Latest News
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US Postal Service won't seek a stamp price increase in January
The U.S. The U.S. USPS, which is losing money, raised prices to 78 cents in July from 73 cents. This increased the price of all mailing services by 7.4%. USPS will review prices by mid-2026. After a series price increases since the beginning of 2019, when stamps were only 50 cents, stamp prices have risen by 46%. The volume of first-class mail is at its lowest since 1968. This is the first announcement made by David Steiner, who became U.S. postmaster general in July 2017 after President Donald Trump removed his predecessor Louis DeJoy. In February, Trump referred to the USPS as a "tremendous loss for this country" and said that he would consider merging it with the U.S. Commerce Department. Democrats said the move would be in violation of federal law. DeJoy was responsible for a dramatic restructure of the USPS. This included reducing forecasted cumulative losses from $160 billion to $80 billion over ten years. USPS, a 635,000-strong agency that lost $9.5billion last year, has reduced its workforce earlier this year by 10,000 employees through a voluntary retiree program. In August, the USPS reported a net loss of $3.1 billion for the three-month period ending June 30. This is up from $2.5 billion reported during the same time last year. USPS has lost over $100 billion since 2007. Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Chris Reese & Aurora Ellis
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Families sue Army, FAA and airlines for fatal DC air crash on January 29,
The family of a victim of the fatal crash between an American Airlines regional plane and a U.S. Army chopper that occurred on January 29, resulting in the deaths of 67 people, near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, sued the airline and its subsidiary as well as the U.S. Government on Wednesday. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, Washington, also names PSA Airlines as the airline that operated the flight. It claims the airline "manipulated and abused the arrival rate system" at the Washington Airport "to force more of their arrivals each hour at the Washington airport, despite knowing it severely reduced the margins for security." The accident, which took place just southeast of the Potomac River airport, was the worst U.S. aviation disaster in over 20 years. According to the lawsuit, the airline along with the Army and Federal Aviation Administration did not prevent the "wholly evitable tragedy." The lawsuit claimed that the Army flight crew did not operate the Black Hawk helicopter below the required altitude, and the FAA controllers did not separate aircraft and give safety alerts if aircraft were in an unsafe proximity. In the lawsuit, it was claimed that the airlines and government agencies had "completely failed to fulfill their obligations towards the traveling public." The FAA or Army did not respond immediately to a comment request. American stated that Flight 5342, which was on an approach standard to Reagan at the time of the collision with the Army helicopter (which was above the published altitude for helicopter routes), was flying a standard route. The company stated that "American has an excellent track record in putting safety of customers and employees above all else." It added that it would "defend American Airlines and PSA Airlines from any legal actions claiming they caused or contributed to the accident." The FAA banned the Army in May from helicopter flights near the Pentagon following a close call on May 1, which forced two civilian aircraft to abort their landings. Last week, the FAA confirmed that Army helicopter flights are still on hold. (Reporting and editing by Mark Porter, Aurora Ellis and David Shepardson)
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Waymo launches corporate robotic taxi accounts to attract business travelers
Alphabet's Waymo launched "Waymo for Business" on Wednesday, a corporate account program that allows companies to set up accounts for their employees so they can hail robotaxis from Los Angeles, Phoenix San Francisco, Austin, and Atlanta. Waymo's driverless fleet is now available for commercial use. The company has targeted recurring corporate travel by giving employers control over when, where and how their staff can take autonomous rides. Waymo has said that it completes over 1 million rides per month. Nearly one in six riders commutes using the service in San Francisco and Los Angeles. In recent months, the company has expanded its service, offering paid, driverless rides in Atlanta, and expanding coverage to Austin. Waymo says that an admin portal allows organizations to manage users, create promotional codes and pull reports in order to track ride activity as well as budgets. Carvana, a Phoenix-based online seller of used cars, is among the early customers. Mountain View, California based company says the business product is still in its early stages. It will be enhanced over time to accommodate organizations of all sizes. Waymo is focusing its efforts on improving airport accessibility to attract frequent business travelers. The company currently serves Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and won approval this month to operate at San Jose Mineta International Airport. Waymo announced that San Francisco International Airport had granted a test permit in advance of a potential commercial service. (Reporting from Akash Sriram and Abhirup in San Francisco, with editing by Tasim Zaid)
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German Finance Minister urges EU to "Buy European" and embrace joint defense projects
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil demanded on Wednesday a "moderner" EU budget, which would channel funds to improve cross-border rail, road, and energy networks as well as external border security, research, and the security of external borders. Klingbeil proposed a six-point strategy to revive the European Union economy. This included a "Buy Europeans" approach for critical components like advanced semiconductors, as well as an integrated market for defence with joint armaments. Klingbeil, in an address at the Hertie School of Berlin, said that "Europe is at a crossroads." "We must pull together to move Europe forward or risk losing its relevance." Germany's largest economy wants to play a greater leadership role within the EU under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. This is in response to a United States that has a reduced transatlantic outlook and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Klingbeil said that it angered him to see Europeans at the children's table in peace talks, when the future security of the continent was on the line. EUROPEAN MULTILATERALISM and FURTHER INTERGRATION Klingbeil called on partners such as India and South America’s Mercosur to quickly reach trade agreements in response the Trump administration’s tariff policies. He called for "Savings and Investment Union", to mobilize more private capital. He argued that a harmonised and highly-performing European capital markets is essential to support start-ups and scaling-ups. Klingbeil stated that "defending the status quo will not get us anywhere." "As with Germany, Europe also needs reforms and investment." Klingbeil stated that the national approaches to implementing EU rules on the single market are increasing bureaucracy, and fragmenting the economic space which is shared by all 27 members. He also called for improved mutual recognition of professional qualification across borders in order to encourage labour movement. Klingbeil stated that "petty small-state attitudes are our biggest obstacle to investment." (Reporting and editing by Gareth Jones; Christian Kraemer and Maria Martinez).
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India's aviation boom creates new opportunities for airline players
India's aviation safety chief said that the country will need more government oversight, as it's airlines are taking delivery of thousands planes and the market is growing rapidly. In an interview conducted on the sidelines the U.N. Aviation Agency's triennial meeting in Montreal, the director general of civil aircraft, Faiz Ahmad Kidwai, said that India was looking for "more responsibility, greater safety oversight and more manpower" as the number of commercial planes has nearly doubled in the past decade. Another 2,000 aircraft are on order. India's aviation market is growing at a rapid pace, but the crash of Air India Flight 214 in June has increased scrutiny on safety standards. India is also facing pilot shortages, and a recent parliamentary report warned that the lack of staff at the regulator for air safety could jeopardize safety. The regulator reported that it had found 263 safety lapses in the country's airline industry. Travel demand has created new opportunities for airlines. IndiGo and Air India dominate the aviation market in India. Kidwai stated that the industry is growing and more airlines are needed. Yes, if more carriers come to the area, then they will have an opportunity. International Air Transport Association statistics show that 174 million Indian domestic passengers and 730 millions Chinese passengers will fly in 2024. However, this number is still far less than the 730,000,000 passengers in China. India's rapid growth as an aviation hub has been overshadowed by the Air India crash of June. The plane crash, which killed 260 people, was the worst aviation accident in a decade. 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. The Supreme Court of India asked the government on Monday to respond to an appeal seeking an independent investigation in the crash. Kidwai stated that the investigation is still under the jurisdiction of India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in accordance with international protocol.
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US Senator calls FAA's proposed fine of $3.1 Million Boeing inadequate
Democratic U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal says the Federal Aviation Administration’s proposed fine of $3.1 million against Boeing for safety violations is insufficient and asks the agency to explain the calculation. Blumenthal sent a letter to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford on Tuesday, a Republican appointee by President Donald Trump. The letter stated that such fines were easily absorbed by Boeing as a cost of doing business and not a deterrent against dangerous behavior. "Until penalties are raised to a level that makes the company invest in real safety improvements, risks for the flying public will continue." Requests for comment from the FAA and Boeing were not immediately responded to. Blumenthal is the leading Democrat in a Senate panel that investigated Boeing safety concerns. He chaired this committee when it examined a mid-air cabin explosion incident involving a brand new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX aircraft on January 20, 2024. Blumenthal's panel released a report that showed Boeing whistleblowers raised serious concerns about its manufacturing processes. The FAA reported that it found hundreds quality system violations in the Boeing 737 factories in Renton, Washington and Wichita (Kansas) at Spirit AeroSystems, a Boeing subcontractor, between September 2023 and February 2024. Blumenthal wrote that if there were discretion in the way penalties are calculated, or if a reduction is likely to occur, the FAA could send the message that safety violations have no serious consequences. Alaska Airlines' incident, in which a 737 MAX was found to be missing four bolts, damaged Boeing’s reputation. The FAA subsequently imposed a cap on production of 38 aircraft per month and grounded the MAX 9 planes for two weeks. Boeing also presented two unairworthy planes to the FAA for approval, according to the FAA. The FAA determined that a Boeing employee pressed a coworker performing tasks for the FAA into signing off on a 737 MAX to meet the company's delivery schedule despite that coworker having determined that the aircraft didn't comply with regulatory standards. Alaska Airlines' incident prompted U.S. Justice Department, under Trump's Democratic predecesor Joe Biden, to open a criminal probe and declare that Boeing did not comply with a deferred prosecution 2021 agreement after the company misled the FAA in the 737 MAX certification process. Blumenthal wrote: "The public should be confident that fines aren't just token gestures but actual enforcement tools."
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Belgian court rejects Alstom appeal against SNCB's choice for 1.7 billion Euro trains deal
The Belgian top administrative court rejected Alstom’s request on Wednesday to suspend the national rail operator SNCB’s decision to choose CAF as its preferred supplier for AM30 trains. In a press release, the Council of State said that it had concluded, following an interim review, "that none of the criticisms raised by the company regarding the legality of the appointment decision were serious." CAF was selected as the preferred bidder over German Siemens and French Alstom at the end February. Alstom appealed the decision in April and the court suspended it. The order is crucial in determining Alstom Bruges' future, as the facility faces possible closure and restructuring. The SNCB tender is the largest ever placed by the company. It consists of an initial batch worth 1.7 billion euro ($2 billion) with additional batches that could bring the contract value up to 5 billion euro. In a separate decision, earlier this month the Council dismissed Siemens' appeal against SNCB.
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Two killed in a drone attack by Ukraine on the Russian port of Novorossiisk, which prompts a state of emergency
Regional authorities reported on Telegram that a drone attack by Ukraine on the port city of Novorossiisk in southern Russia killed two people on Wednesday and injured six others. The top official of the city said that a state emergency was declared in Novorossiisk. This is Russia's largest seaport on the Black Sea, and it contains major terminals for oil and grain. CPC reported that two of its employees were injured in an attack on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium's (CPC) office in the city. A CPC spokesperson confirmed that the terminal of the consortium at Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka (located around the bay near the city Novorossiisk) was still operational. The terminal is used to load Caspian CPC blend crude oil, which will be exported on international markets. Demetra Holding which owns the two grain terminals in Novorossiisk said that no damage reports were received. Ukraine has targeted heavily energy and port infrastructure that supports Russia's war-economy and generates revenues for its budget. Residents and guests of the southern Russian region of Krasnodar were instructed to leave the coast after regional authorities warned that drones from Ukraine could attack the Black Sea port Tuapse.
Costa Rica suspends flights and temporarily closes the airspace after a power outage
A power outage that affected a radar system forced Costa Rica to suspend flights and close its airspace on Wednesday. Deputy Civil Aviation Director Luis Diego Saborio confirmed the news.
The shutdown affects flights through the hub that connects the country to Latin America and to other countries.
The transport ministry reported that the international airports Juan Santamaria outside the capital San Jose and Daniel Oduber Quiros in the province Guanacaste were affected.
The ministry also added that "the entire airspace of the nation has been affected."
Empresa Aeris, the airport operator at Juan Santamaria reported eight delayed commercial flights and one diverted flight.
The ministry stated that crews are working to restore the power and stabilize operations by noon. The cause of the power outage has not been revealed by officials.
(source: Reuters)