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Airbus inspects A320s after a fuselage defect affects deliveries
Airbus engineers found more defects in the A320 fuselage panel set as they prepared to inspect hundreds jets. The chief executive of Airbus said that this flaw is affecting deliveries. The presentation made to airlines by revealed that 628 planes, including 168 in service already, need inspections due to recently discovered quality issues on metal panels at some planes' fronts. According to the presentation, this figure includes 245 assembly lines. Industry sources estimate that about 100 of these are scheduled for delivery in 2018. Another 215 are at an earlier stage called Major Component Assembly. The presentation also showed that some panels on the plane's rear, as well as other parts, had similar problems with thickness, but none of these are currently in use. Airbus' spokesperson declined to provide specific numbers, but said that the aircraft in question were both in production and service. Bloomberg reported earlier that the detailed figures refer to a population of jets which will be inspected. Instructions are expected to be given to airlines within days. The first report of the problem with industrial quality was made earlier this week. Sources in the industry said that it was already discovered on several dozen undeliverable planes. The opposite of the Emergency Recall Sources said that despite the fact that Airbus A320s were recalled over the weekend for a software update, the fuselage issue is not considered a safety concern. AIRBUS "ASSESSING SITUATION" Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, said on Tuesday that the data is still evolving and that decisions will be made in the coming days on what impact it may have on Airbus' December deliveries. Guillaume Faury confirmed that the problem had affected deliveries during a "weak November". Airbus will publish its November data on the Friday, but Faury’s comments leave a question mark about targets for this year. Some analysts have stated that they are becoming increasingly difficult to achieve. Faury said that he was assessing the situation and trying to determine the impact on his operations. He added that there may be more information in the coming days. One airline source estimated that inspections would only take a few minutes, but repairs will likely take much longer. The Air Current reported on the possibility of work being shifted out of its usual order, resulting in an expensive process that requires more labour. In the presentation, it was shown that the affected parts were the wrong thickness after a stretching and milling process carried out by Seville's Sofitec Aero. The company, which is one of the two suppliers of affected parts, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The Wall Street Journal was the first to identify it. (Reporting and editing by Michael Perry; Tim Hepher)
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Bloomberg News: Adani Group to expand India airports by $15 billion by 2030
Bloomberg News reported Wednesday that India's Adani Group plans to invest $15 billion in order to increase passenger capacity at their airports from 200 million to 200 millions annually within the next five-year period. The report was based on people who are familiar with the issue. Reports said that the plan included adding terminals, new taxiways and a runway to the Navi Mumbai Airport, which will open on December 25. According to the report, the company will also upgrade capacity at airports in Ahmedabad Jaipur Thiruvananthapuram Lucknow and Guwahati. The airport unit of the group operates eight airports in India, including Navi Mumbai Airport located just outside India's financial center. Adani Group didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. Bloomberg News reported that the group had been planning to list Adani Airports by 2027 as part of an investment plan that required $100 billion over the next several years. (Reporting and editing by Rashmi aich in Bengaluru, Angela Christy from Bengaluru)
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Sources say that Chinese autonomous driving company Momenta has filed for Hong Kong IPO.
Two people familiar with the matter have confirmed that Chinese autonomous driving developer Momenta filed a confidential application for an initial public offering in Hong Kong. Momenta responded to a request for comment by saying that it had not filed a Hong Kong IPO in confidence, without providing any further details. Sources said Momenta was joining a growing number of Chinese companies that are aiming to debut at the Asian financial centre, having opted out New York due to increased U.S.-China relations. Reports in September indicated that Momenta considered moving its IPO from New York to Hong Kong, after the approval granted by China's securities regulatory authority to list in the United States expired in June. The details of the Hong Kong IPO plan, including its size and timing, was not immediately available. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd. (HKEX), Hong Kong's exchange operator declined to comment. Sources could not be identified as the information is confidential. Hong Kong's stock exchange has enjoyed its best year of new listings since the year 2021. Dealogic data shows that a total of $32 billion was raised by mid-November. This is up 200% compared to a year ago. Momenta is one of the leading Chinese suppliers of advanced driving assistance system features. Its technology is similar to Tesla's autonomous technology, which can navigate city traffic while under the supervision and control by a human driver. The company's investors include Toyota Motor Japan and Bosch, a German auto parts manufacturer. Reporting by Staff; Editing by Emelia Matarise and SonaliPaul
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Families of victims plan to file a lawsuit for wrongful death in UPS cargo plane crash
According to the law firm representing the victims, the families of victims of a UPS cargo plane crash are planning to file a lawsuit for wrongful death on Wednesday. UPS MD-11 cargo plane crashed in Louisville, Kentucky on November 4 immediately after takeoff, killing 14 people. According to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board, crash investigators found fatigue cracks on a support structure that connects the plane's left pylon to its wing and engine. Bob Clifford said that the preliminary report "suggests this plane is old, tired and beyond its useful lifetime," one of the lawyers representing the families. As the plane took off, the left engine of the aircraft separated from the wing. The plane crashed seconds later into an industrial park near the airport, killing all three of the crew and 11 on the ground. UPS and other operators grounded all MD-11 cargo jets after the crash. Boeing, which acquired MD-11 through its 1997 merger McDonnell Douglas with, told UPS and FedEx that it had recommended they suspend the flight operations of MD-11 freighter. Reporting by Dan Catchpole, Seattle; Editing and production by Muralikumar Aantharaman and Les Adler
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US Postal Service using 2,600 EVs for mail deliveries
USPS receives $3 billion in funding from Congress to support infrastructure and EVs USPS bought 8,700 Ford E-Transits, of which 2,010 are in service Senate Republicans block USPS from scrapping EVs and charger equipment By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, 2 Dec - The U.S. Postal Service currently uses more than 2,600 vehicles to deliver mail, according to a letter sent by the agency on Tuesday. In 2023, Congress granted USPS $3 billion to purchase electric vehicles and charging equipment under the then-President Joe Biden. This included $1.2 billion specifically for EVs. In a letter dated November 17, USPS Government Relations Chief Peter Pastre stated that "we are deploying" (battery-electric vehicles) on routes and delivery units, where BEVs can save us money compared to internal combustion engines. He added that the $3 billion had been fully committed. USPS has announced that it has purchased 8,700 Ford E-Transit cars, of which 2,010 deliver mail at 65 locations. USPS has also 612 Next Generation Delivery Vehicles, specially designed electric Next Generation Delivery Vehicles by Oshkosh Defense that deliver mail from 15 locations. USPS also installed 6,650 charging stations at 75 locations and stated that the number of EVs in service is increasing weekly. In June, Senate Republicans failed to get USPS to abandon thousands of electric cars and charging equipment as part of a huge tax and budget bill. USPS warned that abandoning its electric vehicles could cost $1.5 billion. This includes $1 billion for replacing the current fleet of EVs, and $500 million to replace the EV infrastructure. USPS said in its letter that it had acquired 26,000 internal-combustion vehicles to replace the fleet of aging vehicles, including 2,600 gas-powered Oshkosh cars. USPS's older vehicles, dating back to late 1980s, cost an average of more than $8,000. The White House fired Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in March. He had been leading efforts to restructure a U.S. Postal Service has been around for almost five years. USPS has lost over $100 billion since 2007. In February, President Donald Trump announced that he would consider merging the Postal Service and the Commerce Department. This move was criticized by Democrats as a violation of federal law.
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Brazil's Lula Lula and Trump discuss sanctions, trade in a phone call
Both sides reported that U.S. president Donald Trump and Brazilian president Luiz inacio Lula da silva discussed trade, economy, and fighting organized criminality during a telephone call they had on Tuesday. In a press conference at the White House on Monday, Trump told reporters that he and Bolsonaro also discussed sanctions. This was an apparent reference regarding the targeting of the Brazilian judiciary by his administration over the criminal trial of former right-wing President Jairbolsonaro. Trump claimed that he and Lula had "a great conversation". We discussed trade. We discussed sanctions because, as you may know, I sanctioned certain events that occurred." In a subsequent social media post, Trump stated that he was looking forward to meeting and speaking with Lula in the near future, adding, "Much good will be derived from this newly formed partnership!" Brazil's Presidential Palace said that Lula had thanked Trump in a press release for his decision to remove tariffs on U.S. imported Brazilian goods, including beef and coffee. It also added that Brazil hoped to make progress with the talks regarding products that were still subject to levies. Trump removed last month the tariffs of 40% on several Brazilian products including cocoa, fruits and other food items that he announced in July as a punishment for Brazil's prosecution of Bolsonaro - a Trump ally. Lula, in a statement, also stressed that it was urgent to strengthen cooperation with the United States for the fight against international organized crime during the 40-minute phone call held on Tuesday. The Brazilian Presidential Palace called the conversation "very productive." The two leaders met amid a series of recent U.S. military actions in the region. These include a massive build-up in the Caribbean, and three months' worth of U.S. airstrikes on suspected drug ships off Venezuelan coast. (Reporting from Lisandra paraguassu, Brasilia. Additional reporting by Andre Romani, Sao Paulo; Trevor Hunnicutt & Jeff Mason in Washington; Costas Pitas. Editing by Natalia Siniawski & Matthew Lewis & Bill Berkrot.
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Esentia will increase its natural gas transport capacity by 50% within five years.
By Adriana Barrera MEXICO CITY. Dec 2. Esentia's CEO announced on Tuesday that the company plans to increase its natural gas transportation capacity by 50% in the third phase of a five-year expansion program, betting on a growing demand. In late November, the company raised $457m in its initial public offering to finance expansion and reduce debt. Daniel Bustos, Esentia's CEO, said that the company will expand its interconnected system to 660 million cubic feet. * Esentia has more than 2,000 km (1,243 mi) of pipelines known as the Waha System or Wahalajara, that transport low-cost gas from Waha in Texas to major industrial centres in central-western Mexico including Guadalajara. * Mexico has a high deficit in natural gas production. It meets its needs by importing it from the United States via a pipeline system. The government of President Claudia Sheinbaum aims to reduce this dependence by 40% and increase natural gas production to 5 billion cubic foot per day by 2030. * Bustos stated that there is a "co-dependence" between the U.S. and Mexico natural gas trade. The United States must deliver natural gas because they can't produce oil without it. (Reporting and editing by Kyry Madry; Adriana Barrera, Adriana Barrera)
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Trump Administration to revamp Washington's Dulles Airport
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said that his administration wanted to revamp Dulles International Airport, near Washington, D.C., describing it as "not a great airport." In October, Trump’s motorcade drove through the airport's property without prior notice to evaluate future projects. "We will also rebuild Dulles Airport, because it is not a good one. It should be an excellent airport. Trump told his cabinet during a meeting at the White House that it's not at all a good airport. "They have a beautiful building but a terrible airport." Trump has revealed a new design of Dulles Airport, which was opened in 1962. It is owned by federal government. The Terminal Building was designed by Finnish architect Eero Sárinen. It is a unique building with a roof that slopes upwards on both sides. Dulles International Airport, located about 25 miles away from Washington, D.C., in Virginia, serves about 27 million passengers per year. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority operates the airport. It is a major hub for United Airlines. The authority that operates the airport on a 50-year leased approved by Congress declined to comment. Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary, said that the Department plans to issue a request for proposals to replace shuttle vehicles (also known as "mobile lounges") which transport passengers from the terminal to planes. Two separate collisions with mobile lounges in November brought attention to the system. The airport authority approved in July a masterplan to expand the airport from 130 gates to 38 gates and 38 million passengers by 2030. By 2045, it will be 45 gates and 45 millions passengers. It will eventually serve 90 gates and 90 million passengers. At present, the airport has 130 gates. Reporting by David Shepardson and Doina Chiacu; editing by Les Adler
Malaysia announces that the search for missing flight MH370 will resume in this month.
Malaysia's Transport Ministry announced on Wednesday that the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 would resume on December 30. This comes more than a year after the flight, bound for Beijing, disappeared in what is considered one of aviation's biggest mysteries.
Flight MH370 was a Boeing 777 carrying 227 passengers, 12 crew members, and it disappeared en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur in 2014. Since then, multiple search operations have been carried out but none of them has yielded any results. In April, the most recent search of the southern Indian Ocean had to be suspended after only a few weeks because of poor weather conditions. The transport ministry announced that Ocean Infinity confirmed it will resume seabed operations intermittently for 55 days.
The statement said that the search would be conducted in an area with the highest likelihood of finding the aircraft.
The exact location of the search zone has not been specified.
Malaysian investigators at first did not exclude the possibility that the aircraft was deliberately diverted. Some debris, which is confirmed, and others that are believed to be from this aircraft, washed ashore along the coasts of Africa and islands in the Indian Ocean. The ministry stated that the resumed search would be done in accordance with terms and conditions set by the government and Ocean Infinity to restart the MH370 wreckage hunt.
Malaysia will pay $70 million to the company if substantial wreckage is discovered during the search of an area covering 15,000 square kilometers (5,790 square miles) in the southern Indian Ocean.
Ocean Infinity conducted previous searches for the plane until 2018, but did not find any substantial wreckage.
The 495-page report on the disappearance of the Boeing 777 in 2018 found that the controls had been deliberately manipulated so as to cause it to deviate from its course. However, investigators were unable determine who was at fault and did not offer a conclusion about what happened. They said they would wait until the wreckage is located before determining the truth.
Investigators found nothing suspicious about the financial background, the training, and the mental health of the co-pilot and captain. On the flight were more than 150 Chinese passengers. Other passengers included 50 Malaysians, as well as residents of France, Australia and India, as well as the United States, Ukraine, Canada and other countries. Families of the victims have sought compensation from Malaysia Airlines and Boeing as well as aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, Allianz Insurance Group, and others. (Reporting and editing by Martin Petty; Danial Azhar is the reporter)
(source: Reuters)