The hope for a lasting peace in the Middle East dimmed when Iranian state media reported Tehran's rejection of new talks. It also said that Tehran would not participate in a second round if negotiations, which the U.S. hoped to convene before Tuesday's ceasefire expired. The war, now in its eighth year, has triggered an historic shock for global energy supply, sending oil costs soaring, as the Strait...

Early trade in the UAE on Monday was a decline as concerns grew that the 'ceasefire' between Washington and Tehran might unravel after the U.S. seizes an Iranian cargo vessel, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains largely suspended. The prospects for peace in the Middle East have been further dimmed by reports in Iranian state media that Tehran has'rejected' new talks and will not participate in a second round of negotiations which the U.S. hoped to convene before Tuesday's ceasefire expired. They cited the continuing blockade, the threatening rhetoric and the United States'shifting positions' and 'excessive requests'. Dubai's...

?Ship sources reported that two merchant vessels were hit by gunfire while attempting to cross the Strait of?Hormuz. After receiving a mariner's notice a day before, a number of commercial vessels attempted to transit the strait. The notice stated that passage was allowed but limited to Iran-approved lanes. Sources in maritime and shipping security said that on Saturday, "at least two ships" reported that Iranian boats had fired shots. These incidents occurred in the waters between Qeshm Island and Larak. Sources said that the vessels returned without completing their crossing. The United Kingdom Maritime?Operations agency (UKMTO), said that it received...

Iran's Foreign Minister said that the Strait of Hormuz is open to all commercial vessels during the remaining 10 days of the U.S. brokered ceasefire between Israel, Iran-backed Hezbollah and the United States. This led to a?sharp fall in oil prices. Senior Iranian officials said that all vessels except naval ships would be allowed to?sail through the strait, but that their plans would need to be coordinated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and transiting ships would only be permitted on lanes Iran considered safe. The U.S. and Israeli war against?Iran that began on February 28 has resulted in the deaths of...

Nigerian Airlines will cease all flight operations on April 20 unless the crippling jet fuel prices are brought down. They accused the country's fuel marketers for artificially inflating them. Airline Operators of Nigeria (an industry group composed of around 12 mainly domestic carriers) complained to the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria in a letter dated April 14 that jet fuel had increased by approximately 270% since February. AON's letter, seen by us, called the increase in jet fuel prices in Africa's largest nation "astronomical" and "artificial", saying that it was far greater than global crude oil price increases. The...