Latest News
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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.
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Fuel shortages in Southern Russia spark panic buying
The governor of Russia's Krasnodar Region said that disruptions in fuel supply have led to panic buying, while Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure disrupted fuel deliveries throughout a number of southern regions, including Russian-held Crimea. Ukraine has been targeting Russian fuel depots, refineries and pipelines for the past?months? in an attempt to stop Moscow from financing its four-year-long war in Ukraine. The recent long lines at gas stations in some areas highlight the domestic impact of the strikes. Emergency services reported on Tuesday that a fire at an oil depot located in Ust-Labinsk, in the Krasnodar Region -- which was allegedly sparked by a drone strike on Saturday -- has been put out. Veniamin Kodratyev, the Governor of Krasnodar Region, said Monday night that some smaller gas stations bordering Crimea in the southwest are running low on fuel. However, the situation has been brought under control. He said that many people decided stock up on gas because of the difficult situation in neighboring regions. This led to artificial panic buying. Distributors were also taking measures to prevent any long-term shortages. The Russian Energy Ministry stated that a recent surge of Ukrainian attacks on energy facilities caused temporary supply problems in several southern areas. The ministry said that a taskforce had been established to assist in stabilising the sector across the country. CRIMEA TIGHTENS FUELS RATIONING Crimea has rationed fuel since May's end and tightened the restrictions last Thursday by suspending all gasoline sales in cash and issuing new coupons. As the summer approaches, the region of?Krasnodar faces a supply crunch as tourists are expected to drive to the popular Black Sea Coast. The wider security situation is already impacting tourism. Flight restrictions at Sochi Airport -- the main air gateway for the region -- have caused delays and cancellations. The Russian tour operator's association ATOR announced on Monday that sales for Sochi have dropped 20-30% compared to 2025. Both the?central banks and a banking lobby moved their annual conferences away from the resort. On a regional Telegram group, users questioned the governor's description of the current situation. One user posted a picture of signs saying "NO FUEL", which were on the gas pumps of a Lukoil station in the city of Krasnodar. One person wrote: "I've never seen something like it. For the past three nights, the gas station adjacent to mine has only had gasoline available for two or three hours each time. Could not independently verify reports. (Reporting and Writing by Alessandra Prrentice, Editing by Ros Russel)
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Prosecutors launch corruption probe on Sicily Bridge Plan
The Prosecutors announced on Tuesday that they have opened a corruption probe against a retired judge, and two of his 'associates' over plans to build an?overpass? between Sicily and the mainland. This is a major blow to the project that was backed by Giorgia Melons. Rome prosecutors claimed that the judge, who was then a member of the powerful Court of Auditors which assessed the bridge project, had provided confidential information and support to a lawyer and businessman in exchange for the promise of a lucrative retirement job within the public sector. Over the years, plans to build a 3.7 km (2.3 mile) suspension bridge connecting?Sicily with Calabria were repeatedly shelved. Meloni revived this scheme and made it the top priority of her government. However, the EUR13.5billion ($15.6billion) project stalled again in October last year when the Court of Auditors declined to approve it. Prosecutors alleged that "the lawyer and the businessman... allegedly approached him... offering their support to secure positions in public law?bodies" after his retirement. The statement stated that the judge, who had retired in February of this year, was looking for assistance to get a job at Italy's Antitrust Authority or a company controlled by the state. The statement identified the suspects by their initials and age. To gather more evidence, prosecutors have ordered the search of electronic devices and documents belonging to suspects. Highly Contested PROJECT Pietro Ciucci said that he was "surprised" to learn of the investigation and that the company wasn't involved. Matteo Salvini of the League, a far-right party, is the Infrastructure Minister who has championed this project. He says that it's important to build a quick road and rail connection to Italy's biggest island. Critics claim it is unnecessary and environmentally damaging in an area which has experienced devastating earthquakes. The government promised to address objections and move forward after the?Court of Auditors halted the project. However, no significant progress has been made. Nicola Fratoianni (a member of the Green-Left Alliance) said in a press release that if prosecutors find evidence, this would confirm the concerns regarding "an unnecessary, costly project, and the serious risks of infiltration from illicit interests". The Infrastructure Ministry declined to comment. The Infrastructure Ministry declined to comment.
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Stellantis warns Jeep owners to park their vehicles outside due to fire concerns
Stellantis has recalled more than 1.3 millions Jeep SUVs and trucks worldwide due to fire concerns. Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside, away from other vehicles or structures until the fix is complete. Stellantis, in a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Tuesday, said that the recall affects Jeep Wrangler SUVs from 2021 to 2025 and Jeep Gladiator pickup trucks due to an electrical issue within the wiring of the electric hydraulic power steer pump. The automaker stated that in rare situations, combustible material could?overheat and potentially cause a vehicle fire. Stellantis' brands include Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot. A loose electrical connector can cause the connection to melt, which could lead to an eventual vehicle fire. A MINIMUM OF 72 FIRES MAY BE LINKED TO THE ISSUANCE Stellantis stated that it had records of customer assistance and reports from the field of at least 72 fires and injuries, which?may have been related to this issue. Stellantis stated that the recall affects nearly 1,08 million vehicles in the United States; 106,000 in Canada; 23,000 in Mexico, and approximately 125,000 in all other markets. NHTSA began an investigation into the engine fires of nearly 800,000 Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators from 2021-2023. The agency said that the wiring for the hydraulic power steering pumps could overheat, causing a fire even when the vehicle was parked and the ignition turned off. INCREASE IN INCIDENTS Stellantis stated in its filing that it investigated fires on some Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler vehicles in 2023 and 2024 but closed the investigation because of the low rate?of fires. It reopened its investigation in August 2024 after an increase of incidents that originated at the suspected electrical connection. It stated that it spent more than a full year analyzing the root cause of the problem through vehicle buybacks. CT scans, X-rays and material analyses, as well as investigating the vehicle design. Stellantis said on Tuesday that the recall would 'involve inspecting, and possibly repairing or changing the wiring harness or the electric hydraulic power steering pumps. It stated that it was working to speed up the availability of a remedy and expects a recall fix by July. (Reporting and editing by Tom Hogue, David Holmes and David Shepardson)
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India's ship certification authority takes a tougher stand on sanctioned oil tankers
The head of India's agency for ship safety certification has said that the agency is taking a more aggressive stance against vessels that are involved in evading trade sanctions by canceling the certification of over 200 tankers and ships. The Indian Register of 'Shipping' (IRClass) is one of the world's most prestigious'ship 'certifiers. A vessel being removed from this list could make it difficult for them to obtain insurance or access ports. Arun Sharma, Executive Chairman of the Mumbai-based non-profit organization IRClass, said that since 2023 235 ships have been declassified from its registry. These are mostly oil tankers, but also a few LNG carriers. He said that the registry had previously been hit by Western sanctions on a number of ships, but now has "a very extensive" policy. Sharma said that "from almost 2023, we will not take any ships with any sanctions, be they U.S., European, or UK sanctions," referring to Western Sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, and Iran due to its nuclear program and other activities. IRClass’?move shows that India is taking a different stance than China, which last week?ordered companies not to comply with U.S. Sanctions on five Chinese refiners for purchases of Iranian Oil. India, which is the third largest oil importer in the world, also rejected last month Russia's offer of selling it liquefied gas that was subject to U.S. sanction. "We released about 13 million tons (gross), but we could not explain why the sanction was in place. Sharma stated that the cover was cancelled because "there was a large amount of tonnage". But not certifying the ships also adds to a "shadow fleet" that has no insurance and does not comply with environmental safety standards. These ships have not only helped Iran and Russia to circumvent sanctions but also pose a risk of fuel and oil leaks along busy sea routes. IRClass, along with 'other leading shipping certifiers' provide services that include safety checks which are 'necessary to secure entry into port as well as services like insurance. Sharma stated that while IRClass wouldn't accept any ships owned by a?Iranian entity or a Russian entity, there are?limitations as to what IRClass is able to determine if the cargo was carried. "Today we might take in a vessel that is, according to the registry, not Russian, and not Iranian, but tomorrow it may be carrying oil from Iran somewhere else... We don't control this." (Reporting and editing by Susan Fenton; Reporting by Jonathan Saul)
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Inpex will ask Australia's workplace Tribunal to block any labour action at Ichthys LNG
Inpex, a Japanese company, said that it will seek urgent orders from Australia’s Fair Work Commission to stop protected industrial actions at its Ichthys liquid natural gas facilities. A supply disruption from prolonged strikes would exacerbate the tightness of global LNG markets already reeling from the Iran War and the close closure of the Strait of Hormuz which carries about a fifth of crude oil and LNG worldwide. Asia Spot LNG Prices Since the Iran War began, prices have increased 75% to $18.80 for every million British thermal unit (mmBtu). Inpex took this action after being warned by the Offshore Alliance on Monday that it would escalate its strike at three Ichthys offshore sites and in Darwin if the FWC's facilited bargaining failed to resolve the key pay and condition claims. The company plans to seek to stop the strike by citing section 424 in the Fair Work Act, to avoid an extended action that would affect its LNG customers and domestic gas supplies in Darwin. Bill Townsend's email stated that the disruption in fuel supply would be significant. He added that despite the progress made in negotiations, there were still issues to be resolved, including rates of pay, allowances and career advancement. Around 400 workers will intensify their efforts starting Thursday. This includes a ban of loading LNG and condensate (a type of lighter oil). Brad Gandy said that Inpex had decided to abandon any pretence of bargaining in good faith. The Offshore Alliance is a grouping of the Maritime Union of Australia, the Australian Workers' Union and the Australian Workers' Union. Gandy who is also branch secretary of the AWU Western Australia said that the decision was made after six months of negotiations, countless meetings and 'weekends spent in negotiations'. The plant produces approximately 9.3 million tons of LNG per year, supplying primarily buyers in Asia. This is a joint venture between Inpex, TotalEnergies, and the Australian subsidiaries CPC Corporation?Taiwan?Osaka Gas?Kansai Electric Power?JERA?and Toho Gas? TotalEnergies and CPC Taiwan each take about 1.8 millions tons of coal a year. Last week, strike action delayed a ship headed for a Taiwanese port by 24 hours. The Northern Gas Pipeline, which is also owned by Ichthys, could also potentially send gas to Darwin if the supply were to be cut off. Reporting by Helen Clark and Rajasik Mukherjee; Editing by Nivedita Battacharjee, Clarence Fernandez
Sources say that Black Sea CPC blend oil exports for June were revised up by 17% compared to the preliminary plan, and now stand at 1.7 million barrels per day.
Three trading sources have confirmed that the Caspian Pipeline Consortium plans to export 1.7 million barrels of CPC Blend crude per day in June, compared with an initial estimate of 1.45 million barrels.
They said that maintenance at Kazakhstan's Kashagan field was postponed, and production at Tengiz, the country's oilfield, has been restored following a technical problem in May, which resulted in the higher forecast.
The initial June plan was revised upwards by 17%. According to calculations, the?May?loading plan was expected to reach a multi-month peak. Calculations show that the May loading plan would reach a multi-month high of 1.8 million barrels per day. It was not clear whether the May plan had been fully implemented.
CPC does NOT comment on operational shipment statistics.
Maintenance on the Kashagan Field, which has an approximate capacity of 0.4 million barrels per day, was originally scheduled for June, but it has now been pushed back to 2027.
An accident caused a sharp drop in oil production at Kazakhstan's largest?field Tengiz, owned by Chevron.
CPC blend oil has been very successful for exporters, thanks to the firm prices and good demand in Europe.
CPC's shareholders include the U.S. company Chevron,?Russia, with 31% of shares, Kazakhstan, with 20.75% and several private companies. (Reporting in Moscow by Robert Harvey, with additional reporting in London by Susan Fenton).
(source: Reuters)