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TASS reports that three blasts have occurred on a gas pipeline in Dagestan.
TASS reported?on?Tuesday, citing the regional ministry of emergency, that three?explosions?hit a gas pipe in 'the town 'of 'Kizilyurt, in Russia’s Dagestan Region in the North Caucasus. However, emergency crews managed to control the resulting blaze. Three explosions were reported by the?ministry on a trunk 1,200 mm gas pipeline. No injuries have been reported. TASS?quoted?officials in the?region who said that emergency crews brought under control flames which had risen 15 metres (50 feet). It said that grassy areas were burning near the explosion site. Russian news agencies reported that residents who were ordered to evacuate from 300 homes are now returning. Interfax reported that the mayor's office in Kizilyurt said a fire had occurred within the industrial area of the town and was believed to have engulfed the gas distribution station. Joe Bavier, Sanjeev MIglani and Joe Bavier reported; edited by Sanjeev miglani.
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Foreign visitors to Cuba's once-bustling tourist sites are becoming increasingly rare
Ramiro Escobar, a Colombian, had always dreamt of visiting Cuba. Last week, the 68 year-old finally made the trip after putting it off for decades. He visited the island's most famous sites including the Varadero beach resort with its white sands. Escobar raved about his trip despite Cuba's struggling economic situation and fuel shortages. He said, "It is true that the country is in crisis but there are still many services available and my experience has been excellent." "I have had a wonderful time here." Escobar, a foreign tourist from Latin America, was the only one out of six to be able find him during a morning spent in Old Havana earlier this week. The once bustling city streets, hotels, restaurants and museums are now almost entirely devoid of tourists. Cuba's tourism sector, which is plagued by power outages, shortages and an economic crisis, has never recovered from COVID-19. The number of international visitors has barely reached half the peak of 4,75 million that was recorded in 2018. This year has been even worse, as the U.S. has hinted at possible military action and imposed fresh sanctions on the communist-run island government. Washington has warned that foreigners doing business with sanctioned people will be penalized. As a result, the majority of top tourism and travel firms on Cuba have fled or drastically reduced their activity. The two biggest foreign hotel chains in Cuba, Spain's Melia & Iberostar, have announced that they will reduce the number of hotels on the island. Blue Diamond, a Canadian hotel company, has completely pulled out. Spanish airlines Iberia, World2Fly, and Russian airline 'Rossiya, along with Canadian airlines WestJet, and Air Canada have all suspended their flights to the island. The reason given was unreliable jet fuel supplies. Visa and Mastercard also suspended their operations in Cuba as of last week. TOURISTS ARE FEARFUL All-inclusive resorts offer hotel rooms for as low as $50 per night to those who are willing to take the plunge and can travel to the country. Some guests are surprised to find that the elevators have broken down, their rooms are shoddy and there is no choice at the buffet. Many people don't even try. Adianet Labrada, a representative of the?Cubatur travel agency said that tourists are scared to visit. "I used have a lot of groups visiting us from around the world, but after the sanctions and threat of military invasion, I lost almost all of them." Cuba's ONEI national statistics agency reported that 328 608 international visitors had arrived in the first six months of the year. This is less than half of the previous year, and well below the pre-pandemic level. The administration of the?U.S. The administration of?U.S. Cuba claims that decades of U.S. economic sanctions are the cause of its economic woes. Valerio Bispuri is an Argentinean photographer who visited Cuba this week. He said he was struck by the solidarity he saw amongst people on a recent road trip to Santiago – 12 hours away from Havana – despite the obvious shortages and difficulties. Bispuri, who praised the Cuban culture and people, said: "There's hunger, but based on what I've seen in these past few days, it seems they will be able to pull through." Many small, privately-owned?hotels and restaurants have closed down because they say that they can't survive. Jairan Lombira is the manager of La Vitrola Cafe in Old Havana. He has offered a 50% discount for passers-by, whether they are foreigners or not, to avoid having to close his business. Lombira stated, "We now focus on attracting the local market while we wait for things to improve." (Reporting and editing by Dave Sherwood, Rosalba o'Brien, Ayose Naranjo)
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US House advances $70 billion immigration enforcement bill
Tuesday, the U.S. Congress moved closer to ending a stalemate over funding for immigration enforcement. Republicans in Congress voted on party lines to start a debate on a $70billion bill. The House was expected to vote later Tuesday on the measure, which would then be sent to the White House to be signed by President Donald Trump. The bill was also passed along party lines by the?Senate early Friday morning. The bill funds U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol over the next three-year period, putting the issue beyond the reach of partisan differences in Congress. Democrats refused to support funding for immigration enforcement after agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January. This led to a disruption in funding for the Department o Homeland 'Security. It caused long?airport security lines. Until lawmakers agreed to fund portions of?the sprawling department that were not involved in Trump's immigration crackdown. Reporting by Nolan D. McCaskill, David Morgan and Alistair Bell; Editing by Mark Porter & Alistair Bell
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Emirates is optimistic about Boeing 777X but there has been no progress on the Airbus A350 engine dispute
Dubai's Emirates president says that the company expects to get its first Boeing 777X, which has been delayed for years, by June next year. However, it is still waiting on progress in Rolls-Royce engine improvement, which would allow them to order Airbus A350-1000. Emirates, the largest buyer of wide body jets in the world, has complained a lot about the long delays with Boeing's biggest?model and the durability of the engines on Airbus's own biggest model. Tim Clark, Emirates President, said on the sidelines a Berlin industry conference that the 777X was in "good shape". The airline anticipates receiving its first 777X by May or June of next year. This is 14 years after Emirates was the leader in the initial wave?of orders for this 400-seater jet. The development of the GE powered plane has been stalled for years due to certification delays. Questions about the Remuneration Package Clark reiterated concerns over the wear and tear of the Trent XWB-97 engine for the slightly smaller Airbus A350-1000. Emirates said that it would not order the aircraft until the issue was resolved. The story of the (XWB)97 is what it was. He said: "I know (Rolls-Royce is) working hard to fix it." Clark, who had publicly clashed with Rolls-Royce before, questioned a possible remuneration of?more? than PS100million ($134million) given to Rolls-Royce's CEO Tufan Erginbilgic. Erginbilgic is credited for a radical overhaul of the Group, resulting in a dramatic turnaround in profits. SCAM OVER DELAYS AND PRICES INSIDE THE INDUSTRY Rolls-Royce refused to comment on Clark's pay package. However, a spokesperson for the company said that its Trent XWB-97 upgrade program was improving engine durability and time spent on wing. The spokesperson stated that "These improvements will double the durability and improve the flying experience in benign environments by 50%." They added that the company will also invest to expand its maintenance and overhaul capacity by 2030 in order to meet growing customer demand. The industry is embroiled in a spat between airlines and engine manufacturers over high prices and delays. Clark showed little sympathy to engine manufacturers who failed to meet demand and left some planes idle. "I couldn't tell my government that I couldn't fly because of this. They would kick me out. It's brutal, but it's how it is. "You need to improve, but not just him (Erginbilgic), all of them as well." IATA, the global airlines'?group, accused engine manufacturers of "gouging" airline parts prices at the weekend. Engine makers claim they have taken on significant financial risk to improve fuel efficiency and blame some delays on supply-chain issues. Clark told engine makers that the supply shortage was not his problem.
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CMA CGM Chief says it's 'unwise to assume' that Hormuz would return to pre-war conditions
The head of French shipping group CMA CGM stated on Tuesday that it would be "unwise to assume" that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will return to the way it was prior to the Iran War. CMA CGM is the third largest container line in the world. Its vessels are stranded within the Gulf, where the conflict has closed it off. The waterway carries about a fifth the global supply of oil and LNG. Rodolphe Saade, the CEO and Chairman of CMA CGM, told a French parliament hearing that "even if a peace solution is implemented in coming weeks there's no guarantee?there won't a crisis later and we can't become prisoners to Hormuz." He said: "I will not be fixated by the idea that?the Strait of Hormuz will reopen?and?everything will return?to what it was," "Unfortunately, it seems unwise to act in such a way." Saade said that CMA CGM could continue to offer alternative routes to clients as it adapts itself to a volatile geopolitical environment. CMA CGM, based in Marseille, has also rushed to bypass the Hormuz Strait?to get to the Gulf. It hauls cargo via road and rail, from ports further away. Saade, a family member who controls CMA CGM, stated that the company was sending a third of the number of containers into the Gulf as compared to before the war. Ramon Fernandez, the Chief Financial Officer of the group, said that the alternative routes would cost the group an additional $300 million during the first half of the year. CMA CGM was stranded with 14 ships in the Gulf when the Iran War began. Two of the ships have left, but one was hit last month by an attack in which eight seafarers were injured.
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FedEx pilots union ratifies new wage agreement
After nearly five years, FedEx pilots ratified "a new agreement" that would increase their wages by 40% in this year. The Air Line Pilots Association, International reported that 83 percent of FedEx's pilots have voted for the new collective bargaining agreement, which will provide a 3% annual increase?from 2030 through 2028. Since May 2021, FedEx management and ALPA are in discussions. FedEx and pilots' union reached a tentative agreement in April. First officers could receive up to $102,500 in retroactive pay for negotiations. Captains can also get up to $150,000. FedEx has the largest cargo air fleet in the world, with 391 cargo planes and 317 turboprops. The contract comes into effect on June 29. ALPA stated that the contract will be amendable by December 2030. (Reporting and editing by Tasim Zaid, Leroy Leo, and Nandan Mandayam from Bengaluru)
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Emirates is optimistic about Boeing 777X but there has been no progress on the Airbus A350 engine dispute
Emirates' president stated that Dubai expects its first Boeing 777X to arrive in June of next year. However, the company has not seen any progress with Rolls-Royce engines, which would allow them to order Airbus A350-1000. Emirates, the world's biggest buyer of wide-body jets, has complained repeatedly about Boeing's 'long' delays and Airbus's engine reliability on its own largest model. Tim Clark, Emirates President, said on the sidelines a Berlin industry conference that the 777X was in "good shape". The airline anticipates receiving its first '777X' in May or June of next year. This is 14 years after Emirates was the leader in a wave that led to initial orders for this 400-seater?jet. The development of the GE powered plane has been stalled for years due to certification delays. Questions about the Remuneration Package Clark?reiterated his concerns over the wear and tear of the Trent XWB-97 engine for the slightly'smaller Airbus A350-1000 in the hot and sandy Gulf. Emirates said that it would not order the aircraft until this issue is resolved. The story of the (XWB-97) is what it was. "I know that they (Rolls-Royce), are working very hard to fix it," he said. Clark, who had publicly clashed with Rolls-Royce before, questioned the remuneration of more than PS100,000,000 ($134,000,000) given to Rolls-Royce's CEO Tufan Erginbilgic. Erginbilgic is credited for a radical overhaul of the Group, driving a sharp turn around in profits and share prices. SCAM INDUSTRY WIDE OVER DELAYS AND PRICES Rolls-Royce declined to comment on Clark's comments about engine durability and the pay package. The industry is embroiled in a spat between airlines and engine manufacturers over high prices?and delivery delays. Clark showed little sympathy towards engine manufacturers who failed to meet demand and left a number of planes idle. "I cannot say to my Government that I can't travel because I don't have this. They would kick me out. It's brutal but that's how it is. "You need to be better than what you are doing, but not just Erginbilgic. It's also all the other people." IATA, the global airline group, accused engine manufacturers of "gouging' airlines over parts prices at the weekend. Engine makers claim they have taken on significant financial risk to produce?fuel improvement and blame some delays on supply-chain issues. Clark told engine makers that the supply shortage was not his problem.
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There are some flights to the Middle East that have resumed but there is still disruption.
As regional carriers rebuild their schedules following war-related disruptions, some airlines are gradually restoring flights to the Middle East. However, the conflict continues to disrupt larger traffic flows. Middle Eastern airlines increased capacity following severe disruption caused by the Iran War, while many carriers outside of the Gulf still divert Europe-Asia flight to avoid the area. The latest flight information is listed below alphabetically: AEGEAN AIRLINES Thessaloniki-Tel?Aviv flights were cancelled by Greece's biggest carrier until June 26. Dubai flights are cancelled until August 31. Erbil, Baghdad and Erbil flights will be cancelled until July 2. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai until the 28th of June. AIR CANADA The Canadian carrier has canceled flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai and Abu Dhabi until September 7. AIR EUROPA Spanish Airlines has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv up until the 28th of June. AIR FRANCE-KLM Air France suspends Tel Aviv flights through June 21 and Beirut and Dubai flights through June 24. KLM has suspended flights from Dubai to Riyadh until August 2, and until July 26 to Dammam and Riyadh. CATHAY PACIFIC Hong Kong Airlines has suspended its flights to Dubai and Riyadh until August 31. The U.S. carrier suspended service for the Atlanta-Tel Aviv routes through December 18, 2018. The airline plans to resume New York JFK-Tel Aviv flights starting September 6. Meanwhile, the launch of its Boston-Tel Aviv flight, scheduled for late October, was delayed. FINNAIR The Finnish airline has cancelled all flights to Doha until October 2 and continues to avoid airspace in Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Israel. It will resume Dubai flights in October, which are only operated during the winter. British Airways, owned by IAG, delayed the return of its flights from Doha to Riyadh to August 8 and until August 1. Flights from Dubai, Tel Aviv and Bahrain to?Amman will be paused until after the summer and resume on October 25, When it resumes, the airline plans to reduce its services to Dubai and Doha to just one flight per day, while dropping Jeddah from its list of destinations. JAPAN AIRLINES Japan Airlines has suspended its scheduled Tokyo-Doha and Doha-Tokyo flight until August 1, as well as Doha-Tokyo until July 31. Polish Airlines has canceled flights to Riyadh and Beirut until 30 June. LOT will begin operating its winter route from Dubai in October. LUFTHANSA GROUP Lufthansa has announced that it will resume Tel Aviv flights as soon as July 1, whereas ITA Airways confirmed they would begin on July 1. SWISS delayed the return of flights to August, while Brussels Airlines suspended its operations until October 24. The suspension of Dubai flights by Lufthansa SWISS and ITA Airways continues until September 13th. Lufthansa has suspended flights to Abu Dhabi, Amman and Beirut. SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines have also suspended flights to Riyadh and Riyadh. Erbil, Muscat, and Tehran. Eurowings, a low-cost airline, has suspended its flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut until July 9, Erbil and Dubai until June 22, and Amman and Abu Dhabi until October 24. ITA Airways also?extended its suspension of flights to Riyadh till June 30. MALAYSIA AIRLINES From July 2, the Malaysian airline will resume limited service to Doha. NORWEGIAN AIR Low-cost carrier?has delayed indefinitely the planned launch?of Tel Aviv and Beirut service, and no new dates have been determined. PEGASUS Pegasus Airlines, Turkey's national airline, has cancelled all flights scheduled to Amman Baghdad Beirut for June 9. QANTAS Australia's national carrier has added flights to Rome, Paris and London to respond to a surge in demand on European routes. The number of flights to Paris will rise from three to five weekly return flights, and the Perth to Singapore service will go from daily to ten a week. A new schedule for flights will be implemented gradually from mid-April until late July. ROYAL MAROC Moroccan airline announced that flights to Doha have been cancelled until 30 June. SINGAPORE Airlines To meet increased demand, the carrier has extended its Singapore-Dubai flight cancellation until August 2 and added services on Singapore-London Gatwick (late March) and Singapore-Melbourne (late March to October 24). TURKISH AIRLINES SunExpress, Turkish Airlines’ joint venture with Lufthansa has cancelled flights from Dubai to Bahrain, Beirut, and Erbil up until July 14. WIZZ AIR Low-cost airlines have suspended flights from Europe to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until mid-September. (Compiled by Josephine Mason and Jamie Freed. Elviira Lioma, Tiago Branao, Agnieszka Olesska, Bernadette HOG, Alexander Klyve Gudbrandsen, Romolo TOSIANI, Boleslaw LaSocki). Matt Scuffham and Alexander Smith edited by Milla Nissi - Prussak, Jonathan Ananda, Joe Bavier, Milla Fenton, Susan Fenton.
Germany's new 15-year aviation strategy aims to boost the sector
According to a draft document that was seen on Tuesday, the German government wants to "make Germany a leading hub" for sustainable, safe, and competitive aviation. This will be achieved through a 15-year plan which includes cutting costs, increasing research, and accelerating the use of cleaner fuels.
Wednesday the German cabinet will approve the aviation strategy, which outlines short- and mid-term plans for civil and military aviation. The aim is to give greater planning certainty to policymakers, companies, military personnel and the general public.
The strategy is based on four pillars, including economic competitiveness and technological 'competitiveness.
The aim is to make aviation climate-friendly and prepare it for future crises.
The draft states that Berlin wants to support the production of these fuels in Europe and the United States, as well as infrastructure.
According to the document, German aviation faces "challenges" including weak passenger growth in comparison with Europe, rising costs and international competition, as well as geopolitical tensions.
The draft mentions 'the government coalition plans to reduce air traffic tax and control fee?and streamline security of aviation,' while adding that?implementation of?the strategy depends on the availability of budgetary funds. Reporting by Klaus Lauer, Writing by Maria Martinez, Editing by Paul Simao
(source: Reuters)