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Newark Airport runway to reopen after construction on Monday
The runway at Newark Liberty International Airport is scheduled to reopen Monday, nearly two weeks before schedule, following several weeks of chaos caused by equipment failures, runway construction, and a shortage of air traffic control personnel that led to flight cancellations, delays, and diversions, U.S. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy announced. Manhattan is located about 14.5 km (9 miles) away from Newark Liberty Airport, which is one of New York City's main airports. Duffy announced Friday that the runway would reopen two weeks earlier than the original June 15 deadline. The Federal Aviation Administration reduced flights last week to 28 arrivals and 28 departures an hour maximum until runway construction was completed. The maximum rate of arrivals and departures will then increase to 34 per minute until October 25, after which it will be increased again. Duffy, who spoke this week, said that operations at Newark had improved after the federal government implemented flight cuts in response to a series major disruptions. Newark can handle up to 77 passengers in normal circumstances Flights per hour Duffy stated, "If you book I think you will fly to Newark -- You won't see what you saw two weeks ago." Newark Airport is the hub of United Airlines. The airline operates almost 70% of all flights at this airport. United Airlines has dramatically increased its flights. Cut flights at the airport Last year, the FAA relocated Newark's control airspace. Philadelphia addresses staffing issues and congestion in New York City-area traffic. Newark's airspace is monitored by a facility in Philadelphia. The facility has had numerous technological issues. Newark has often experienced delays of 5 or more minutes in the last few weeks. More hours and daily dozens of canceled or delayed flight. The FAA employs approximately 3,500 air traffic control officers nationwide Below target staffing levels Duffy explained that the area in charge of Newark had a target staffing level for certified controllers of 38, but only 22 are currently on duty, with six of them on medical or stress leave. David Shepardson, Chizu Nomiyama, and David Gregorio edited the report.
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Cheniere Energy announces maintenance work has begun at Sabine Pass LNG Plant
Cheniere Energy announced on Friday that it had begun the annual maintenance on its largest U.S. LNG facility, Sabine Pass in Texas. Sabine Pass's annual capacity is 30 million metric tons per annum. It has been a key factor in the United States becoming the largest LNG exporter in the world. A Cheniere spokesperson informed by email that "planned maintenance activities are underway at Sabine Pass." Prices tend to rise when U.S. LNG production declines. It is anticipated that the annual maintenance work will reduce U.S. LNG output for a few weeks. Cheniere's Sabine Pass plant, which produces 4.5 bcfd of gas per day, is on course to fall from 3.9 bcfd last Thursday to a 11-month-low of 3.7 bcfd this Friday. Meanwhile, feedgas for the 3.9 bcfd Corpus Christi plant in Texas will drop from 2 bcfd Thursday to a 2-week-low of 1.6bcfd Friday. Energy traders expect the total LNG feedgas in June to be below April's record-high, with Cheniere planning maintenance for about three weeks on Sabine's liquefaction train around June 223rd. Reporting by Curtis Williams, Scott DiSavino and David Gregorio from Houston; editing by Chris Reese & David Gregorio).
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Brazil wind energy company receives approval for data center with TikTok's interest
Casa dos Ventos, a wind farm developer in Brazil's northeast, has received regulatory approval for a 300 megawatt project. The company had been in discussions with TikTok owner about a large data center investment. Casa dos Ventos reported on Friday that Brazil's national grid operator has given the green light for the project to be connected at the Pecem Port complex in Ceara. The company said that the total investment for infrastructure and equipment in the data centers will be 50 billion reais (8.7 billion dollars). A person with knowledge of the negotiations said that the regulatory approval would speed up the talks with major technology firms, including ByteDance the Chinese parent company for TikTok. First reported last month, the Chinese company is eyeing a major Brazilian investment in data centers with Casa dos Ventos. Casa dos Ventos has partnered with TotalEnergies for its wind energy portfolio by 2022. After an initial rejection, a technical reassessment was conducted by the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy and the national grid operator. This cleared the way for the project to be approved. Casa dos Ventos has announced that it will now start construction during the second half of the year, and begin operation in the second semester 2027. The company stated that its project would use closed-loop cooling systems to reduce water consumption, addressing concerns raised by some data center projects. Casa dos Ventos estimated that the water consumption for the first phase will be about 0.045% the demand of residential housing in the nearby city of Caucaia.
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Brazilian airline Azul plans to exit Chapter 11 by early 2026
Fabio Campos said in a Friday press conference that the Brazilian airline Azul hopes to end Chapter 11 proceedings by early next year. Campos responded that Azul would now concentrate on its financial restructuring. Azul filed for Chapter 11 in the United States this week. Abra, Gol's majority shareholder, and Colombian Avianca announced to Azul in January that they had signed an non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with the intention of merging their businesses in Brazil. Campos noted also that the MoU between Azul and Gol remains valid, even though it is not Azul's priority at this time. Azul finished this week its first Chapter 11 hearing. The court approved the carrier's access to $250 million from its $1.6 billion in debtor-in possession financing. The company stated that the amount combined with other judicial approbations and revenue generated by ongoing operations will provide sufficient liquidity to sustain uninterrupted operations. Campos said that Azul does not plan to lay off massive numbers of employees in light of its financial restructuring. Sales and operations will remain unaffected. Before filing for Chapter 11 protection Azul had agreements with key stakeholders including existing bondholders and aircraft lessor AerCap. It also entered into agreements United Airlines and American Airlines. The executive also noted that other lessors are in talks, besides AerCap. Azul is the latest Latin American airline to declare bankruptcy. It joins a long list of airlines that have been affected by the COVID-19 epidemic.
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Brazil Power Co gets approval for data center with TikTok interested
Casa dos Ventos, a wind farm developer in Brazil's northeast, has received regulatory approval for a 300 megawatt project. The company had been discussing an investment of a large data center with TikTok owner. Casa dos Ventos reported on Friday that the Brazilian national grid operator (ONS), has given the green light for the project to be connected at the Pecem Port Complex in Ceara. Casa dos Ventos said that the total investment for infrastructure and equipment in the data centers will be 50 billion reais (8.7 billion dollars). A person with knowledge of the negotiations stated that the ONS approval would speed up the talks with major tech companies, including ByteDance - the Chinese parent company for TikTok. First reported last month, the Chinese company is eyeing a major Brazilian investment with Casa dos Ventos. Casa dos Ventos has partnered with TotalEnergies in 2022 on its wind energy portfolio.
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Cuba warns top U.S. diplomats in Havana over 'disrespectful behavior'
Cuba's Foreign Ministry said that it issued a verbal caution to the top U.S. Diplomat in Havana on Friday, complaining about behavior it called "intervenionist." This is the latest escalation of tensions between the long-time enemies. Cuba claimed that U.S. Chief Mission Mike Hammer incited "Cubans to commit serious crimes, attack the constitution order, or encourage" them to act against authorities. His actions were a violation to the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations. The statement stated that "the immunity he enjoys in his capacity as a representative for his country, Cuba, cannot be used to cover acts which are contrary to the sovereignty and internal order of the nation to which he has been accredited." The U.S. State Department didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. Hammer, a career diplomat from the United States who arrived in Cuba about six months ago, traveled widely around the island to meet political dissidents. This has raised the ire of Cuban authorities, who accuse him of trying to foment unrest. Cuba's decision to officially chastise Hammer is just days after a U.S. diplomatic said at a Miami press conference that the Trump Administration was preparing additional sanctions against the communist nation. Cubans are facing the worst economic crisis in decades. The Cuban government attributes this to the Cold War U.S. embargo and a complex web of restrictions which impedes financial transactions, tourism, trade and fuel imports. Cuba has repeatedly criticised Hammer for months, but it hasn't obstructed his travels around the island. (Reporting and editing by Alistair Bell; Dave Sherwood)
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Sources say that Saudi companies will place orders for Airbus jets in the dozens, according to sources
Industry sources have said that Saudi Arabia will place orders worth billions of dollars for Airbus jets in order to balance its suppliers and match the growth of Gulf neighbours' aviation. They said that the leasing company AviLease could place a similar order for Airbus A320neo aircraft at next month's Paris Airshow. The company placed an order of 30 Boeing 737 MAX during a recent visit by U.S. president Donald Trump to the region. They added that the fast-growing firm, which wants to become one of the top lessors in the world, could also be interested in Airbus A350 Freighters. They said that if there is no problem with the negotiations, Riyadh Air, a startup airline, will likely choose Airbus A350 instead of Boeing's delayed Boeing 777X. Bloomberg reported earlier that the possible Riyadh A350 deal could also involve 50 jets. It would be announced at a trade show this year. Airbus declined comment. AviLease wasn't immediately available. Riyadh Air confirmed that it is studying an order for wide-body large planes. A spokesperson said that a decision would be made within the next few months. (Reporting by Tim Hepher, Allison Lampert and Elaine Hardcastle; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle).
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IndiGo will terminate Turkish Airlines' lease after India grants final extension
IndiGo said it will end its leasing agreement, which was extended by the state-owned Turkish Airlines, within three months of the final extension. This will force the airline to look for alternatives. India has criticized the agreement after Turkey supported Pakistan in the recent conflict between two South Asian neighbors. IndiGo's competitor Air India has also opposed the pact, having lobbied India to terminate the deal citing security and business concerns. Directorate General of Civil Aviation stated that IndiGo has given an undertaking to terminate the lease agreement with Turkish Airlines on August 31. It will not be seeking a further extension. IndiGo requested a six-month extension, which is permitted under the rules, but was denied. Instead, a shorter period of time was approved, citing convenience for passengers, and confirmed an earlier report. The lease was set to expire Saturday. IndiGo did not respond to a request for comment immediately on Friday. The airline has previously defended its Turkish partnership by saying that it benefits Indians and creates jobs and aviation growth. Reporting by Abhijith Gaapavaram from New Delhi, and Nandan Mandayam from Bengaluru. Editing by David Holmes & David Evans
Sempra Port Arthur Phase 2 receives US approval for LNG export
The Department of Energy announced on Thursday that Sempra’s Port Arthur Phase 2 Project in Texas had won U.S. approval for exporting liquefied gas to Europe and Asia.
The first final LNG export approval was issued by U.S. president Donald Trump. He reversed the pause that former president Biden ordered in order to study the economic and environmental impact of this booming industry.
According to U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, the project is "a significant expansion of a first phase that was already under construction – turning more liquid gold underneath our feet into energy for the American public."
Justin Bird, CEO, Sempra Infrastructure (a division of Sempra Energy), said that the approval is another important milestone in the development of Port Arthur LNG Phase 2.
Since Trump's election, the administration has granted conditional approval for Commonwealth LNG's proposed LNG export facility in Cameron Parish in Louisiana and Venture Global's CP2 Project, also in Louisiana. These projects will sell supercooled gas to Asian and European markets pending the final approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Port Arthur Phase 2 was the first approval.
Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 is still awaiting a final investment determination (FID). It is estimated that the facility will export 1,91 billion cubic feet of LNG per day once it's completed. Port Arthur Phase 1 construction is underway and it is expected that LNG exports will begin in 2027.
Sempra operates Cameron LNG in Louisiana which exports LNG since 2019. Sempra is building the Energia Costa Azul Terminal in Mexico which will start commercial export operations for U.S. gas as LNG by 2026.
Sempra stated in a recent earnings call that it expected to have a final investment decision (FID) by the end the year. However, uncertainty about the macroeconomic climate may impact the timing of product developments. (Reporting and editing by Lisa Shumaker, David Gregorio, Curtis Williams from Houston; Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner)
(source: Reuters)