After innocent-looking cargo shipments began catching fire at airports and warehouses in Germany, Britain and Poland over the summer, there was little doubt in Washington and Europe that Russia was behind the sabotage. But in August, White House officials became increasingly alarmed by secretly obtained intelligence suggesting Moscow had a far larger plan in mind: bringing the war in Ukraine to American shores. The question was how to send a warning to the one man who could stop it: President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. In a series of Situation Room briefings, President Biden’s top aides reviewed details of conversations among top officials of the G.R.U., Russia’s military intelligence arm, who were describing shipments of consumer products that burst into flames — in one case, a small electronic massager — as a test run. Once the Russians understood how the packages made it past air-cargo screening systems, and how long they took to ship, the next step appeared to be sending them on planes bound for the United States and Canada, where they would trigger fires once they were unloaded. While the main concern was cargo planes, sometimes passenger planes take smaller packages in spare space in their cargo holds. “The risk of catastrophic error was clear,” Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, said in a recent interview, “that these could catch fire in a fully loaded aircraft.” In August, Mayorkas placed new screening restrictions on cargo being shipped into the United States. In October, when the warnings resurged, he quietly pressed the top executives of the largest airlines flying into the United States to accelerate their steps to prevent a midair disaster. Some of those precautions became public at the time; others did not. But behind the scenes, White House officials were struggling to understand whether Putin had ordered or was aware of the plot — or if he had been kept in the dark. And a major effort was begun to warn him to end it.<br/>
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A new report says the cost of insured damage caused by severe weather last year hit a record high as it totalled more than $8b. "This has been a historically devastating year for Canadians," said Celyeste Power, president and CEO of the Insurance Bureau of Canada. According to Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc., the cost of insured damage totalled $8.55b for 2024, easily topping the previous record of $6.2b from 2016 when wildfires tore through Fort McMurray, Alta. The Insurance Bureau of Canada says the summer of 2024 stood out as the most destructive season in Canadian history for insured losses. "What we have to remember is this isn't an anomaly. It's not bad luck. This is now our new normal," said Power. The season saw $3b in damages related to a storm in Calgary that saw hailstones as big as golf balls hammer the city's airport in August, damaging aircraft and forcing airlines to ground planes for repairs and inspections. August 2024 also saw the remnants of hurricane Debby do $2.7b in insured damage as half a million residents in Quebec had their power knocked out. The Jasper wildfire caused $1.1b in insured damage in July and August. Insurers are bracing for higher losses each year, said Matt Hands, vice-president of insurance for Ratehub.ca.<br/>
Brazil’s ports and airports ministry launched a public consultation on a government initiative to attract investments of up to 5bn reais (US$820mn) to improve regional airports via concessions. The initiative, called AmpliAR, involves constructing and modernizing up to 100 small and medium-sized airports. The ministry expects the auctions will take place this half, according to a statement. The initiative represents a rare opportunity for private sector operators to enter a highly consolidated sector. "The airport sector in Brazil is already quite mature. The only major airport that does not have a concession contract in force is Santos Dumont [in Rio de Janeiro]. The other opportunities in the sector are mainly related to regional airports, which are smaller," Bruno Werneck, an infrastructure lawyer and partner at Tauil & Chequer Advogados, a Brazilian law firm associated with global firm Mayer Brown, told BNamericas. Airport concession auctions started in 2011. Previously, federal airport authority Infraero administered the facilities. Now, private sector companies dominate more than 90% of the segment, such as local firms CCR, Socicam, Invepar, and XP, while international players include Aena Desarrollo, Vinci Airports, Inframérica, Fraport and Flughafen Zürich.<br/>
A nationwide strike in protest against possible pension reforms crippled air and rail traffic in Belgium on Monday and many schools remained shut. Almost half of all flights at Brussels airport were cancelled as luggage handlers, security and other ground staff went on strike, while national train operator NMBS said it was running only a limited number of trains throughout the country. Public transport in the capital Brussels was also heavily impacted. Schools were shut with tens of thousands of teachers expected to join a national rally in Brussels to protest pension reforms that are being discussed by parties trying to form a new government following the June 2024 election. Government formation talks have dragged on for months without any real progress, as the five parties at the table continue to disagree on government finances and the contested pension reforms.<br/>
Aena'sSpanish airports chalked up 300m passengers last year, marking a second consecutive annual record and reaching the landmark ahead of target, the airport operator said on Monday. The number of passengers travelling through its Spanish airports rose 9,2% from 2023 to 309.3m, Aena said, passing 300m a year earlier than the company expected. Aena reaped the benefits of a flourishing tourism sector that contributed heavily to robust Spanish economic growth in 2024, contrasting with other big euro zone economies such as France and Germany. The busiest airport was Madrid's Adolfo Suarez Barajas, followed by Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat and Palma de Mallorca. Aena is already working on investments for the 2027-2031 period to ensure infrastructure is able to meet future demand, the company added. Last year was also a record year in terms of cargo as Spanish airports moved about 1.3m metric tons, up 18.6% from 2023. Last month global airlines body IATA forecast a record 5.2b passengers would fly in 2025. Aena did not provide an updated outlook for the current year.<br/>
About 83.9m passengers travelled through Heathrow's terminals in 2024, the airport has said. This record-breaking number is 4.7m more than in 2023 and 3m more than the previous annual record in 2019, before the pandemic. Heathrow forecasts it will serve 84.2m passengers this year. It added it would be investing over £1bn this year to make the airport fit for the future. Heathrow CE Thomas Woldbye said: "I'm proud of all my colleagues and our partners who worked so hard to deliver great experiences for more passengers than ever before. In 2025, our journey towards better value for our customers will continue by investing in the kind of facilities our passengers and airlines are looking for."<br/>
Heathrow wants 3% of aviation fuel used at the airport this year to be Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The airport said the target – equating to 187,000 tonnes of fuel – is 1% above the UK government’s SAF Mandate for 2025. The mandate came into effect on 1 January and requires Sustainable Aviation Fuel to make up at least 2% of all jet fuel in flights taking off from the UK, growing to 10% by 2030 and 22% by 2040. The airport has made GBP86m available to airlines through its Sustainable Aviation Fuel incentive scheme, which it said “approximately halves the price gap between conventional jet fuel and SAF”. Heathrow said the scheme aimed to reduce lifecycle carbon emissions from flights by more than 500,000 tonnes this year, equivalent to over 800,000 economy class passenger round trips from Heathrow to New York JFK.<br/>
The world has kept its focus firmly on the Middle East where the airlines, airports, and MROs are massively investing, as the region’s air passenger number is projected to see 300% increase to 1.1b by 2040. The regional airport upgradation, expansion, and new developments will be under the spotlight for three days at the Airport Show to be held from May 6 to 8 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), offering great networking and business opportunities for the industry players. Held under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the B2B platform, the largest in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region, will facilitate global companies to showcase again cutting-edge technologies and innovations designed to better airport operations and safety enhancement, improve passenger experiences and sustainability, and widen automation. The annual multi-event airport industry platform is being supported among others by the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Airports, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects, Emirates Airlines, Dubai Air Navigation Services, and dnata. Middle East airports will be needing $151b investments for their capacity expansion. By 2029, the Middle East aviation market size is projected to reach the $33.70b mark. By 2042, the global passenger traffic will reach nearly 20b. <br/>
China Consumer Association (CCA) on Monday addressed the growing public controversy over additional fees for seat selection in civil aviation. CCA stated that airlines' practice of charging extra for seat selection should not become an "industry practice," according to a statement seen on CCA's official website. The growing trend of charging additional fees for seat selection in the aviation industry has sparked a public backlash. The association stated that airlines are increasingly charging extra for preferred seats, such as those by the window, aisle, or in front rows, while citing it as a routine industry practice. "It is believed that seat selection fees were initially limited to budget airlines, this policy has now extended to mainstream carriers, leaving air passengers with few complimentary seat options," said CCA in the statement, noting that some consumers have reported only a handful of free seat options are available during check-in, unless they pay extra for seat selection. <br/>
The planned construction of additional regional airports in Korea is raising concerns, as many existing ones are currently operating at a loss, putting their management and passenger safety at risk. Critics argue that the introduction of new airports is driven more by political motivations than actual market demand. According to the government, eight new airport construction projects are in various stages in Busan, Daegu, Seosan in South Chungcheong Province and Saemangeum in North Jeolla Province, as well as on Jeju Island, Ulleung Island, Baengnyeong Island and Heuksan Island. Gyeonggi Province, surrounding Seoul, is also considering the construction of two new regional airports — one in Pocheon and another in a location yet to be determined. Many of the airport construction projects that have passed ministerial reviews have already entered the design phase, according to Joo Jong-wan, chief of the Civil Aviation Office under the transport ministry. However, there are rising concerns that these airports will not generate enough demand to sustain their operations financially and ensure proper management. Such worries stem from the current financial conditions of existing regional airports around the country.<br/>
Seven out of 14 South Korean airports have been found to have installed concrete structures similar to those involved in the recent deadly Jeju Air crash, according to a government inspection released Monday. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s weeklong review revealed that nine facilities at seven airports have localizer housings that are difficult to break upon aircraft collision and require urgent improvements. On Dec. 29 last year, a Jeju Air flight returning from Bangkok made an emergency landing at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, striking a concrete mound at the runway's end and becoming engulfed in flames. The tragic accident claimed 179 of the 181 lives onboard. The inspection found that Gwangju Airport, Yeosu Airport in South Jeolla Province and Pohang Gyeongju Airport in North Gyeongsang Province have concrete mounds supporting their localizers. Gimhae International Airport that serves Busan and Sacheon Airport in South Gyeongsang Province have concrete foundations protruding slightly above ground, while Jeju Airport uses a solid H-beam steel structure. Another 26 installations at seven other airports are buried underground, reducing collision risks. However, Yangyang Airport in Gangwon Province was found to have subsided ground beneath its facility, elevating its height beyond the 7.5-centimeter standard by 4 to 5 centimeters. The ministry has instructed the airport to correct this immediately.<br/>
Bird strikes are a serious threat to aircraft at many of Korea's airports, and the problem is likely to worsen in the coming years with the introduction of more regional airports around the country, according to a nongovernmental organization (NGO) related to the study of birds. Nial Moores, national director of Birds Korea, sent out the warning on Jan. 6, following the disastrous Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, Dec. 29. "There ... needs to be an honest reassessment of the suitability of the location of existing and of proposed airports — especially as it relates to the bird strike risk at each airport," Moores said in a blog post on birdskoreablog.org. "This is an urgent imperative because of the high number of new airports that are being proposed, almost all in bird-important areas near the coast." A bird strike, possibly with a flock of birds, is currently believed to be one of the causes of the recent crash. Moores mentioned that the runway there is currently being extended despite the airport's presence next to wetlands, which support around 40,000 waterbirds each winter.<br/>
The world's largest aircraft lessors forecast on Monday that manufacturing delays would drag on until the end of the decade at least, keeping prices high and limiting the entry of new players into an industry that controls half of the world's jets. The world's top lessors, all among the largest buyers of Boeing and Airbus aircraft, traded stories of crippling delays and sky-high lease rates paid by airline clients at the annual Airline Economics meeting in Ireland, where most of the industry is based. "Neither Airbus nor Boeing have been able to meet any - and I say any - of their production targets. And so the delivery delays are cascading and have a domino effect," said Steven Udvar-Hazy, executive chairman of Air Lease and one of the founders of the leasing industry. "We don't think that this recovery will be any shorter than three or four years to get back to normalcy." Leasing companies have seen rentals and resale values for jetliners rise as airlines try to meet new demand at the same time as planemakers are struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. For now, that means good profits for lessors and many airlines, since shortages push up demand and fares. But there are concerns over access to efficient new aircraft as supply chains lack parts and labour. Older second-hand planes have been in strong demand to fill the gap.<br/>"The main question for the industry is the speed at which manufacturers will be able to ramp up deliveries. That will determine a lot of other things," said independent aviation adviser Bertrand Grabowski. Delegates are split on how long the shortage will last.<br/>
Almost every aircraft being delivered by Boeing and Airbus is delayed, the head of aircraft leasing giant SMBC Aviation Capital said on Monday, later adding that enginemakers had made slight improvements in addressing their issues. The aviation industry has been hampered by ongoing supply chain challenges slowing down deliveries from plane manufacturers and engine makers, many of which are set to last for the years to come. "Frankly, every airplane has been pretty much delayed, some by a little, and some by a lot, and we've got to the point, I think that we're adjusting," SMBC CEO Peter Barrett told the Airline Economics conference in Dublin. "Hopefully the manufacturers are being open and transparent," he said. Airline CEOs have also complained about the lack of engine deliveries and repairs, with AirBaltic CEO Martin Gauss telling the Dublin conference the slow delivery of RTX-owned Pratt & Whitney engines was hampering the carrier's growth. "There have been improvements there, but there's a way to go on the engine manufacturers," Barrett told Reuters.<br/>
AerCap, the world's largest aircraft leasing company, said on Monday that potential new trade tariffs floated by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could hit supply chains and hinder planemaker Boeing's efforts to restore much-needed cash. AerCap CEO Aengus Kelly said the biggest priority for Boeing and U.S. regulators should be to streamline certification of the 737 MAX 7 and 737 MAX 10 jets as well as the long-delayed 777X. Trump has pledged tariffs of up to 60% on global goods to protect U.S. workers in a move that experts say would probably draw retaliation from Europe and elsewhere. "We'll have to wait and see ... what's in the detail. A lot of parts that are supplied to Boeing, Airbus and Embraer aircraft are common," Kelly told Reuters on the sidelines of the Airline Economics conference. "What would you do with an engine that's partly made in France? Are you going to put a tariff of 20% on that engine? Is that counterproductive?" Kelly added. Boeing's largest engine supplier is CFM International, which is owned by GE Aerospace and France's Safran. "Boeing needs cash. It has to convert inventory into cash. Tariffs don't help that," Kelly said. "How do you get cash? You deliver airplanes. To deliver an airplane, it must be certified. If it's not certified, there's no chance of getting cash. That is what I would say should be the number one focus," he added.<br/>