Transport Infrastructure

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced on Friday that it would extend 10% flight reductions?for an additional year at Chicago O'Hare in order to avoid delays and?address congestion concerns at the busy United Airlines/American Airlines hub. In April, the agency announced that it would limit O'Hare's arrivals and departing flights to 2,708 per day between May 17 and October 24. This forced both major airlines to'scale back' their plans and maintain operations at last year's level to avoid a'repeat' of widespread delays. The FAA announced Friday that the restrictions would now continue until "the end of 2027". The airlines had planned...

It was announced 'on Friday that the organisation in Poland responsible for air traffic control could lose airline fees amounting to more than 80% of their income as a result of a Belgian Court ruling on a case brought against Poland by U.S. pharmaceutical company?Pfizer over payment for COVID-19 vaccinations. The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation in Brussels (Eurocontrol), informed the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency that it was owed money from airline fees. This is due to the April ruling. PANSA stated that it was preparing an official objection as the case was not related to...

Palm Beach Airport in Florida was officially renamed after Donald Trump on Thursday. It is the latest of a number of institutions, buildings and government programs to adopt the Republican identity. The renaming 'Palm Beach International Airport' to President Donald J. Trump International Airport is a public nod to the Republican Leaders support for his adopted state, Florida, which houses his lavish Mar-a-Lago Resort. Eric Trump, Trump's son, said in an interview with Fox News that "I don’t think there's anyone more synonymous with Palm Beach as Donald Trump" in Florida. Since Trump was elected to a second term in...

Palm Beach Airport in Florida renamed after President Donald Trump, the latest of a number of institutions, government programs and warships that have adopted the Republican identity. The renaming of Palm Beach International Airport as President Donald J. Trump International Airport is a public nod to the Republican Leader's popularity in Florida, where his lavish Mar-a-Lago Resort is located. Eric Trump, Trump's son, said in an exclusive interview with Fox News that "I don't believe there's anyone more synonymous with Palm Beach in Florida than Donald Trump." Since Trump?took over the White House for a second term last year, his...

According to data and reliable sources, oil tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz?was at a standstill Thursday as the shipping risks increased after the U.S. Airstrikes were renewed on Iran, prompting retaliation by Tehran in the Gulf. In the early morning hours of Thursday, only two tankers have so far sailed through the Strait. According to Kpler, they included the crude supertanker Berg 1 which was loaded on Iran's Kharg Island. It is also subject to U.S. sanction. Kpler analysis revealed that the chemical tanker Well Sail with Marshall Islands flag also traversed this strait. According to LSEG tracking...

The head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States said that companies offering self-driving cars must address a "clear trend" of driverless cars interfering with first responders and law enforcement. Jonathan Morrison, the head of the U.S. Vehicle Regulatory Agency, wrote in a letter addressed to the industry, that NHTSA had documented numerous instances where AVs drove into emergency scenes and other incidents, when they "blocked ambulances and firefighter's paths, or failed to recognize basic safety conditions such as flashing lights and flares, smoke and?fire and traffic cones." In a letter to the industry, Jonathan Morrison,...

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have told an U.S. government agency that they are willing to sell?stakes? in smaller railroads, as part of the $85 billion proposed?merger. The deal will create the first U.S. coast to coast?freight railroad?operator. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have said that they will not be able to control the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis, Kansas City Terminal Railway or TTX Company following the merger. The railroads, which are owned jointly with other major carriers, are operated by independent management. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have said that they will divest their ownership in these...

MBK Partners Actis and Bain Capital are among the bidders of KKR's Central Tank Terminal - a Japanese liquid storing company. The deal could be worth over $600,000,000 including debt. One of the sources said that binding bids must be submitted by August. Sources spoke under condition of anonymity as the matter is private. KKR Capital and Bain Capital declined comment. Actis stated that it does not comment on speculation about deals. MBK or Central Tank Terminal didn't immediately?response to a comment request. Central Tank Terminal stores and?handles liquid goods, including oil products, chemicals and other cargoes, near major Japanese...

The U.S. Coast Guard announced that the Corpus Christi'ship channel' in southern Texas had been closed on Wednesday after a vehicle was found to have entered the waterway. Port Aransas South Jetty reported on Facebook that a man drove into the ocean between 5:30 a.m. (1130 GMT), and 6 a.m. while doing donuts at the beach. Police were preparing to remove a pickup. According to LSEG ship tracker data, as of Wednesday afternoon there were no tankers transporting crude oil, refined products of petroleum, or liquefied gas through the 'channel. Another 11 tankers waited at anchorage. Port?currently handles half of...

According to data from tanker monitoring and documents of the state-run PDVSA energy company, Venezuelan oil exports dropped slightly last month?to 1.24 million barrels per daily from 1.24 bpd in may?as a result of two deadly quakes causing?minor delay at terminals operated. The vast PDVSA infrastructure was mostly unaffected by the twin earthquakes, which left nearly 2,000 dead and hundreds of buildings damaged according to official statistics. The power issue must be resolved before all the oil refineries, including El 'Palito, can resume operation. Documents show that the main oil terminal for the state-owned company in the eastern part of...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed Thursday that the government should 'end its requirement for self-driving vehicles to have manual brake pedals. This would make it easier to deploy such vehicles on U.S. highways. The proposal does not apply to cars with a human driver. NHTSA has also stated that it will not abandon braking requirements for self-driving cars, such as strict standards on stopping distance. The?agency has proposed a number changes to help facilitate the introduction of self-driving cars. NHTSA has begun developing "safety performance" tests for self driving vehicles, as part of an independent standard. Automakers...

The White House asked Congress for $1 billion on Wednesday to increase the pensions of former General Motors Auto Parts Unit Delphi workers that were reduced during a bankruptcy restructuring in 2009. As part of a supplemental request, the?White?House also wants to raise $1 billion for reconstruction work at New York's Penn Station. It is also requesting $500 million to continue construction on Washington's World War II Memorial and Tidal Basin. The White House wants Congress to allow the Federal Aviation Administration to reallocate funds from the $12.5 billion modernization of air traffic control effort approved last year, to any...

The U.N. Shipping Agency's governing board agreed that countries should reject Iran's efforts to impose sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and Tehran's unilateral decision to create an agency to control traffic in the waterway. This week, the U.S. and Iran engaged in hostilities, which included U.S. airstrikes triggered by Washington's accusation that Tehran was responsible for attacks on ships. The attacks have renewed concerns over the recovery of oil supplies and shipping worldwide, and they have highlighted the fragility in an interim truce that was supposed to end a conflict lasting more than four months while the U.S. negotiated...

Iran has started talks with Japanese firms under a U.S. sanction waiver that allows?it resume oil sales. However, prospective buyers are?seeking longer waivers and reassurances regarding ship safety. The waiver was part of the 60-day talks between Washington and Tehran, and it expires on August 21. Two Iranian sources declined to identify themselves due to the sensitive nature of the matter. They said that three Japanese buyers are considering possible crude oil purchases in Iran. This would be their first purchase since 2019. A Western industry source with knowledge of the situation said that Japanese and Iranian officials were initially...

Authorities in St Petersburg, Russia's second largest city and the surrounding Leningrad area said on Saturday that a major Ukrainian drone strike overnight had hit a local oil pipeline and port. Alexander Beglov, the Governor of St Petersburg, said that the city with a population of 6,000,000 had been subjected to a "large scale" drone attack. The city's oil storage terminal was also hit. He stated that there were no injuries and the aftermath had been handled. Alexander Drozdenko, Governor of the Leningrad Region, said that drones struck the port of Vysotsk on the Gulf of Finland. The port is...

The stock markets of the United Arab Emirates ended higher on Friday, following gains in global equities. A lukewarm U.S. employment report dampened expectations for a near-term Federal Reserve interest rate hike. The STOXX pan-European Index rose?0.2% while MSCI's broadest measure of global equity edged up by 0.1%. As more people left the workforce, the U.S. unemployment rates fell from 4.3% to 4.2% in May. Soft jobs data decreased expectations of an impending Fed rate hike and increased betting that rates will remain on hold until October. Changes in U.S. currency policy can have a major impact on Gulf markets,...

A top U.N. official announced on Friday that the United Nations was working with countries to resume the evacuating of hundreds of vessels and thousands of stranded seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz, after this effort had been halted earlier in the week. The U.N. International Maritime Organization announced on Thursday that it had "temporarily paused' its evacuation initiative following the attack on a container vessel operated by Taiwan-based Evergreen. IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez said that 115 ships and around 2,500 seafarers were able to navigate through the strait, before evacuations ceased. Dominguez stated that he is working "vigilantly",...

The U.S. and Israel war against 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. Some of the companies in Australia and New Zealand have made an impact. Air New Zealand: New Zealand’s flag carrier predicted its largest annual pre-tax losses in four years. This was two months after withdrawing their earlier 2026 forecast, as the Iran War pushed up jet oil prices, increasing costs, and compounding the pressure of weak demand and fleet restrictions. Air New Zealand has forecast a...

In a London court document, the Baltic Exchange defended the flagship oil 'tanker benchmark' saying that it accurately reflected the market conditions during the U.S. - Israel conflict with Iran, despite the?disruption of the Strait of Hormuz. The benchmark is used to 'price and settle billions in freight trades around the world. Its reliability is at issue with Mercuria, one of the largest commodity traders in the world, who claims it has mispriced market. Mercuria filed a court document on April 30 stating that it was suing the Baltic Exchange for losses caused by incorrect pricing data. The company claimed...

The major Gulf stock exchanges rose in the early trading on Wednesday, amid signs of progress in U.S.Iran negotiations. However, there was still uncertainty about?the durability? of the agreement. The two countries that concluded the first round of negotiations on Monday in Switzerland gave contradictory accounts of some key elements of the Framework Agreement signed last week for the end of the war. These included financial incentives to Iran, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and Israel's war in Lebanon. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that Iran agreed to nuclear inspections in "infinity" on Tuesday. Tehran denied this concession...

The United Nations shipping agency announced on Tuesday that an evacuation plan is in place to allow hundreds of ships with 11,000 seafarers stuck?in?the Gulf to sail through the Strait of Hormuz. This follows the agreement between Iran and the U.S. to end hostilities. A spokesperson for the United Nations said, "We've started to contact the ships in order to begin the evacuation." The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) spokesperson said that the evacuation would begin as soon as possible. The IMO stated that it had?secured the necessary safety assurances and verified conditions for safe sailing. In a press release, IMO...

The grain freight rates in Ukraine are down despite the 'ongoing Russian attacks' on Black Sea ports, ASAP Agri said on Monday. They cited a seasonal decline in cargo flow. Last week, officials and industry executives told? Last week, industry executives and officials told? The Ukrainian Navy said Monday that a Russian drone?hit a Turkish dry cargo vessel, causing an extensive fire on board. Ukraine is a major grain exporter in the world, and its Black Sea port handles more than 90% of its exports. ASAP Agri stated that as Ukraine closes its 2025/26 summer-july export season, the historically low...

According to trade'sources' and a document that was reviewed by, Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC), has made its first offer to?sell spot naphtha -cargoes from its ports for?July. This is the company’s first tender since the start of the U.S.Iran War. Documents showed that the state-owned oil company is offering 55,000 metric tons (495,00 barrels) of petrochemical feedstock or 80,000 tonnes, with the loading scheduled for the weekend of July 5-7 at any port in Kuwait. The bid closes on 22 June with same-day valid. KPC didn't immediately respond to a request for comment made outside the working hours of the...

Boris Pistorius said that Germany is deploying two ships in the Red Sea to prepare for a possible military mission in Strait of Hormuz. After U.S. president Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran that ended a war which has disrupted the global energy supply, officials from the shipping and insurance industries called for the immediate deployment of mine-clearing ships to the Strait. As we speak, the?minesweeper Fulda is sailing through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea," Pistorius said as he arrived in Brussels for a meeting of his NATO counterparts. Pistorius did not specify a timeline, but said...