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Russia asks UN Aviation Agency ICAO to ease restrictions over safety concerns
According to a working paper and a source with knowledge of the issue, Russia has urged the U.N. Civil Aviation Agency to ease the sanctions on spare parts as well as overflights. It dismissed its response to Ukraine's war as "unlawful measures." Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in February 2022 Western sanctions have restricted access to aircraft and spare parts made abroad, forcing Russian airlines to import parts for over 700 Airbus and Boeing jets, mostly via indirect routes. Sources in the Russian aviation industry say that Russian authorities are currently trying to negotiate relief of sanctions, especially on spare parts which are, they claim, critical for flight safety. RUSSIAN MOVES a CHALLENGE for ICAO Assembly The Russian efforts will be a challenge to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which is meeting this week in Montreal. This organization sets safety standards worldwide for civil aviation, and has condemned Moscow's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty over its airspace and dual registration of aircraft. The Russian request was made to the ICAO following the lifting of sanctions by the United States last week on Belarusian national carrier Belavia, which had been imposed after Minsk supported Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Moscow's working papers, which will be presented to the ICAO triennial assembly beginning on Tuesday, claim that the sanctions are against global law. Russia also tries to get elected to ICAO’s 36-state governing body after failing to gain enough votes in 2020 following the invasion of Ukraine. Recent incidents indicate that Russia's commercial fleet is deteriorating. A Soviet Antonov An-24 built in 1976 crashed in the far east of Russia in late July. All 48 passengers on board were killed. A few days later, Russian flag carrier Aeroflot halted dozens of flights after a devastating cyberattack. In a Russian working document, it was stated that "unlawful coercive actions violate the human rights to freedom of movement without regard to nationality or citizenship". The ICAO must take all necessary measures to stop states from applying discriminatory, coercive and politically biased measures in international civil aviation. RUSSIA HAS A FLEET OF AGING AIRCRAFT The documents criticise also the closing of 37 state's airspace for flight operations by Russian Airlines, suspension of certificates of Airworthiness (Certificates of Airworthiness) for aircraft operated and maintained by Russian Airlines and bans on maintenance and insurance. The Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsiya has not responded to a comment request, and the Transport Ministry has declined to make one. Ukrainian authorities did not respond to a request for comment. The Russian aviation source said that the fleet of Boeing and Airbus planes in Russia is old and not all parts could be imported via so-called grey schemes. This means a large number of Western aircraft may be grounded. What happens if a Russian Boeing, or Airbus, crashes in the future and kills people? The source stated that sanctions would be blamed in any event. Reporting by Gleb Stlyarov, Allison Lampert and Timothy Heritage. Editing by Robert Harvey & Timothy Heritage.
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New York Times Business News - September 22,
These are the most popular stories from the New York Times' business pages. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports. Fox Corporation may invest in the popular video app TikTok to avoid a U.S. Ban. Fox Corporation, a conservative media giant that owns Fox News and Fox broadcast network, is considering making a potential investment. After a cyberattack on major European hubs at the weekend, Brussels Airport cancelled half of its scheduled flights for Monday. Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, said that there was no need to avoid talks with Washington if Washington stopped demanding his country to give up its nuclear weapons. However, he would not abandon the arsenal just to end the sanctions. (Compiled from Bengaluru Newsroom)
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India's top court requests government response to plea for independent Air India crash investigation
The Supreme Court of India on Monday ordered the government to respond in a petition seeking an independent investigation on the Air India plane accident on June 12, which killed 260 people. The top court responded to a public-interest litigation filed by the NGO Safety Matters Foundation. This was its first review of the investigation being conducted by Indian authorities. Lawyers for the NGO in a Monday hearing questioned the inclusion on the panel of the officials of the aviation safety regulator, saying that it created a conflict of interest. The NGO said that "the investigation must include a critical review of DGCA’s own regulatory actions, and any possible lapses", in its plea. Air India's Boeing 787 crashed in Ahmedabad, killing all but one person on board. The plane also killed 19 people on the ground. The Indian government released a preliminary report on the investigation. It showed confusion among the pilots in the cockpit just before the crash. This was after the fuel engine switches were switched from run to off almost simultaneously, shortly after takeoff. Some family groups criticised the investigation and press for focusing too much on the pilots’ actions. Prashant Bhujan, the lawyer for the NGO, told the judges that "three of the members were serving officers of Directorate General of Civil Aviation" (flight safety regulator), creating a serious conflict of interests. The court has said that it will examine the request for an "impartial, independent, fair, and swift" investigation. It has also asked the government to provide a response. This case is just days after four families of passengers filed a separate lawsuit in the United States against Honeywell and Boeing, who made the switch.
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Global Times reports that a company has launched a China-Europe shipping line.
The Global Times reported that Chinese-controlled Sea Legend would launch its first direct China-Europe via the Arctic route this week. This move is expected to reduce express shipping time between the two locations by almost half. The state-run paper reported that Sea Legend would send its first vessel via the North Sea Route on September 24. It cited a statement by the Ningbo Zhoushan Port. It said the journey would take 18 days. The NSR is now more accessible to goods from China, which have traditionally taken at least 40 days to travel around the Cape of Good Hope. In the last four decades, the Arctic region has warmed up four times faster than global average. This has led to a dramatic decrease in sea ice, and created seasonal windows for shipping. The Global Times reported that the container ship Istanbul Bridge is scheduled to leave Ningbo Zhoushan this Wednesday, and arrive at Felixstowe - Britain's biggest container port - on 10 October. It added that the shorter trip is expected to reduce emissions of carbon by around 50%, citing a port. Ningbo Zhoushan port did not respond immediately to a comment request. Climate experts warn that increased traffic in Arctic waters can increase environmental risks and disturb marine mammals. Extreme weather conditions and limited infrastructure can make it more dangerous. According to the newspaper, which cited the port, the previous fastest route between China and Europe was 26 days, from Ningbo Zhoushan in China to Wilhelmshaven, Germany. The route was launched last year. Reporting by Farah Masters and Jessie Pang from Hong Kong, editing by Kate Mayberry
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Super Typhoon Ragasa barrels into northern Philippines and triggers alerts throughout region
The Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered all government agencies to be mobilised and put on high alert as Super Typhoon Ragasa approached the northern part of the country. Ragasa, which had winds up to 215 kph and gusts as high as 295 kph and 160 mph, intensified slightly before it reached Babuyan Island. It could land on Calayan Island. This increased the risk of storm waves exceeding 3 metres (9 feet). Residents were advised to avoid coastal areas and riverbanks. Videos shared by the disaster agencies show that Cagayan's northern province was pounded by strong winds and heavy rainfall, which caused trees to sway violently and triggered waves. As outer rainbands lashed the region, warnings were issued of power outages and landslides as well as floods and dangerous seas. The ports have suspended ferry service. Airlines have cancelled more than 20 domestic flights, mainly serving Luzon, and have canceled a dozen others. While Ragasa won't directly hit Taiwan, it is expected that its outer bands will bring heavy rains to the island’s sparsely-populated east coast. Taiwan has issued land-and-sea warnings and cancelled 146 flights within the country. More than 900 people have been evacuated from mountainous areas in the south and east. The Vietnamese defence ministry ordered its forces monitor the storm, and prepare for an eventual landfall this week. Chinese authorities have activated flooding control measures in several provinces of the south, warning that heavy rain will begin Tuesday night. Hong Kong announced a 36 hour airport closure starting Tuesday night, and Macau and Zhuhai have already begun preparing for the impact with school closings and evacuation plans. Residents in Hong Kong began stockpiling everyday necessities as early as Monday morning. Witnesses reported long queues at supermarkets, where milk and other products were already sold out. Vegetables at fresh markets were sold at prices more than three times their normal value.
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CORRECTED-GASTECH-Chevron plots LNG growth in Europe with regasification terminal talks, executive says
As part of its plan to increase its global presence on the liquefied gas market, U.S. oil giant Chevron has begun early-stage discussions to explore potential opportunities in European Regasification Terminals. Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, Europe has drastically reduced its Russian gas imports. Chevron has increased its LNG trading activities significantly. The company is under contract to export 7,000,000 tons of LNG per year from the U.S. beginning in 2026. Although not operating on the same scale as Shell or TotalEnergies yet, the company is still a major global energy firm. Freeman Shaheen is the president of global gas at Chevron. He spoke on the sidelines the Gastech Conference in Milan. "We're in talks with several European players about regasification." He declined to provide any further information. Since 2022, Europe's imports of Russian pipeline gas have dropped sharply. The European Commission has urged its member states to stop relying on Russian fossil fuels before 2027. Experts in the industry say that additional capacity for regasification will be necessary to meet demand, as LNG plays a growing part in the energy mix of Africa. He said, "At Chevron, we want to manage from the molecule all the way to our customers." He said that the Eastern Mediterranean was a priority region and floating LNG (FLNG), which is a gas supply to Egypt and Jordan, from Israel's Leviathan field, was one of the options under consideration to help expand the Leviathan gasfield. He said that Chevron's activities in the Eastern Mediterranean helped provide vital energy to millions in the area. Chevron signed long-term contracts with U.S. companies, including Energy Transfer Cheniere Venture Global LNG. Shaheen stated that the company was "very satisfied with its portfolio base" and saw long-term value from its mix of contracts. Our diverse global natural gas assets cover Asia Pacific, Eastern Mediterranean and West Africa. They also include the Permian Basin and U.S. Gulf Coast. We're meeting the rising demand with our expanding LNG capacity, strategic partnerships and other means.
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Bloomberg News reports that Hong Kong Airport may close for 36 hours due to the super typhoon approaching.
Bloomberg News reported Monday that Hong Kong International Airport plans to suspend all flights for 36-hours as it prepares for the strongest super typhoon in recent years. The report said that airport and aviation officials will stop all flights as early as 6 pm (1000 GMT) Tuesday until 6 am on Thursday due to the Super Typhoon Ragasa's advance. Airport Authority Hong Kong spokesperson said that it was closely monitoring Ragasa's progress and had begun preparing for the super typhoon. According to the report, an official announcement will be made on Monday. The Hong Kong Observatory also plans to issue its first warning signal for the storm at noon. The Civil Aviation Department didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. On Monday, the Philippines suspended classes and work in Metro Manila and other parts of the nation as Ragasa approached northern Luzon and threatened destructive winds and heavy rainfall. (Reporting and editing by Christian Schmollinger, Muralikumar Anantharaman, and Angela Christy from Bengaluru)
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Philippines suspends classes and work as super-typhoon Luzon barrels towards Luzon
On Monday, the Philippines halted work and school in Metro Manila and other parts of the nation as Super Typhoon Ragasa approached northern Luzon. The storm was expected to bring destructive winds and heavy rainfall. The state weather officials issued the strongest typhoon alert over the remote Babuyan Islands. They urged residents of low-lying coastal and low-lying communities to evacuate before storm surges or flooding could occur. Ragasa, with sustained winds up to 205 kph and gusts as high as 250 kph was expected to land or brush the Babuyan Islands at midday. It would then cross the Luzon Strait. The outer band of the typhoon is expected to bring heavy rainfall to Taiwan's sparsely-populated east coast. Taiwan has issued sea and land warnings, and cancelled flights for eastern cities such as Taitung and Hualien. It is predicted that the storm will hit Hong Kong after it has blown toward the coasts of southern China. Bloomberg News reported that the financial hub is urging residents to be prepared for one of strongest typhoons for years. It may even close its airport for 36-hours. Forecasters in the Philippines warned of power outages and landslides as outer bands of the storm began to hit northern Luzon. More than a dozen flights have been cancelled, mostly on Luzon-bound routes. Ports have also suspended ferry services.
Berlin airport operations are still disrupted, as marathon runners attempt to return home
The Berlin Airport was still experiencing disruptions on Monday, after a weekend cyber attack knocked down the passenger check-in system. This caused delays of more than an hour for those runners who had come to Berlin for the Berlin Marathon and were trying to get home.
Hackers attacked Collins Aerospace on Friday. The company is owned by RTX. They disrupted operations in London Heathrow Airport, Europe's largest airport.
A spokesperson for the airport said that more than 92,000 passengers would be arriving at Berlin Airport on Monday. This is a higher number than usual due to the marathon. The airport was working to minimize disruptions.
The spokesperson advised that travelers should check in online with their airline if they can.
Collins announced in a Monday morning statement that it is working with airports and airlines to resolve the issues and has completed the necessary updates for full functionality.
(source: Reuters)