Honda to Shut Two Plants in China Jointly Owned with GAC, Dongfeng, Magazine Says
Honda Motor will close two internal‑combustion‑engine plants in China—a joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group in June and a Dongfeng‑owned facility next year—reducing its local production capacity to about 720,000 vehicles. The shutdown follows a write‑down of its China business and is part of a broader $15.7 billion electric‑vehicle restructuring plan. Honda’s 2025 sales fell roughly 24% to under 647,000 units, and the restructuring costs could trigger its first annual loss in nearly 70 years. Shares rose modestly despite the news.
Europe-Middle East Aviation: Flights Still Under Half 2025 Numbers in First Week of Iran Ceasefire
In the first week of the Iran war ceasefire (8‑14 Apr 2026), Europe‑Middle East flight movements rose 13% from the prior week but stayed 51.7% below the same period in 2025. The shortfall has dragged overall European traffic lower, despite modest growth...
Airlines In Nigeria Claim They’ll Stop Flying On Monday Due To High Oil Prices
Nigerian airline operators warned they will suspend all domestic flights on April 20, 2026 unless jet fuel prices fall. Jet fuel costs have jumped roughly 270% since February, climbing from about $0.67 to $2.46 per liter—around $10 per gallon for...
Video of the Week: Fleet First, Fuel Later - Asia's Diverging Green Growth
Aviation sustainability in the Asia‑Pacific is moving from advocacy to early execution, as Singapore, Japan and South Korea roll out structured SAF policies. Investment in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel value chain is expanding, yet supply remains limited and costly for...
Picture of the Day: April 16, 2026
AVweb’s Picture of the Day features a restored Fokker F.VII Trimotor on display at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre in Sault‑Saint‑Marie. The iconic three‑engine aircraft, photographed by Mike Brown, exemplifies early commercial aviation design. The centre’s exhibit showcases the aircraft...
Michael Curtis Broughton: From Combat to Supply Chains
Michael Curtis Broughton, a former U.S. Army infantryman, has parlayed battlefield logistics into a distinguished career in industrial engineering and supply‑chain strategy. His early work with the Joint Precision Airdrop System demonstrated how GPS‑guided deliveries can save lives, shaping his...
Council to Assess China’s Call for Direct Flight Routes
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council received a Chinese letter urging the restoration of direct flights from five mainland airports—Urumqi, Xian, Harbin, Kunming and Lanzhou. The council will evaluate the request, but local airlines say demand is weak because Chinese residents cannot...
New York to Lose $73 Million Playing Licensing Games with the Duffy
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is withholding $73,502,543—about 4% of New York’s highway grant funding—after a federal audit found a 53% non‑compliance rate in the state’s non‑domiciled commercial driver’s license (CDL) program. The audit revealed that the DMV’s...
California Gives Truck Makers an Ultimatum: No Price Transparency, No Money
California’s Senate Bill 1213, passed unanimously by the Environmental Quality Committee, requires zero‑emission medium and heavy‑duty truck manufacturers to publish manufacturer‑suggested retail prices to qualify for state incentive programs. Starting Jan 1 2027, OEMs must submit itemized purchase orders and MSRP data,...
What Does The FAA Define As An Airport ‘Hot Spot,’ And How Many Are In The US?
The Federal Aviation Administration classifies more than 150 "airport surface hot spots" across the United States—areas with a history or potential risk of runway incursions or collisions. These hotspots are typically found at complex taxiway‑runway intersections and are concentrated at...
UN Official Warns Strait of Hormuz Dispute Is Disrupting Global Food Supply
U.N. Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva warned that the ongoing dispute in the Strait of Hormuz is choking the flow of fertilizer shipments, jeopardizing the planting season for key agricultural regions. He estimates that more than 45 million people could...
Chicago Flight Cuts Coming: FAA Orders Airlines to Reduce O'Hare Schedules to Cool Turf War
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to cut roughly 12% of takeoffs and landings at Chicago O'Hare International Airport for the May 17‑Oct 24 summer window, removing hundreds of daily flights. The directive follows an aggressive schedule expansion by United and American...
State Capture Still Stinging SOEs
South Africa’s state‑owned enterprises Transnet and PRASA remain mired in the fallout from the Zondo state‑capture inquiry, with debt soaring to roughly $7.8 billion and operating deficits expanding to $449 million. Audits reveal persistent irregular spending, massive maintenance backlogs and governance lapses,...
U.S. Coast Guard to Homeport First Two Arctic Security Cutters in Alaska
The U.S. Coast Guard announced it will homeport its first two Arctic Security Cutters in Alaska, a milestone toward fielding a new generation of icebreakers. The cutters are slated for delivery by early 2028, with the program encompassing 11 vessels...
Tecnam Opens Early Delivery Slots For MOSAIC-Era Aircraft
Tecnam has launched a priority slot deposit program for two aircraft in its MOSAIK59 line – the Astore GT and the P2008 Next Generation – allowing customers to secure production slots ahead of the FAA’s upcoming MOSAIC certification changes. Deliveries...
Trump Administration Releases Second Avenue Subway Funding
The Trump administration released $58 million of federal funds that had been withheld for seven months, allowing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to move forward with Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway extension. The release clears the way for the MTA to...
SpaceX Bought Nearly 20% Of Tesla Cybertrucks Sold In Q4
Tesla recorded just over 7,000 Cybertruck deliveries in Q4 2025, a sharp decline from the 39,000 units sold in its first full year. Bloomberg analysis of S&P Global Mobility data shows SpaceX purchased 1,279 trucks, and related Musk ventures added...
AVL To Open Partial Baggage Claim
Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) will open the first phase of its new partial baggage claim on Friday, April 17, marking a key milestone in the AVL Forward renovation program. The upgraded facility is designed to streamline passenger handling as traveler...
New York Loses Nearly $74 Million for Not Revoking 33,000 Illegal Licenses for Immigrant Truckers
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced that New York will forfeit more than $73.5 million in federal funds because the state has not revoked roughly 33,000 commercial driver’s licenses issued to non‑domiciled immigrant truckers. An audit found that over half of...
Railway Track and Structures Welcomes Dr. Riley Edwards to Editorial Board
Railway Track and Structures announced that Dr. J. Riley Edwards, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign’s Rail Transportation and Engineering Center, has joined its Editorial Board. Edwards, who also serves as deputy associate director for the U.S....
This Chinese Automaker Just Made The Most Efficient Engine Ever
Geely announced a new i‑HEV hybrid powertrain that delivers a record‑breaking 48.4 percent thermal efficiency, verified by Guinness. The system provides a combined fuel economy of roughly 105 miles per gallon and can be fitted to both 1.5‑liter and 2.0‑liter engines. This...
People News: Alstom, RailPros, STV, STB/NCTD
Rail industry leaders announced a series of senior appointments across North America. Alstom promoted Susie Lévesque to VP of Procurement for the Americas and Noah Heulitt to VP of Services in North America, both effective in early 2026, while also...
Fuel, Fertiliser, Freight – What the F Is Going On?
The Rural Press Club of Queensland is hosting a lunch on May 1, 2026 to examine severe disruptions in fuel, fertiliser and freight supply chains caused by the Middle East conflict, the Russia‑Ukraine war, and a fire at one of...
What’s the Deal With I-80 and SF’s Central Freeway? Here’s a Brief History
Caltrans will close eastbound I‑80 between 17th and Fourth streets, along with U.S. 101 connectors, for extensive repairs, prompting concerns about Bay Area congestion. The shutdown echoes the 1996 Central Freeway closure, which proved traffic could be rerouted with a strong...
High Gas Prices Are Already Helping Hyundai Sell More EVs, CEO Says
Hyundai’s U.S. electric‑vehicle sales surged 40% between February and March 2026, a jump the company’s CEO attributes to record‑high gasoline prices. The Ioniq 5 recorded a 27% rise to 4,425 units in March, while Ioniq 9 sales more than doubled to 905...
Air Force’s Experimental Ops Unit Flies and Maintains Anduril CCA
The Air Force’s new Experimental Operations Unit (EOU) flew Anduril Industries’ YFQ‑44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) from Edwards AFB, with Airmen—not engineers or test pilots—controlling each sortie. The exercise proved that a handful of maintainers can sustain semi‑autonomous drones, accelerating...
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Alfa Romeo is extending the life of the Giulia through 2027, shelving plans for an all‑electric successor and instead targeting a 2028 model that will offer both combustion and electric power. The 2026 lineup includes a refreshed 2.0‑litre turbo delivering...
New ESG Gap Emerging Across Supply Chains, Warns Allianz Trade
Allianz Trade warns that a new ESG data gap is forming as European companies shift supply chains away from China toward markets with underdeveloped ESG reporting. The diversification targets emerging economies where sustainability disclosures are sparse or inconsistent. This scarcity...
Understanding Sichuan's Automotive Industry Cluster at a Glance | Gasgoo Global Automotive Industry Big Data
Gasgoo’s data shows Sichuan’s automotive industry is organized around a polarized core in Chengdu, radiating to Mianyang and Deyang. Chengdu hosts over 2,000 suppliers and major OEMs such as FAW‑Volkswagen, Geely and Dongfeng Peugeot‑Citroën, evolving into a dual‑core hub for...
Draft for Approval of Mandatory National Standard for "Safety Requirements for Combined Driving Assistance Systems of Intelligent Connected Vehicles" Completed
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has completed a draft mandatory national standard titled “Safety Requirements for Combined Driving Assistance Systems of Intelligent Connected Vehicles.” The rule applies to M and N‑category vehicles and classifies combined driving assistance systems...
FTA Issues ‘Transit Worker Fatigue’ Safety Bulletin
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) released a safety bulletin on April 10, 2026 highlighting a sharp rise in transit‑worker fatigue incidents. Since 2014, 133 fatigue‑related safety events have been identified, with 73 occurring after 2022, resulting in one fatality, 149...
Mazda Hits the Road to Carbon-Neutral Motoring
Mazda is advancing algae‑derived biofuels that can run existing internal‑combustion engines with net‑zero or even carbon‑negative emissions. The company has demonstrated small‑batch production, using roughly 1,000 litres of water to yield one litre of fuel over two weeks, proving technical feasibility....
Iran War Is Benefiting some European Chemical Makers
European chemical giants such as BASF and Evonik are seeing a sharp profit surge as the Iran‑Israel conflict disrupts Middle‑East and Asian chemical shipments. Damage to facilities and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have forced European buyers to...
New Car Payments Are Now More Than $800 A Month: Study
The average monthly payment for a new car climbed to $806 in March 2026, with nearly 20% of financed buyers shelling out $1,000 or more each month. Longer loan terms are fueling the surge: 13% of new‑car sales were financed...
Industrial Development for Sustained Growth
Industrial development now hinges on speed, partnership, and execution, not just location. R.J. Corman is launching a publicly searchable database of rail‑served sites across its 19 short lines to boost visibility and reduce friction in site selection. Proactive collaboration with...
ARA Jet Fuel Stocks at Six-Year Low: Insights Global
Jet fuel inventories at the Amsterdam‑Rotterdam‑Antwerp (ARA) hub fell 7.6% to roughly 600,000 t in the week to 15 April, marking the lowest level since April 2020. The decline follows a second consecutive week of draws, driven by disrupted Middle‑East supplies after the...
Here's What Happens When Airplanes Dump Fuel
Airlines use fuel jettison, or dumping, to reduce weight when an early landing is required, ensuring the aircraft stays within its structural landing limits. The process is performed through wing‑mounted nozzles on wide‑body jets such as the Airbus A380, which...
Echo Global Logistics Expands EchoChill Network with New Sacramento Cold Storage Facility
Echo Global Logistics has added a new refrigerated storage cooler in Sacramento, expanding its EchoChill less‑than‑truckload (LTL) network across the Pacific Northwest, Northern California and Upper Mountain states. The facility enables strategic freight consolidation, keeping shipments on a single trailer...
Rotterdam 1Q Bunker Sales Fall Sharply
Rotterdam’s conventional marine fuel sales slumped 28% year‑over‑year in Q1 2026 after the Netherlands enforced the EU’s RED III mandate, prompting many shipowners to bypass the port. VLSFO volumes plunged 44% to roughly 440,000 t, while HSFO, ULSFO, MGO and MDO also saw...
Haval Flagship SUV Named GWM H10
Great Wall Motor has officially christened its new Haval flagship SUV the GWM H10 after a public naming campaign. The model showcases a rugged, boxy silhouette, rectangular headlights, a roof‑mounted LiDAR sensor and a full‑size spare tire, plus the brand’s...
Wärtsilä 25 Ammonia Engine Gets a Power Rating Increase
Wärtsilä has boosted the output of its four‑stroke Wärtsilä 25 ammonia engine, delivering 315 kW per cylinder at 900 rpm and 345 kW at 1,000 rpm. The upgrade raises total power to 1.9‑3.1 MW, aligning the ammonia version with the LNG‑fuel Wärtsilä 25DF. Fewer cylinders are needed...
Voyager Class Marks Next Step for Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises announced an order for three new Voyager‑class ships, slated for delivery in late 2035, 2038 and 2039. Built by Italy’s Fincantieri, each 183,000‑gross‑ton vessel will accommodate roughly 4,700 guests and expand on the existing Sphere platform. The ships...
Smarter Warehouse Operations for Greater Efficiency and Control
Infios Warehouse Management (WM) launches a cloud‑native solution that unifies inventory data, workflows, and real‑time analytics. The platform promises out‑of‑the‑box visibility into stock levels, automated picking and shipping, and scalable support for omnichannel fulfillment. A downloadable whitepaper details how the...
Iran War Prompts Shift to Fob Steel Export Offers
Steel exporters in Asia, Turkey and India are moving from cost‑and‑freight (CFR) to free‑on‑board (FOB) contracts as the US‑Israel conflict with Iran drives up ocean freight and disrupts the Strait of Hormuz. Higher freight rates—up to $80 per tonne to...
Stellantis and Microsoft Expand AI Collaboration Across Operations
Stellantis and Microsoft have launched a five‑year partnership to co‑develop more than 100 AI initiatives covering customer care, product development and operations, alongside AI‑driven cybersecurity, Azure cloud modernization, and a company‑wide rollout of Copilot tools. The automaker aims to shrink...
Delhi Airport Unveils Multi‑Lingual Passenger Guide Under #DELCares
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), operated by GMR Aero, launched a multilingual video guide called “Your Terminal Companion” under its #DELCares campaign. The series includes 24 short videos covering check‑in, security, immigration, baggage claim and onward connectivity, available in 20...
U.S. Army Names New MV-75 Tiltrotor 'Cheyenne II'
The U.S. Army officially designated Bell's next‑generation tiltrotor as the MV‑75 “Cheyenne II.” The aircraft is intended to replace aging UH‑60 Black Hawks and supplement the V‑22 Osprey in utility and assault roles. The program targets an initial operating capability by...
Uber Spotlights Rs 25 Bike Rides with Music Led IPL Campaign
Uber is launching a stripped‑down IPL advertising campaign that spotlights its Uber Bike service priced at Rs 25 (about $0.30) for trips up to 3 km. The 15‑second music‑driven spots feature local hip‑hop stars Divine in Mumbai and Roll Rida in the...
India’s Oil and Gas Crisis Is a Wake-Up Call for Transport Electrification
India’s oil and gas supply shock from the West Asia conflict highlighted the nation’s heavy reliance on imports and accelerated its push for transport electrification. The government responded by diversifying crude sources to 40 countries, boosting LPG output and rationing...
A 'Neue Klasse' BMW 6 Series Would Look Beautiful
BMW halted the 6 Series in 2019, but recent Instagram renderings hint at a revival built around the brand’s new Neue Klasse design language. The concept images showcase a sleek coupe with a slimmer grille, integrated headlights and a muscular rear,...