Today's Transportation Pulse
Trump hints at possible government aid for struggling Spirit Airlines
President Donald Trump told CNBC’s Squawk Box that the federal government could step in to assist Spirit Airlines, which is facing liquidation after filing its second bankruptcy in August. The carrier’s turnaround plan targets a mid‑2026 emergence, but jet‑fuel costs have surged about 55% since the Iran‑Israel conflict, tightening its finances.
Also developing:
By the numbers: DeepWay raises $310M in pre‑IPO round
Seized Iranian Ship Likely Carrying Equipment Deemed Dual-Use by US, Sources Say
U.S. forces seized the Iranian‑flagged container ship Touska off Chabahar, alleging it carried dual‑use items that could support Iran’s military. The vessel, owned by the sanctioned IRISL group, had previously transported cargo linked to Iran’s missile program. Tehran condemned the boarding as unlawful, warning of retaliation amid a recently brokered ceasefire. The U.S. has broadened its maritime blockade, asserting a belligerent right to search vessels suspected of carrying contraband.
Airline Wi‑Fi Overpriced, Unreliable—Passengers Demand Upgrade
On my flight to and from London last week I paid $30 PER LEG for an “ultra” internet pass (NOT starlink) that didn’t work 80% of the flight and when it did, couldn’t load a web page with images on...
Macao Ferries Raise Tickets ~10% over Fuel Costs
Turbo Jet and Cotai Water Jet ferries to/from Macao will see a ~10% ticket price increase starting from Saturday April 25th due to increased fuel costs.
Emirates Expands Travel Rehearsal Program to Support Neurodiverse Passengers Worldwide
Emirates is extending its Travel Rehearsal program to more than 40 cities, offering simulated airport experiences for children and young adults with autism. Since its launch in April 2025, over 250 families across six continents have participated, and the airline...
Rural Transport Rising Stars Recognised in ALRTA Awards
The Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) honored two young drivers, Isaac Davis of Southbank Transport and Kyle Nicholas of Edmonds Transport, with a shared Rural Transport Rising Star award, marking a rare tie. The ceremony also recognized Craig...
Bucher Group Becomes Airbus SFE Galley and Stowage Supplier
Bucher Group has been chosen by Airbus to supply safety‑focused galley and stowage equipment for the A320 family. The Swiss firm will begin delivering its newly developed G1B galley platform later in 2026 after three years of engineering. The G1B...
F-15EX vs Rafale for India: IAF’s 5th-Gen Need Meets 4th Gen Pitch as U.S Keeps F-35s “Off The Table”: OPED
During a week‑long U.S. visit in early April, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh flew a familiarisation sortie in a Boeing F‑15EX Eagle II. The trip, framed as a routine exchange, coincided with U.S. efforts to market the F‑15EX...
Lola T70 Racecars Used To Be So Cheap That George Lucas Bought His Own To Film THX 1138
George Lucas stretched a $777,777 budget for his 1971 sci‑fi debut THX 1138 by purchasing a used Lola T70 racecar, then customizing it with lights, a siren and a fake turbine to appear futuristic. The vehicle, a 1967 Mark III previously owned...
Alaska & Bank Of America Expand Partnership: New Credit Cards & Perks
Alaska Air Group and Bank of America have signed a multi‑year extension of their co‑branded credit‑card agreement, deepening integration of the Atmos Rewards loyalty program. The renewal will fund new premium cards, refresh existing offerings, and expand lounge access and...
Infineon Retains Top Automotive Chip Supplier Position for 6th Consecutive Year
Infineon Technologies retained its position as the world’s leading automotive semiconductor supplier in 2025, marking a sixth consecutive year at the top. The firm held a 12.8% global market share, slightly down from 13.2% in 2024, while expanding its automotive...
AI‑guided Dinghies Steal the Spotlight at Sea Air Space 2026
This is going to piss a lot of people off but none advertise or consult with me so IDC… the big buzz at Sea Air Space 2026 isn’t nuclear, shipbuilding, sealift, fighter planes, or space rockets. It’s dinghies One looked just like...
Waymo and Waze Launch Pilot to Map Potholes via Robotaxis
Waymo has teamed with Waze to feed pothole data from its driverless fleet into the navigation app, launching a pilot in five U.S. metros that has already logged roughly 500 road defects. The free‑to‑city service aims to improve infrastructure monitoring...
Waymo’s Atlanta Robotaxi Jam Revives San Francisco Blackout Concerns
Waymo’s autonomous Jaguar I‑PACE robotaxis caused a three‑vehicle traffic jam in Atlanta over the weekend, mirroring a December blackout that forced a one‑day service halt in San Francisco. The incidents highlight operational vulnerabilities when traffic signals fail.
How Much Community Outreach Does the Urban Institute Think Italy and Turkey Do?
The Urban Institute released a brief claiming the United States’ transit projects suffer from inefficient community outreach and should engage citizens earlier. The authors cite Italy and Turkey as models of effective early engagement, but the critique argues those countries...
SpaceX Marks 600th Rocket Landing on Falcon 9 During Starlink Launch
SpaceX achieved its 600th successful orbital-class booster landing when a Falcon 9 first stage touched down on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" during a Starlink launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The mission deployed 25 new satellites,...
Hobart to Ditch Hire E-Scooters and Bring in 'Safer' E-Bikes Instead
The City of Hobart announced it will remove its shared e‑scooter fleet and replace it with a dedicated e‑bike program. Council cited ongoing safety, regulatory and parking issues as the primary drivers of the change. The e‑bike initiative builds on...
Digital Logistics Unveils SaaS‑Enabled Supply Chain Suite 2512
Siemens' Digital Logistics division rolled out Supply Chain Suite 2512, a SaaS‑focused upgrade that adds integrated tour and load optimization, AI/ML forecasting, PostgreSQL support and a modernized subscription licensing model, signaling a push toward more flexible, cloud‑native logistics software.
If Labor Cares About Fairness, It Will Cut EV Subsidies
Australian electric vehicle sales surged in March, reaching a record 15,839 units – a 42% jump from February – and EVs made up 14.6% of all new car sales in February. The primary catalyst has been the Fringe Benefits Tax...
Canada March/Q1 2026: Ford Motor (+14.4%), Stellantis (+14.6%) Shine, Sales Down -4.4%
Canada's new light‑vehicle market contracted 8.2% YoY in March, with Q1 volume falling 4.4% to 406,000 units, the lowest SAAR since September 2025. Despite the downturn, Ford Motor posted a 14.4% gain, selling 70,541 units and leading the OEM ranking,...
Demand Trends Under US Airline Scrutiny Amid Uncertainty in the Middle East - the Delta Perspective
Delta Air Lines disclosed its first‑quarter 2026 demand snapshot, noting that passenger volumes remain robust despite the ongoing Middle East conflict. U.S. carriers have largely avoided drastic capacity cuts, opting instead to monitor volatility while preserving growth potential. To counter...
Saildrone Joins Growing Competition for Navy's Medium-Sized Drone Vessel
San Francisco‑based Saildrone entered the Navy's Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) competition with its Spectre design, a 250‑tonne craft capable of 27 knots and a 25‑tonne payload. The vessel features optional sail‑driven, near‑silent propulsion for anti‑submarine warfare and can be reconfigured...
5 Things You Could Do On An A Cruise Ship Years Ago But Can't Anymore
The cruise industry has evolved from a niche transport mode into a multi‑billion‑dollar leisure sector, with over 300 ships and an estimated 21.7 million American passengers slated for 2026. Early cruises featured quirky onboard pastimes such as skeet shooting, midnight buffets,...
Vodafone Romania Merges Evotracking, iSYS Units to Boost Fleet Management, IoT Offering
Vodafone Romania has merged its Evotracking and iSYS Professional subsidiaries into a single company operating as EvoGPS powered by iTrack. The consolidation makes Vodafone Romania the sole shareholder of the new entity. This move aligns with Vodafone's broader strategy to...
Princess Cruises Rolls Out Largest‑Ever Japan Summer 2028 Season and Expanded Southeast Asia Program
Princess Cruises announced a 96‑departure, 61‑itinerary Asian program that includes a record‑size Japan summer 2028 season with two ships home‑ported in Tokyo and an expanded Southeast Asia lineup for 2027‑28. The move adds 55 destinations in nine countries, promising deeper...
Grimaldi Launches Its Tenth Ammonia‑fuel Car Carrier, the 9,241‑CEU Grande Tokyo
Grimaldi Group has christened the Grande Tokyo, its tenth ammonia‑ready car carrier, adding a 9,241‑CEU vessel to its fleet. The launch underscores the shipping line’s commitment to decarbonisation and marks a milestone for ammonia‑propulsion adoption in the industry.
Saturn Once Made An SC Turbo, But Not For You
In 2001 Saturn entered a one‑off, turbo‑charged SC2 in the Car and Driver One Lap of America, boosting the 1.9‑liter engine to 224 hp. The team added a Garrett T6 turbo, increased displacement to 2.1 L, and shed 110 lb, delivering 0‑60 in...
Mercedes-Benz and BMW Halt Level 3 Deployments in Europe Over Cost and Demand Concerns
Mercedes-Benz and BMW announced they will not roll out their Level 3 Drive Pilot and Personal Pilot systems on new European S‑Class and 7 Series models, blaming steep development costs and tepid demand. The OEMs are redirecting resources to advanced Level 2 Plus...
Spirit Airlines Requests Hundreds of Millions in Bailout as Jet Fuel Prices Surge 95%
Spirit Airlines has asked the Trump administration for a emergency bailout worth hundreds of millions of dollars after jet fuel prices jumped nearly 95% following the Iran conflict, jeopardizing its restructuring plan and raising the risk of liquidation. The carrier,...
Wear Your Belongings to Avoid Baggage Fees and Mishandled Luggage?
Airlines have raised checked‑baggage fees as fuel costs spiked following the Middle East conflict, prompting travelers to seek alternatives. Wearable luggage, championed by SCOTTeVEST, embeds pockets in clothing to eliminate the need for checked bags. The concept sparked controversy when...
WindEurope 2026: Stillstrom Launches Offshore Charging Systems
Stillstrom unveiled two standalone offshore charging systems—the Power Hub and Power Tower—at WindEurope 2026. Both solutions can be installed without tying into existing turbine infrastructure, allowing flexible deployment across current and future offshore wind farms. The Power Hub is a...
United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
United Airlines reported Q1 2026 revenue of $15.4 billion, a 4.8% year‑over‑year increase driven by a 6.5% rise in capacity. Premium cabin revenue surged 12% while main‑cabin revenue grew only 1% despite higher seat supply. Quarterly EPS hit $3.10 and full‑year...
US LNG Growth with First Export at Golden Pass and Tug Order for Woodside
Golden Pass LNG, a QatarEnergy‑ExxonMobil joint venture in Texas, docked its first LNG tanker, the Al Qaiyyah, signaling the start of commercial shipments. The facility is currently producing about 400 million cubic feet per day, roughly half of its intended capacity,...
Government Delivery Isn’t a Public Service, Needs Profit‑driven Optimization
It’s not a public service. There are private competitors that manage to not lose money. I’ll take an argument that it’s an employment scheme run by the government but that doesn’t absolve it from running based on optimization, like all...
Port of Gothenburg Signs €18M Dredging Contract for Major Fairway Project
The Port of Gothenburg has awarded Boskalis Sweden AB an approximately $19 million contract to perform blasting and dredging for the Skandia Gateway project. The work will deepen the port’s fairway from 13.5 metres to 17.5 metres, allowing larger, deeper‑draught vessels to call...
Air Service Liberalisation and Carbon Dioxide Emissions
A new CEPII working paper finds that air service agreements (ASAs) significantly increase international passenger traffic—by 12.7% between 2012 and 2019—while reshaping routes toward more direct flights. These changes cut average flight distance by 1.4% and reduce the number of...
Fewer Flights, Higher Fares This Summer
Jet fuel prices have doubled since the Iran‑Israel conflict and the seven‑week closure of the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Canadian airlines to add $18‑$44 (USD) fuel surcharges, raise the first‑bag fee to about $33 USD, and suspend several summer routes....
Golden Pass Texas Facility Ready for Inaugural LNG Export
Golden Pass LNG in Texas received its first export cargo as the Al Qaiyyah tanker, owned by QatarEnergy, docked on Monday. The plant, which began production earlier this year after years of delays and cost overruns, processed 400 million cubic feet of...
Why Freight Rates Are Finally Heating Up
Mike Hosted, VP of ATBS, reports that 2026 spot‑market freight rates are finally rising after a four‑year flatline. Data from over 15,000 owner‑operators shows a sharp correction as excess capacity from the 2021 boom exits the market. Federal actions—tightening driver‑license...
Singapore, Los Angeles and Long Beach Renew Green Corridor Agreement
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, together with the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, has renewed its three‑year memorandum of understanding to advance a green and digital shipping corridor across the trans‑Pacific trade lane. Since the corridor’s...
Everllence Ammonia Engine Passes Factory Acceptance Test
Everllence announced the successful factory acceptance test of its first dual‑fuel ammonia‑burning engine, the B&W 6G60ME‑LGIA, built by Hyundai Heavy Industries' licensee in South Korea. The engine will power a vessel for Singapore‑based Eastern Pacific Shipping, slated for delivery in October 2026,...
David Moss Effortlessly Locates the Robotaxi
I think @DavidMoss seems to be able to find the @robotaxi just fine, but ok.
Rio Tinto Charters Two Methanol-Capable Newcastlemax Bulk Carriers
Rio Tinto has signed a charter agreement with Japanese shipowner NS United Kaiun Kaisha to lease two dual‑fuel Newcastlemax bulk carriers equipped for methanol operation, with deliveries slated for 2028 onward. The contract is part of Rio Tinto’s broader strategy...
5 Of The Best Folding E-Bikes, According To Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports has identified the five best folding electric bikes, highlighting the Velotric Fold 1 as the top‑rated model. The rankings span a price spectrum from $1,078 for the Lectric XP 4 to $1,899 for the Blix Vika+ Flex, and all five excel...
EVs Are Driving Cleaner Automotive Supply Chains — Here’s How
The new Lead the Charge Auto Supply Chain Leaderboard shows that EV manufacturers are outpacing gasoline‑car makers in battery recycling, low‑carbon steel and aluminium use, and responsible mineral sourcing. Tesla disclosed detailed emissions hotspots in its battery chain, while Mercedes,...
China Puts Fully-Electric, Intelligent Containership in Service
China’s state shipbuilder has placed the first of two fully‑electric, intelligent containerships into service. The 128‑metre Ning Yuan Dian Kun can carry 740 TEU and is powered by ten container‑sized batteries providing about 19,600 kWh to drive two 875 kW propulsion motors,...
Chile to US Fruit Trade Down
Cool Carriers, the world’s largest reefer vessel operator, posted strong results for the 2025/26 summer season despite a sharp decline in Chilean fruit export demand to the United States. The subsidiary moved 260,000 pallets of cherries, blueberries, grapes and stone...
Shipping Industry Reaffirms Support for IMO-Led GHG Pathway
Leading maritime trade groups—including BIMCO, CLIA, and INTERTANKO—issued a joint statement backing the International Maritime Organization’s greenhouse‑gas (GHG) pathway ahead of the MEPC 84 meeting. The associations reaffirm commitment to the 2023 IMO strategy, citing billions of dollars already spent on...
Jet Fuel Shipments Tank; Global Supply In-Transit Plunges 60%
Global jet and kerosene fuel volumes in transit by tanker have fallen 60% since March 1, 2026, with European‑bound shipments plunging 80%, according to Kpler data. The drop reflects tighter refinery output and shifting demand patterns. Industries that rely on just‑in‑time delivery...
Iran War Highlights the Value of Unmanned Aircraft
The U.S. Air Force deployed MQ‑9 Reaper drones early in Operation Epic Fury over Iran, using their 24‑hour endurance to locate and strike mobile missile and drone launchers. Despite being vulnerable to sophisticated air defenses, several Reapers were lost, yet...
AMC Head Looks to Pair B-21 With ‘Capable, Modern Tanker’
Lt. Gen. Rebecca Sonkiss, acting head of Air Mobility Command, announced an Analysis of Alternatives study to determine the Air Force’s next‑generation aerial refueling system (NGAS) slated for fielding in the mid‑2030s. The study weighs expanding KC‑46 Pegasus purchases, adding...