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IndiGo India cancels 175 flight as pilot shortage enters its third phase
As chaos worsened at India's key airports, at least 175 IndiGo flight were cancelled on Thursday morning. This was after strict government regulations regarding crew safety standards threw the roster planning of India's largest airline in disarray. The disruptions left thousands of travelers stranded in their hotels for the past three days. IndiGo, with a market share in the domestic market of over 60%, cancelled 150 flights on Wednesday across several major cities. A spokesperson for the airport said that 73 flights were canceled on Thursday. According to airport sources, around 30 flights were cancelled in Delhi and 68 in Hyderabad. The airline didn't respond to a comment request on Thursday but said that this week, the cancellations are due to several factors including new flight duty limits set by India's aviation regulator in order to combat pilot fatigue. The Federation of Indian Pilots stated that IndiGo had not been able to plan and adjust its roster in time for the November 1st implementation date, which increased rest periods and imposed some restrictions on night flights. The crisis is a major blow to the airline, which has been in business for two decades. It built its reputation by being punctual and coined the slogan "IndiGo standard time" when it closed plane gates before the scheduled departure. In a statement released on Wednesday, the airline said that it would be making "calibrated changes" to its schedules over the next two days.
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Prices of oil rise after Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure and stalled peace negotiations
The oil price rose on Thursday, after Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure indicated potential supply restrictions. Stalled peace talks dampened expectations of a deal to restore Russian oil flow to global markets. However, weak fundamentals limited gains. Brent crude rose by 24 cents or 0.38% to $62.91 at 0349 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 29 cents or 0.49% to $59.24. A Ukrainian military intelligence source confirmed that Ukraine had attacked the Druzhba pipeline in Russia's Tambov central region on Wednesday. This was the fifth attack against the pipeline, which sends Russian crude oil to Hungary or Slovakia. Later, the operator of the pipeline and Hungary's Oil and Gas company confirmed that supplies were flowing through it as usual. In a report, the consultancy Kpler stated that Ukraine's drone campaign has moved into a more strategic and sustained phase. It added that attacks now target refineries repeatedly, in an effort to prevent key assets from stabilizing. The report said that "this has caused Russian refining output to fall by around 5 million barrels a day between September-November, a 335,000 barrels bpd decline year-on-year, with gasoline being the hardest hit and gasoil production also materially lower." Prices were also supported by the perception that the peace plan for Ukraine is stalling, especially after the representatives of U.S. president Donald Trump returned from their peace talks with the Kremlin without any specific breakthroughs in ending the conflict. Trump said that it is unclear what will happen next. Vandana Insights, a provider of oil market analyses, said that "Crude is likely to remain in a narrow band while the Ukraine peace effort grinds on." Prices had been pushed down by traders' expectations that the war would end, and that sanctions against Russia would be lifted, allowing Russian oil to return to a market already oversupplied. Fitch Ratings cut its oil price estimates for 2025-2027 on Thursday to reflect the market oversupply. Production growth is also expected to exceed demand. Reporting by Mohi N. Narayan, New Delhi; Colleen H. Howe, Beijing; and Michael Perry.
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Tigerair adds 15 A321s to its fleet in $1.3billion deal
Tigerair, Taiwan's low-cost carrier, announced on Wednesday that it had approved the purchase and lease of eleven new A321neo planes from Airbus for T$40billion ($1.28billion) in order to expand its network. Tigerair, which is majority owned by Taiwan Airlines, also has an option to purchase four additional A321neos, according to a statement posted on the airline's website. It added that the 11 A321neo aircraft being leased are expected to arrive by 2031. The four aircraft purchased after 2031 will be deployed in full by 2035. Tigerair flies to Japan, one of the most popular destinations for Taiwanese tourists and businessmen. Reporting by Ben Blanchard & Faith Hung. $1 = 31.2670 Taiwan Dollars
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Prices of oil rise after Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure and stalled peace negotiations
The oil prices rose slightly on Thursday, after Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure indicated potential supply restrictions. Stalled peace talks dampened expectations of a deal to restore Russian oil flow to global markets. However, weak fundamentals limited gains. Brent crude rose by 14 cents or 0.22% to $62.81 at 0102 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 16 cents or 0.27% to $59.11. A Ukrainian military intelligence source confirmed that Ukraine had attacked the Druzhba pipeline in Russia's Tambov central region on Wednesday. This was the fifth attack against the pipeline, which sends Russian crude oil to Hungary or Slovakia. Later, the operator of the pipeline and Hungary's Oil and Gas company confirmed that supplies were flowing through it as usual. Prices were also supported by the perception that the peace plan for Ukraine is stalling, especially after the representatives of U.S. president Donald Trump returned from their peace talks with the Kremlin without any specific breakthroughs in ending the conflict. Trump said that it is unclear what will happen next. Prices had been pushed down by traders' expectations that the war would end, and that sanctions against Russia would be lifted, allowing Russian oil to return to a market already oversupplied. Tony Sycamore, IG's market analyst, said that despite the rise in crude oil prices, worries about an oversupply and a soft demand continued to affect them. Fitch Ratings cut its oil price estimates for 2025-2027 on Thursday to reflect the market oversupply. Production growth is also expected to exceed demand. (Reporting and editing by Michael Perry; Colleen howe)
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CANADA-CRUDE-Discount on Western Canada Select widens
On Wednesday, the discount between West Texas Intermediate and Western Canada Select futures (the North American benchmark) widened. WCS for Hardisty, Alberta delivery in January settled at $13 per barrel below U.S. benchmark WTI according to brokerage CalRock. This compares to $12.95 Tuesday. * After spending most of the year in historically tight levels the WCS discount has recently widened to nearly the same level as it was 12 month ago. Martin King, an analyst at RBN Energy, says that this suggests the market has accounted for all the benefits it received from the Trans Mountain expansion. * The Trans Mountain Pipeline has contributed to a tighter differential, by providing Canadian oil producers with additional export capacity. The Alberta oil production is continuing to increase, King explained. This could have an impact on the WCS discounts in the coming months. There is plenty of oil in Alberta to provide a buffer, but King says differentials may start to increase in late February or in early March, as U.S. refining starts to ramp-up. * Oil prices rose on Wednesday, despite fears over an oversupply. The gains were tempered by the failure of the U.S. to reach a settlement with Russia to end the conflict in Ukraine. This could have led to easing sanctions on Moscow's petroleum sector. (Reporting and editing by Alan Barona in Calgary)
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Colonial Pipeline requests a rehearing on its proposal to change gasoline shipments
Colonial Pipeline, on Wednesday, requested that the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reconsider the earlier decision it made rejecting the changes the company proposed to the way in which the nation's largest fuel conduit handles gasoline shipments. The company claimed that the regulator erred by blocking Colonial's ability to modify delivery specifications, stop overlapping shipments between different grades of gas, and discontinue shipments for so-called "Grade 5" gasoline sold during winter in certain Northeastern States. Colonial said the changes were part of their efforts to improve safety, efficiency and reduce wear and tear on the pipeline system that is over 60 years old. The company also said that the changes would help it move more gasoline into markets where there is a need for it. A group of Colonial shippers including Exxon Mobil, BP and other oil majors had protested these proposed changes. They argued that they would hurt their business by shifting blending profits away from Colonial. FERC sided with protesting shippers and ruled that Colonial failed to prove its proposal as just and reasonable. Colonial's plan, according to the regulator, would also impose extra costs on shippers and degrade the quality gasoline they transport through the pipeline, without compensating them. Colonial will also gain an unfair advantage. Colonial stated that FERC had approved a proposal from the company to eliminate shipments of M and V grade gasolines in the Midwest. Colonial said that since the filing took effect on April 1, it has gained 3.6 million barrels in additional capacity. Colonial says that the capacity benefits of the proposal rejected by FERC would be similar. However, safety, integrity, and operational benefits are even greater. Last week, the United States burned over 8,3 million barrels per day of gasoline. Reporting by Shariq KHan in New York, Editing by Chris Reese & Diane Craft
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Delta suffers a $200 million loss due to the US Government shutdown
Delta Air Lines announced on Wednesday that it expects to take a $200 million hit to its fourth quarter pre-tax profits due to the U.S. Government shutdown which ended last month. The company stated that the impact is about 25 cents a share. The Atlanta-based carrier forecasted an adjusted profit between $1.60 and $1.90 per share for the three months through December in October. The 43-day shutdown of the government affected flight operations, and thousands of air traffic control operators and other staff were forced to work without being paid. Flight cuts were also ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration at 40 major airports because of a lack of air traffic control. The longest government shutdown in history has disrupted thousands of flights, and lowered travel demand. The turmoil, combined with weather-related delays, has led some Wall Street analysts in the United States to reduce their fourth-quarter earnings predictions for U.S. airlines by up to 30%. Delta said that bookings have returned to the initial expectations after the shutdown ended. Demand is expected to remain healthy throughout the remainder of the quarter, and trend strong into early 2026. Ed Bastian, CEO of the airline, told a Morgan Stanley Conference that the airline experienced a drop in bookings between 5% and 10% immediately following FAA-mandated flights cuts. However the impact was only short-lived. Bastian stated, "We are looking forward to an excellent December and a great close to the calendar year." "I think we are done." Delta's share price was up around 3% during the afternoon trading. JetBlue said on Tuesday that demand for the fourth quarter was healthy. Bookings were in line with expectations, except for the brief period when the FAA ordered flight reductions. The New York-based airline said that its operations had also been affected by Hurricane Melissa, which hit Jamaica. This, along with cancellations due to the shutdown, led to a reduction in its fourth-quarter operating capacity and increased non-fuel costs. Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh from Chicago and AnshumanTripathy from Bengaluru. Editing by Shailesh Kumar and Aurora Ellis.
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Urals differentials unchanged; Kazakhstan reroutes its oil after CPC attack
Sources said that the differential between Russian Urals crude and Brent dated was stable on Wednesday. Kazakhstan also rerouted some oil exports to other destinations than the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which had been attacked by a drone over the weekend. Five industry sources have confirmed that Kazakhstan will divert additional crude oil through the Baku, Tbilisi, and Ceyhan pipelines in December, after the CPC, its main export route suffered damage following a drone attack by Ukraine. According to a source, Kazakh producers could add up to 140,000 tons KEBCO crude oil in December. Ukraine has struck the Druzhba pipeline in Russia's Tambov central region, according to a source with Ukraine's GUR intelligence service. PLATTS WINDOW Traders reported that no bids or offers for Urals, Azeri BTC, and CPC Blend were made on Tuesday. Two sources with knowledge of the matter have confirmed that Bernd Bergmair (former majority owner of an adult entertainment company including the website Pornhub) has approached the U.S. Treasury to buy international assets from sanctioned Russian oil giant Lukoil. Reporting by Kirsten Doovan; Editing by Kirsten D.
An oil pipeline fight shows US gains in Iraq
In mid-July Iranian drones flew through the mountains of northern Iraq's Kurdistan Region, zeroing in on their target: American oilfields.
One of the missiles was fired by a militia group in Iraq that is likely to be Iranian-backed, and probably as retaliation against the U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear facilities weeks earlier. It hit the Sarsang oil field, which is operated by HKN Energy. This company belongs to the son Ross Perot, a Texas billionaire.
A second hit was reported in a field near Dallas, operated by Hunt Oil.
Nearly half of Kurdistan's production was halted by the end of a four-day offensive that also affected operations at DNO and a local company.
Nine sources with knowledge of the situation claim that Washington was enraged by Baghdad's direct attack on U.S. interest. It felt Iraq had not done enough to combat pro-Iranian forces and stepped up its pressure campaign.
This campaign led to Iraq reopening an important export pipeline for Kurdistan’s oil. It was a major concession, which indicates a shift in the balance of power within Iraq from Tehran to Washington.
Sources within the Trump administration said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent some strong messages to Baghdad in order to make it clear to Baghdad that the time for decision was near.
Sanctions Threat
Since 2023, when the pipeline was shut down due to a dispute between Baghdad's Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government over oil sales, Washington has been pushing for its reopening.
The closure of the pipeline was done to reduce global oil prices and to aid U.S. companies operating in Kurdistan. It also served to divert crude to the south and feed smuggling rings that bring huge amounts to Iran and its proxy networks.
The drone strikes led Donald Trump, the U.S. president, to escalate Washington's campaign.
One of the sources involved with the pressure campaign said that in the two months after the attacks, his representative threatened Iraq's highest energy officials with sanctions, if the pipeline wasn't restarted.
The senior State Department official did not confirm the threat of sanctions, but stated that the U.S. exerted "extremely intense" diplomatic pressure to restart the pipeline.
The White House refused to comment if it had threatened sanctions against Iraq. Hunt Oil, the KRG, and the Iraqi government declined to comment. HKN Energy did not respond to requests for comments.
After two months of intense U.S. pressuring, oil started flowing on September 27, after a preliminary agreement was announced to restart the pipeline on July 17, the last day of the drone strikes.
The details of the U.S. press campaign were not reported previously.
No group has claimed responsibility. A source in the Iraqi government, citing a security investigation, claimed that they were the work a powerful pro Iranian militia group. He declined to identify them.
Baghdad, according to a source in the Iraqi security sector, warned the group of any future attacks that would place it directly in conflict with the government.
US EXPECTS A 'SIGNIFICANT RETURN" ON ITS INVESTMENT
This episode reveals the U.S.'s energy ambitions for the Middle East. Iraq is the second largest oil producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Trump has repeatedly criticised the organization for its efforts to keep the price of oil high.
This also highlights the close ties between U.S. diplomatic interests and U.S. commercial interests under Trump.
The U.S. source stated that "having invested so much into this country...in terms of national treasures and the loss of U.S. life alongside our Iraqi partner in the defeating of terrorism...we expect there to a significant return on investment."
Iraq's concession is a sign of a change in the balance in the country.
Baghdad has walked the diplomatic tightrope for years between Washington and Tehran, its two key allies.
Iran, under U.S. sanctions and Western sanctions because of its nuclear ambitions backs 10 hardline Shi'ite militias in Iraq, with 50,000 fighters. It also holds a lot of political power.
Israel's attacks on its regional proxies and Iran have severely damaged Iran's power and reputation.
COMPLICATIONS
The pipeline deal is not certain to last or whether the power shift will continue.
Baghdad will review the agreement at the end December.
A 1973 agreement between Iraq, Turkey and the United States that established the legal basis for oil exports expires in July.
Baghdad continues to oppose the two Kurdistan Gas deals that HKN Energy, a Vancouver-based company, and WesternZagros signed with KRG in May.
HKN is a part of Dallas-based Hillwood, a real estate and energy company founded by Ross Perot Jr. Ross Perot was Texan billionaire Ross Perot's son and he ran for president twice.
According to public records, the Perot family has been a major donor to the Republican Party. They have donated more than $3,000,000 in 2025 and 2024.
Baghdad claims that agreements regarding Iraq's natural resource can only be reached with the federal government. Baghdad filed a lawsuit on May 26 against the KRG for the deals, and signed an agreement with China's Geo-Jade Petroleum in the same week to expand a southern Iraq oilfield.
There are still signs that the U.S. and Iraqi relations are improving.
Washington sent a new Special Envoy to Iraq to the UN on October 19. This was just days after Exxon Mobil, the U.S. energy company, agreed to return to Iraq to expand production there.
Exxon CEO Darren Woods said at a conference held in London, on October 13, that "it's a very important first step in terms the work we intend to do." "We have a long way to go before anything comes to fruition but we are optimistic and look forward to evaluating this." Ahmed Rasheed reported from Baghdad; Maha El Dahan from Dubai; Humeyra Pauk and Timothy Gardner were in Washington; Dmitry Zhdannikov, Anna Hirtenstein, and Nerijus Adomatis in Oslo. Richard Valdmanis, Mark Potter and Richard Valdmanis edited the article.
(source: Reuters)