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Etihad Airways resumes certain operations; commercial flights are still halted due to the Iran conflict
The 'airline' said that Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi, resumed a few?limited flight services?on Sunday, as airlines around the world, including Middle East carriers, adapt to the disruptions caused by the escalating conflict in Iran since Saturday. Due to the Israeli and U.S. attacks against Iran, and the military response of?Tehran, airspace was closed in several?countries throughout the Middle East including the United Arab Emirates and key airports such as Dubai and Doha. The airline announced that some repositioning flights, cargo flights, and repatriation flight may be operated 'in coordination with UAE officials and subject to strict operational and safety approvals.' All scheduled commercial flights from and to Abu Dhabi remain cancelled. On the airline's site, it was shown that several flights left?Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport Monday morning for destinations such as London, Paris and Amsterdam. The website also listed more flights for 'Jeddah' and Kochi among other destinations. Etihad didn't specify which flights would be used to repatriate stranded people. In a note posted on the airline's website, it had stated that all flights to and from Abu Dhabi would be suspended until Tuesday 10:00 GMT. Reporting by Federico Maccioni from Dubai and Alexander Cornwell from Tel Aviv. Editing by Gareth Jones.
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Source: Oil and gas condensate production in Kazakhstan jumped 43% m/m m/m during February.
An industry source said that the production of oil and condensate in Kazakhstan increased by 43% between January and February. This was due to the recovery of output at Tengiz after a major outage. Tengiz, a supergiant oilfield owned by Chevron, that accounts for 40% of Kazakhstan's oil production, has been shut down for most of January due to fires on electrical equipment. Sources claim that the oil and gas condensate production in Kazakhstan increased last month from 5.3 million to 6.8 million metric tons or 1.83 millions barrels per day. Sources claim that output at Tengiz increased to 590,000. bpd last month from just 240,000. In August 2025, Tengiz's output reached a record of 3.7 million tonnes, or approximately 950,000 bpd. Tengizchevroil is the operator of this?field. It said Monday that it would increase production as conditions permit, but declined to give any figures. The energy ministry did not respond immediately to a comment request. Calculations show that oil production in Kazakhstan, excluding gas-condensate (a type of lighter oil), rose to 1.58 million barrels per day in February from 1.09 millions?bpd. This compares with the production quota of 1,569 million bpd for the country, which was set by OPEC+, a group of countries that are members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Counties. The quota will increase to 1,579 million bpd by April. Toby Chopra (Reporting and Editing)
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Israel's main international airport will reopen Monday in an 'extremely restricted format'
Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's international gateway near Tel Aviv said on its Whatsapp channel that they expect to reopen Monday evening in an "extremely restricted format" following the conflict with Iran which shut down Israeli airspace. Airport officials said on Monday that flights would resume on Tuesday but only Israeli carriers will be flying. Israel and the U.S. started bombing Iran on Sunday, triggering a retaliatory wave across the Middle East that has left hundreds of thousands of passengers worldwide stranded. El Al Israel Airlines announced on Monday that it is seeking approval to fly charters from Europe to Israel bordering destinations to bring passengers back to their home countries. Israel's?Population and Immigration Authority? estimates that over 300,000 Israelis travelled abroad within the past three months and still haven't returned - including 172,000 in the previous month. Other 34,000 tourists also reside in Israel. The airline is looking at flights to Aqaba, Jordan and?Taba, Egypt. Both are near the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat. Israeli airlines have cancelled flights until Tuesday. El Al Israel Airlines, the flag carrier of Israel Airlines, has announced that it will stop selling tickets until March 21, to accommodate customers whose flights have been cancelled as soon as the airspace is opened. Arkia, a smaller rival airline, and Israir, a larger rival airline have both suspended ticket sales until March 15, and March 18, respectively. Arkia has launched rescue flights on Sunday, and is currently operating flights from Athens to Taba via Rome, Larnaca, Sofia, and Athens. El Al announced that it was planning to?rescue flight from more than twenty cities, including New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and Bangkok. It said it was examining the feasibility of using KlasJet to operate flights from European cities to Taba or Aqaba. The statement said that these flights "require approval by the State of Israel as well as the security authorities." Israir announced that it would begin recovery?flights from six?European?cities including Prague, Budapest, and Sofia on Tuesday. The Israeli Airports Authority announced that its Taba border crossing would be open 24 hour a day, and three other crossings into and out of Jordan will operate during the day and evening. Reporting by Steven Scheer, Editing by Sharon Singleton
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Kuwait accidentally shoots down US planes after the Iran conflict spreads to Lebanon
On Monday, the U.S. and Israeli air war against Iran continued without end. Israel attacked Lebanon in response to Hezbollah strikes, while Tehran launched missiles and drones towards?Israel, Gulf States and a British base in Cyprus. Kuwaiti air defences mistakenly downed three American F-15E jet fighters during an Iranian strike, according to the U.S. Military. The six crew members ejected safely and were recovered. A video, shot at a verified location, shows one plane spiraling out of the air, with an engine engulfed in flames. Later on Monday, Iran's?Revolutionary Guard Corps? announced a second wave of attacks against Israel. The markets opened Monday with sharply rising energy prices, which put the global economy at risk. After a weekend bombing campaign that killed Iran's Supreme Leader, brought its neighbours to war, and stopped shipping in the Gulf. In the largest U.S. Foreign Policy gamble in decades President Donald Trump launched a campaign with Israel against an enemy that has tormented America and its allies since generations. Trump reiterated his call for Iranians to rise and overthrow the leaders and said that the air campaign may last several weeks. Residents in Iran have been rushing to leave cities while bombs were falling. They are feeling a mixture of apprehension and euphoria. Many Iranians celebrated openly the death of Ayatollah Ayatollah Khamenei (86), who ruled the country over 37 years, and led security forces to kill thousands of antigovernment protesters in the beginning of this year. The conservative clerical leadership has not shown any signs of relinquishing power. Experts say that U.S. air power and Israeli ground forces may not be sufficient to push them out. While scores of Iranians were reported dead in air strikes, some of which hit civilian targets, "They are attacking hospitals and killing children. Is this what Trump wants us to have? Morteza Sedighi said that innocent people had been killed first by the regime, and then by Israel and America. WAR SPREADS TO LEBANON A senior Iranian official was quoted as saying that Iran would continue to defend itself against aggressors. Hezbollah launched drones and missiles at Israel on Monday in response to the death of Khamenei, one of Tehran’s main allies in Middle East. Israel responded by launching a series of airstrikes that it claimed targeted Hezbollah's?southern suburbs in Beirut, and killed senior militants. Lebanese news agency NNA reported that an initial count showed 31 deaths and 149 injuries. Israel declared Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem as a "target to be eliminated". Officials have said that they are not currently considering a ground invasion in Lebanon. ALLIES UNDER ATTACK Washington's Gulf allies were again targeted by Iranian drones and missiles. The area surrounding the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait was heavily guarded, with ambulances, fire trucks and security. In Doha and Samha, the capitals of Qatar and Dubai, there were loud explosions. Saudi Arabia closed its largest refinery following drone strikes that caused an explosion. This was one of many oil installations which became targets. Qatar, which is one of the world's top three producers of liquefied gas, has halted its production. A drone struck overnight the British Akrotiri Air Base in Cyprus, which is one of the U.S.'s European allies. The damage to Britain's Akrotiri air base in Cyprus was minimal, and no one was injured. European allies disassociated themselves from Trump’s initial decision to wage war, claiming that it did not meet the legal threshold for responding to an immediate threat. They have said that they will participate in order to suppress Iran's capability to retaliate against their allies after they are attacked by Tehran. Senior White House officials told reporters that Washington would eventually talk to Tehran, but not now. "President Trump stated that the new leadership in Iran have indicated their desire to talk, and he will eventually talk. Operation Epic Fury will continue unabated for now," said the official. Ali Larijani said in an X message on Monday that Iran will not negotiate with Trump because he has "delusional goals" and is now concerned about U.S. deaths. First US Casualties The deaths of three American servicemen in the campaign have been confirmed. Two U.S. officials were reported dead on a Kuwaiti base. A prolonged military campaign could be a serious political risk to Trump's Republican Party in the run-up to U.S. midterm elections. According to an Ipsos survey conducted on Sunday, only one out of four Americans approved of the operation. In a video released on Sunday, Trump promised that military strikes against Iran would continue "until all our objectives are achieved", without giving specifics. Trump called for Iran's military, police, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to cease fighting. He promised immunity to those who surrendered and "certain death" to those who resist. He called on Iranians to stand up. The sudden interruption of oil shipments in the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of?world oil trade passes the Iranian coast, was a shock to the global economies. When the markets opened on Monday, oil prices jumped by double-digit percentages. The dollar rose and shares fell. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed on Sunday that they had attacked Kuwait and Bahrain military bases with drones and rockets, and three U.S. oil tankers and one UK tanker in the Gulf of Mexico and Strait of Hormuz. Ship data revealed that hundreds of vessels, including oil and gasoline tankers, dropped anchor in nearby waters. Airstrikes in the Middle East caused major airports to close, causing major disruptions to global air travel.
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Turkish ruling party proposes a 10% tax on crypto income, levied on service providers
In a draft bill submitted to the parliament, Turkey's ruling AK Party proposed a tax on cryptocurrencies and a transaction levy for crypto asset service providers. The draft law states that platforms must withhold 10% of income and gains derived from crypto-assets transactions quarterly. The profits from transactions involving crypto assets that are not conducted on authorized platforms will be taxed by declaring them in the annual statements. According to the proposal, crypto asset services providers would be required to pay a transaction tax of 0.03% on all sales and transfers they facilitate or conduct. The Turkish authorities have tightened their oversight of cryptocurrency platforms in the last few years as usage has risen in Turkey, due to high inflation and depreciation of the lira. Chainalysis, a U.S. blockchain research company, said in a recent report that Turkey is among the top markets in the world for crypto adoption. Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun, Nevzat Dvranoglu and Ece Toksabay; editing by Jonathan Spicer and Ece Toksabay
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Iran conflict disrupts shipping globally as tankers become stranded and damaged
As the Iran conflict intensifies, insurance companies have canceled?war-risk coverage for vessels around the Strait of?Hormuz. At least four tankers were damaged, a seaman was killed and 150 ships were stranded. The shipping through the Strait of 'Hormuz, which transports around one fifth of the oil and gas consumed worldwide, has come to a halt. Iran responded to U.S., Israeli and other strikes by hitting vessels in the region. Oil and European Natural Gas prices have risen due to the disruption and the fear of a prolonged closure. Brent crude futures are up by more than 7%, as the conflict has triggered several oil and gas shut downs in the Middle East. Shipping data revealed on Sunday that at least 150 vessels, including oil and LNG tankers, had dropped anchor around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said that it had closed the navigation through this critical waterway. This prompted Asian governments and refiners, key buyers of oil to review their stockpiles. According to the MarineTraffic platform, the tankers were clustered off the coasts major Gulf oil producers, such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia as well as the liquefied gas giant Qatar. Two maritime security sources reported that projectiles struck the U.S. flagged products tanker Stena Imperative early on Monday in the port of Bahrain, causing an initial fire which was then extinguished. A projectile struck the Marshall Islands flagged product tanker MKD VYOM on Sunday and killed a crewmember as the vessel sailed near the coast of?Oman. Two other tanks were also damaged. In a separate incident, on Sunday, the Gibraltar flagged oil bunkering vessel Hercules Star was also hit by a projectile off the coast of the UAE, according to a manager Peninsula. Peninsula said that the tanker returned to Dubai's anchorage on Sunday morning, and its crew was safe. INSURERS CANCEL RISK COVERAGE As a consequence of these incidents, marine insurance companies are cancelling coverage for war risks on vessels. Oil shipping rates will also increase. According to notices posted on their websites dated March 1, companies such as Gard, Skuld and NorthStandard would be cancelling their memberships starting March 5. According to the notices, war risk coverage will not be available in Iranian waters or the Gulf, nor adjacent waters. Skuld also stated in its notice it was working to provide new cover under different conditions. The MS&AD Insurance Group in Japan announced that it had halted underwriting a number of insurance policies covering risks of war in the water around Iran, Israel, and neighboring countries. Oil shipping costs will rise further. The cost of shipping oil to Asia from the Middle East, already at a six-year-high, is set to increase even more as the growing conflict in Iran discourages shipowners to send vessels to the area, according to market sources and analysts on Monday. Spot shipping rates between the Middle East and Asia, also known as 'TD3C Shipbrokers expect to see gains continue. The benchmark has almost tripled in value since the beginning of 2026. On Monday, brokers estimated that the rate to hire a large crude carrier for the Middle East-China route was about 4% more expensive than it had been on Friday. The spot rate is near W225 in the Worldscale Industry Measure or at least $12 Million. Emril Jamil is a senior LSEG Analyst. He said that "TD3C prices were increasing?exponentially prior to the attacks, and they will continue to rise as countries scramble for energy to meet their needs." A shipbroker stated that there is still uncertainty about the final rate for 'Monday, but that all Middle East loading routes will 'hold firm. The shipbroker declined to name them as they weren't 'authorized to speak to media. A shipping company source said that the market would need more ships for longer voyages to transport crude oil from the U.S.
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Sources: US flagged tanker struck by unknown projectiles at Bahrain port
Two maritime security sources reported that the U.S. flagged Stena Imperative, a 'products tanker', was struck by two unknown projectiles early on Monday morning in the port of Bahrain, causing an onboard fire, which was put out. Vanguard, a British maritime risk management company, said that the vessel was struck at 0257 GMT. Vanguard said that all crew members were'safe' and had evacuated the vessel. The first U.S. flagged vessel has been damaged since U.S. airstrikes and Israeli strikes began against Iran on?Saturday. This led to heavy retaliatory actions by Tehran, including attacks on Gulf?countries as well as Israel. Stena Bulk, the vessel's owner did not respond immediately to a comment request. LSEG'shipping data' showed that the?Stena Imperative?last?reported their position on February 28, when the U.S. led attacks on iran started. Reporting by Jonathan Saul and Yannis Souliotis; editing by Kirby Donovan
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Air India Express MD Aloke Singh will step down after five years in March, according to a memo.
According to an internal memo seen by, the managing director of Air India Express - Air India's low cost unit - will step down from his position on March 19, after serving in it for five years. On?Monday. In the memo, MD Aloke said that the carrier had grown into India's third largest narrow-body operator with more than 100 planes and around 8,300 employees. Singh wrote in a memo to employees: "Together we have taken the carrier through a period defining transformation. We navigated an intricate merger,?a complex integration?, created a new brand?, and grew the fleet by four times. This has propelled the airline from being a?sub-scale?, niche operator?to India's third largest narrow-body operator ...,". He didn't name a replacement, but he did say that Captain Hamish, who had previously been an adviser to the MD, would?take on the role of accountable manager. This is a regulatory position responsible for ensuring a?airline’s safety oversight and operational standards. Air India Express has not responded to a request for comment. The carrier expects to report its first operating profit since it was acquired by Tata Group 2022. This will be a result of increased capacity and a higher market share. The airline plans to expand its fleet of more than 200 aircraft, and operates more than 100 Boeing or Airbus narrow body jets. Singh joined the airline as early as 2020, when the COVID-19 virus pandemic was sweeping the world. He then led the integration of the low-cost business with the AirAsia India unit after the Tata Group acquired Air India. Air India, owned by the?Tata Group & Singapore Airlines, is battling to rebuild its international network and reputation, as well as replace its ageing aircraft that have been hampered by supply chain delays. Reporting by Abhijith Gaapavaram and Nishit Navin in New Delhi; editing by Shreya Biwas and Mrigank Dahaniwala
South Bow plan for Keystone XL revival needs Trump's approval and US oil pipeline connections
The proposal by the Canadian company 'South Bow' to revive portions of the Keystone XL oil pipe, which was cancelled in 2010, could increase Canada’s crude exports into the?U.S. If it is given the green light by U.S. president Donald Trump, and additional links are built to U.S. refinery hubs, then Canada's crude exports could increase by more than 12 percent.
The new proposal includes a different route in the U.S. compared to the Keystone XL project, which was cancelled by former U.S. president?Joe?Biden after years of Indigenous opposition and environmental resistance.
South Bow, the company set up in 2024 by former Keystone XL promoter TC Energy to take over their oil pipeline business is looking at reviving a portion of line already built in Alberta. It already has all Canadian permits.
Canadian Prime Minister
Mark Carney raised the revival of the pipeline in a conversation he had with Trump in October. This could give him leverage for upcoming negotiations to renew the U.S. Mexico-Canada (USMCA).
Trump, whose tariff wars have caused tensions with Canada and his annexation threat has strained relations between the two countries, has repeatedly called on lower oil prices. Many U.S. refiners depend on Canada's roughly 4.4 millions barrels of exports each day that it sends south of border.
Bridger Pipeline is South Bow's possible U.S. partner. They recently submitted a proposal to Montana regulators. The proposal describes the construction of a 645 mile (1,038 km) pipeline capable of transporting 550,000 barrels per day. It would begin near the U.S. Canada border in Phillips County Montana and travel to Guernsey Wyoming.
Analysts say that Guernsey does not represent an end-market for crude oil. Therefore, additional links will be needed to transport the oil to refinery hubs like Cushing, Oklahoma, Patoka in Illinois, and U.S. Gulf Coast.
Matthew Lewis, the founder of Plainview Energy Analytics, believes that the most plausible configuration is a new pipeline that stretches 425 miles between Guernsey and Steele City in Nebraska. From there, oil could be moved into underutilized pipelines running towards Cushing, Patoka?and Wood River, Illinois. The oil would then be transported to underutilized pipelines that run towards Cushing, Patoka, and Wood River in Illinois.
However, it is unclear who would be willing to take the risk of that part of a project.
Lewis stated that the biggest challenges in this plan for a Guernsey to Steele City segment are obtaining permits and building a new pipeline, which would likely be subject to environmental litigation that would tie up such a large project in court.
South Bow stated that its proposal could connect with downstream pipelines in the U.S., but declined to provide further comment. Bridger Pipeline refused to comment.
Leveraging Existing Infrastructure
Bridger's application says that it will build the Montana to Guernsey leg at locations near existing pipeline infrastructure. This would make obtaining permits easier. Around 150 km of Keystone XL pipeline has already been built in Alberta and is sitting idle after the project was cancelled.
White House spokesperson refused to comment on South Bow-Bridger project, but analysts stated that a presidential permit was required for the segment crossing the U.S. Canada border. Richard?Masson is the former CEO of Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission. He said that even if the Trump Administration supports the plan, it's not guaranteed that the next U.S. government will.
He said that while the proposal is different from Keystone XL it is still a large-scale expansion of the pipeline and will likely 'attract the ire?of environmentalists, landowners, and indigenous communities.
Many pipeline projects have been halted or slowed down by litigation in the U.S. Trump and his team tried to speed up permits and cut regulations, but a project that spans multiple administrations would be politically risky.
It brings up the same issues. Masson stated that this was the same material for those who wanted Keystone XL to be cancelled.
COMPETITIVE EXPORT PIPELELINE EXPANSIONS
The proposed project is being developed at the same moment that the company that owns the Trans Mountain Pipeline from Alberta to Canada’s west coast, plans a series enhancements that will increase its capacity by up to 360,000 barrels per day.
Enbridge, South Bow's main competitor, has approved expansion projects for its Flanagan & Mainline pipelines. These will add a combined capacity of 250,000 bpd for Canadian heavy oil shipping companies moving crude to the U.S. Midwest & Gulf Coast.
Aaron MacNeil, analyst at TD Securities, says that these projects will be less complex and more cost-effective than South Bow’s proposal.
He said South Bow would face questions from investors regarding its ability to fund a new project, while maintaining its dividends and avoiding too much debt. (Reporting from Amanda Stephenson, Calgary; Additional reporting by Siddharth Cavale in New York; Valerie Volcovici and Georgina Mcartney in Washington; Editing and proofreading by Caroline Stauffer & Nia Williams).
(source: Reuters)