Western Europe

Two?German government officials told?Monday that the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron, have concluded that companies involved 'in building a?joint fighter jet cannot?reach an agreement. The sources said that both leaders agreed to continue developing a drone system and data networks related to the Future Combat Air System project. Macron's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The failure to reach agreement on the EUR100 billion ($116 billion) project highlights the "struggles" Europe has faced rebuilding its military capability after decades of underinvestment. According to a German government source, Merz and Macron discussed Friday the...

Analysts predict that the 2026 FIFA World Cup in host countries will bring billions of dollars to their economies. This will be fueled by a massive surge in consumption, which will boost sectors from retail to tourism and athletic wear. The tournament is set to be held from June 11 through July 19, and will be the biggest soccer event ever. This could drive consumer spending in a period when broader demand remains fragile. According to FIFA's analysis of the socioeconomic impact, which was conducted in conjunction with World Trade Organization (WTO), the first three-nation World Cup --?spanning a?the United...

The rising fuel costs in aviation won't derail the privatization process of Portugal's flag carrier TAP. It could select a strategic partner by the end of the year, said Carlos Oliveira, chairman of TAP. He spoke on the sidelines at the IATA Annual General Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro, on Sunday. Oliveira stated that "we are in a process which is very transparent and well defined, as it was set up by the shareholder -?the Portuguese state". Oliveira stated that the airline will be waiting for binding proposals by the end of July. He added that fuel "will not...

Ronald Lam, the Chief Executive Officer of Cathay Pacific, said that it is looking at placing additional orders for widebody aircraft, 'narrowbody aircraft and freighter planes as part of its plans to expand rapidly in the next decade. Lam said this could include new orders as well as exercising options to expand previous orders. Cathay has already ordered more than 100 'new aircraft, including the long-delayed Boeing 777X, Airbus A350 cargo planes?and smaller Airbus A320neo passengers jets for HK Express, its low-cost subsidiary. Lam told reporters at an aviation summit held in Rio de Janeiro that "there will be more...

The CEO of ITA 'Airways' said on Sunday that the airline will decide in the next 'eight weeks' whether to sue RTX's Pratt & Whitney for engine problems which have grounded 20% of its 80 'aircraft'. Globally, hundreds of A320neo jets - the latest version?of Airbus' single-aisle aircraft - have been grounded. The 'long waiting times for engine inspections, repairs and maintenance and a manufacturing issue at Pratt & Whitney have all contributed to this. Joerg Eberhart said, "It is imminent" on the sidelines of a 'global gathering' of top airline executives at Rio de Janeiro. "We'll have to?decide within...

On Sunday, the global airline industry almost halved their 2026 profit projection, citing conflict in the Middle East, which has?driven fuel prices up, disrupted important air corridors, and exposed?the 'fragility of an industry operating on thin margins. In its annual report, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents over 370 airlines and accounts for about 85% global air traffic said that it expects to see a combined profit of $23 Billion in 2026. This is well below an earlier projection of $41 Billion, down from $45 Billion in 2025. Even though passenger demand is resilient, planes are flying fuller,...

Ethiopian Airways will likely decide in the next three months on an order of 25 smaller commercial 'jets' to expand its local network. This was announced by CEO Mesfin TasewBekele late Saturday night during a meeting of airline executives held in Brazil. Africa's largest airline, with 147 aircraft in its fleet, is considering the Airbus A220 and Embraer E-2, as well as the Boeing 737 -MAX 7 which will be certified this year by the U.S. faa. The planes will be used for both domestic routes as well as around neighbouring countries. Bekele stated that there are some issues but...

Alaska Air Group hopes to reinstate its financial guidance during its second-quarter earnings conference call, if fuel prices stabilize, said Chief Financial Officer Shane Tackett on Saturday. Volatility in jet fuel costs had forced the carrier's?full year outlook. Alaska is unwilling to restore guidance until they have more confidence about the outlook. Tackett, speaking at the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association in Rio de Janeiro, said: "We would like to see more stability." Tackett says that the carrier is expecting a more difficult second quarter than they had expected before the recent fuel shock. However, he said...

The Iran War is driving up fuel prices and disrupting airspace, while airlines try to cushion the impact with higher fares. The International Air Transport Association's (IATA) annual meeting, which takes place from June 6-8, coincides with the fuel crisis and another issue that airlines are unable to quickly solve: a lack of new aircraft. Boeing and Airbus delays in delivering jets have forced some carriers to continue using older, less-fuel-efficient aircraft for longer. This has increased maintenance costs and fuel costs, just as oil prices are rising. IATA, the trade association for more than 370 airlines that account for...

Bloomberg reported that Airbus was 'closing in' on a large-scale order from Scandinavian Airlines, SAS AB. The order includes a mixture of Airbus A330neos and more advanced A350s, with 15 to 20 aircraft being considered, according to the report. The airline is expected to 'finalise' the deal within the next few weeks, and it will receive the aircraft in the first decade of the new century. According to the report, "people familiar with the matter" were quoted. Airbus and 'SAS AB' did not respond immediately to a comment request. The report could not be verified. Reports said that the carrier...

The Iran 'war' is driving up fuel prices and disrupting?airspace?, while carriers are trying to cushion the impact with higher fares. The International Air Transport Association's (IATA) annual meeting, which takes place from June 6-8, coincides with the fuel crisis and another issue that airlines are unable to quickly solve: a lack of new aircraft. Boeing and Airbus delays forced many carriers into keeping older, less fuel efficient jets in service longer. This increased maintenance and fuel costs at a time when oil prices were rising. IATA, the trade association for more than 370 carriers that account for 85% of...

Analysts predict that the 2026 FIFA World Cup in host countries will bring billions of dollars to their economies. This will be driven by an unprecedented surge in consumption, which will boost sectors as diverse as retail, athletic wear and tourism. The tournament is set to be held from?June 11, to July 19, and will be the biggest soccer event in history. It could drive consumer spending during a period when broader demand is fragile. According to FIFA's analysis of the socioeconomic impact, which was conducted in conjunction with the World Trade Organization (WTO), the first three-nation World Cup (WC),...

DHL Express Europe believes that its aviation fuel supply is secure for the summer, despite the uncertainty caused by Iran's war. This was made possible by diversifying its sources and easing market pressures, according to Chief Executive Mike Parra. The jet fuel market has loosened over the past few weeks, as the demand for the product has weakened and the imports of it into Europe from the United States have increased. DHL Express is the largest division within German logistics and post services group DHL. It employs approximately 120,000 people around the world. DHL Express operates a fleet consisting of...

DHL Express Europe's CEO, Mike Parra, said that despite the uncertainty caused by a looming war in Iran, it is confident about its aviation fuel supplies for the summer. This is due to easing market pressures and diversifying its sources. In an interview with Parra on Tuesday, he said: "At this time, we do not have any risk" in major hubs, gateways or?major cities. No disruptions are anticipated. In recent weeks, the jet fuel market has loosened as the demand for it has slowed and imports from the United States of America, Nigeria, and South Korea have increased. The head...

At its annual Choose France Business Summit on Monday, France announced 71 projects for foreign investment worth a total of EUR93 billion ($108.3billion). They will create over 15,600 jobs. The biggest announcements focused on?artificial Intelligence and data centres. President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to position France as a European Hub?for AI Infrastructure, helped by the?low-carbon electric supply. Here are some of the major 'investment' pledges: AI AND DATA CENTRES SoftBank has plans to build and operate five gigawatts of AI-dedicated capacity data centres in France. This includes an initial EUR45billion investment in Hauts-de-France for 3.1gigawatts by 2031. These projects will...

Ofcom, the British media and telecoms regulator, opened an investigation on Monday into Royal Mail after it failed to meet its delivery targets for fiscal 2025/26. The post and parcel group is embarking on new delivery patterns as well as investing in order to improve service. Royal Mail will invest PS500 million (approximately $673 million) over the next five-years to reduce delivery times and costs. This comes after regulator Ofcom set "minimum acceptable deadlines" and launched a price review of its business last year. Ofcom published delivery data last Friday showing that, for the year up to March, only 75.7%...

?The U.S. The U.S. Postal Service announced Thursday that it had signed a'multi-year agreement with DHL eCommerce for parcel delivery in the U.S. DHL?eCommerce is a U.S. division of the German logistics giant DHL Group. The deal, according to DHL, will help the company grow on the U.S. Market over the next few years. DHL eCommerce, which has 19 hubs in the U.S., will be responsible for the pickup and sorting of all deliveries before USPS completes the final mile. Deal is crucial for the financially strapped USPS. It has warned that it may run out of money as early...

The U.S. The U.S. DHL eCommerce, a division of the German logistics giant DHL Group said that the deal would help the company grow in the U.S. over the next few years. David Steiner, Postmaster-General of the United States, said in an exclusive interview that DHL has the opportunity to "play in the largest market on the planet." He said that DHL would have to "invest a lot of capital" to build an end-to -end network or partner with someone who has the last mile capability, like USPS. DHL eCommerce will handle pickups and sortation at its 19 U.S. hubs,...

DHL, FedEx, and UPS called on 'European Union Finance Ministers' to implement new?duty regulations on?low value packages? on Friday. They warned of supply chain bottlenecks, and the impact this would have on some medical supplies. These rules are part of an effort to crackdown on cheap Chinese imports, such as those from online retailers Shein or Temu. In a letter dated 22 May, seen by the, three companies said the EU should implement a EUR3 flat rate duty on July 1 but defer "more complicated and unresolved" elements until they were?legally sure and 'operationally viable. The new data requirements, along...

InPost, a Polish parcel locker company, announced on Friday that the consortium of FedEx International, Advent International and InPost investors will make a?buyout offer worth EUR7.8 billion (USD9 'billion). The offer is valid from May 26 until July 27. The company stated in a'statement' that regulatory clearances for the deal have already been received in China, Israel and Italy. InPost's shareholders support the all-cash?bid for a takeover announced in February, unanimously recommended by InPost board. For the deal to be completed, however, 80% must be?tendered. The EUR15.60 bid per share would allow U.S. FedEx to increase its reach in Europe...

InPost, the parcel locker company that was the target of an 'offer by a FedEx and Advent led consortium, reported a core profit in the first quarter of the year, which exceeded market expectations. Growth in Poland and in the Eurozone helped offset costs associated with the integration of Yodel into Britain. The adjusted earnings before interest taxes, depreciation, and amortisation were 902.2 million Zlotys (249.0 millions) in the third quarter. This was above a consensus estimate from the company of 856million Zlotys. InPost's Poland division, which is still its main source of profit, saw its first-quarter deliveries increase 8%,...

DHL, the German logistics giant, reported on Thursday a higher than expected 'first-quarter operating profits', helped by structural cost reductions, capacity management and yield measures. Tobias Meyer, CEO of the company, said that despite closed airspace and blocked sea routes, they kept cargo moving. The company's?quarterly profit before interest and tax was 1.48 billion euros ($1.73billion), exceeding analysts' expectations by 1.38 billion, according to a consensus provided by the company. The?quarterly operating margin increased to 7.3%, up from 6.6% in the same quarter?last. Meyer stated that "after the first three month, we are on track to reach our full-year goals."...

The top American companies, from GM and Coca-Cola to Coca-Cola, are trying to reassure their investors that they will be able to weather the financial fallout of the Iran War despite the fact that fuel prices and packaging costs have risen. Since the beginning of the conflict, oil prices have increased dramatically. This has pushed up the cost of inputs in industries that are already under pressure from U.S. Tariffs. This increase forces companies to consider price increases at a time consumers are already feeling the strain. Reviewing company statements from the'start of war' revealed that 24 companies had withdrawn...

Analysts say that the U.S./Israeli war against Iran will benefit European logistics companies, which are expected to post higher profits in the first quarter. However, analysts also said that the conflict could cloud their future prospects. Although increased supply-chain complexity is typically a positive for logistics companies like DHL, DSV and Kuehne+Nagel in terms of profitability, many analysts have warned that the long-term effects from the energy shock and broader economic fallout may impact demand later this year. In a client note, Jefferies analysts stated that Kuehne+Nagel management does not expect any further yield pressure on sea or air businesses...