EU blacklists 21 Russian airlines for breaching international safety standards

Reference News Network reported that the German weekly Der Spiegel reported on the 11th that the European Commission added 21 Russian airlines to the EU flight safety blacklist, banning them from flying in EU airspace or subject to operational restrictions, because these companies do not meet international safety standards.

According to the list of the European Commission, there are Aeroflot, Russian national airline (Rossiya), Siberia Airlines (S7), Utair and so on. The Russian Air Transport Agency said it would take measures to respond.

The EU commissioner for transport, Adina Valean, said the blacklisting of the companies was not a response to further sanctions against Russia due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but a response to a decision by Russian regulators; the agency Allowing Russian airlines to operate hundreds of foreign aircraft without valid airworthiness certificates “violates international aviation safety standards”.

The Observer.com quoted Volian as saying that the restricted Russian airline has “serious safety problems” because Russia forcibly re-registered foreign-owned aircraft and deliberately allowed them to fly without a valid airworthiness certificate.

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The UK-Germany 725km submarine cable is expected to start construction this year

Under the shadow of the Russian-Ukrainian war, countries are also striving to ensure energy supply. The 725-kilometer-long submarine cable plan connecting the UK and Germany has also made new progress. At present, more than 1.5 billion pounds of contracts have been signed, and the project is expected to start this year.

NeuConnect is the UK’s first power grid directly connected to Germany, with a total length of 725 kilometers, allowing 1.4GW of electricity to be transported in both directions. At present, NeuConnect has signed contracts with Prysmian S.p.A. and Siemens, and Prysmian will be responsible for the design, manufacture , installation, testing and commissioning of 725 kilometers of line, Siemens is responsible for the design and construction of the UK and Germany converter station (converter station), the total value of the two contracts is about 1.5 billion pounds.

Among the investors behind the NeuConnect plan are Meridiam, Allianz Capital Partners and Kansai Electric Power. NeuConnect said that since key contractors are now in place, it is expected to complete financial settlement in the next few weeks, and construction can begin this year.

Julia Prescot, Chairman of the Board of NeuConnect and Co-Founder of Meridiam, said, “Our need for a more resilient and sustainable energy infrastructure has never been greater, so the team is delighted that NeuConnect can reach another key milestone, a step towards a vital energy line. An important step.”

NeuConnect sees this as an invisible “energy highway” and the first grid to directly connect the UK and German energy markets.

However, the NeuConnect project is not the first line to connect the UK with European countries. In 2021, a 724-kilometer submarine cable connecting the UK and Norway has been launched. Norway’s abundant hydropower resources will be able to assist the UK’s power grid system. The wind power generation resources in Norway can also help Norway to stabilize power supply; and the United Kingdom also announced a multi-billion-pound underwater energy highway plan in 2020, which will send more Scottish power to England, and will develop a high-voltage high-voltage with a total capacity of 4GW. DC line.

Pure electric Jeep Jeep Magneto released, zero-to-hundred acceleration in just 2 seconds and a six-speed manual

Fans who love to explore the outdoors finally waited for the electric Jeep Magneto, which is not only a pure electric car, but also extremely powerful. It only takes 2 seconds to accelerate from zero to 100 horsepower, but is there really a way to Off-Road?

Jeep released the pure electric concept car Wrangler Magneto last year, which made fans look forward to it. This week, the Magneto 2.0 was launched, which seamlessly combines the pure electric power system with the Jeep off-road style, and also shows the ability of electric vehicles to conquer all terrains.

Compared with last year’s first-generation concept car, Magneto’s 2.0 horsepower has been greatly upgraded, with a maximum output of 625 horsepower and a torque of up to 1,151 Newton meters. More specifically, Jeep emphasizes that the new electric system can maintain a maximum current of 600 amps for up to 10 seconds. , Magneto can accelerate from zero to 100 in just 2 seconds, keeping pace with Tesla Model S Plaid.

In order to perfectly inherit the Wrangler driving experience, Jeep also added a six-speed electric manual (e-manual) to the pure electric jeep. The official has not yet explained the operation of the transmission system in detail, but emphasized that this is the design closest to the existing off-road vehicle driving style. , hoping to attract fans of off-road vehicles.

The manual system allows car owners to use more torque and achieve higher climbing ability. Benefiting from the transmission space saved by the electric system, Jeep did not fill the extra space with batteries, but installed more off-road kits, including 3 inch lift kit, 40-inch off-road tires are mounted on 20-inch rims, the front axle is Dynatrac 60 Pro-Rock, the rear axle is Dynatrac 80 version, as well as front and rear axle stabilizers, plus off-road special suspension, to make off-road fans Give full play to your own path and open your own spirit.

Having said that, the Magneto 2.0 battery pack has a capacity of only 70kWh, and it is very limited to cope with a super motor with a power of 460kW.

Jeep has followed the strategy of its parent company Stellantis in the past two years, aiming to achieve the all-electric goal in 2030. Therefore, it has successively launched pure electric vehicles, mainly SUVs. The purpose of releasing Magneto 2.0 this time is to let old fans know that they will not be in the market. Off-Road is abandoned in the era of electric vehicles, but when it is actually launched, what products will be produced and how the price will be positioned will test Jeep’s cost control and the pocket depth of car fans.

It is too common for empty cabinets to return to Asia, and American agricultural products cannot go out. Congressmen propose to prevent it

U.S. consumers are buying too much, and shipping companies are reluctant to spend time shipping U.S. goods for export, preferring to return empty containers to Asia. This situation makes it difficult for soybeans from Minnesota to be exported. U.S. lawmakers have proposed to stop this practice.

Axios reported on the 5th that the route from Asia to the United States is too profitable. Since the fall of 2020, shippers have begun to reject US export orders in order to buy time to return to Asia as soon as possible.

Joe Smentek, executive director of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, said local soybean exporters could not find boats to ship soybeans to Asian countries. He revealed that there were containers waiting for 90 days at the Pacific port in the northwest of the United States.

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, dissatisfied, introduced a bill to restrict empty containers leaving U.S. ports for shippers, which received unanimous support last week. Klobuchar said the bill would lock down international shippers, restricting them from “exporting air” and leaving U.S. goods behind. The bill would set a tariff cap and would require the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to draft rules that would prohibit carriers from unreasonably rejecting U.S. goods, and would give the FMC more power to regulate what the shipping industry does.

Klobuchar emphasized that the lack of U.S. agricultural products will hurt jobs in the state. However, the World Shipping Council, which represents giants such as Maersk, disagreed, saying that the bill could not solve the problem of congestion in the U.S. surface supply chain, and called for increased investment in port infrastructure and other more forward-looking solutions.

Airbus A380 takes off on 100% aviation sustainable fuel

The aviation industry promotes the development of economy, trade and tourism, but the total greenhouse gas emissions of the air transport industry already account for 2% of the total emissions. Now, in order to reduce its carbon footprint, the French aerospace industry giant Airbus has used 100% biomass fuel for the first time in the Airbus jumbo A380 and flew smoothly.

This is the third time in a year that Airbus has tested sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), following the A350 and the single-aisle A319neo, this time with the A380 demonstrator ZEROe, and further tests of the hydrogen fuel system will follow.

Currently powered by a Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine with 27 tonnes of aviation sustainable fuel made from cooking oil and waste fat, the demonstration machine was unveiled on March 28 A 3-hour test flight at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in France on the 29th, and a second flight on the 29th, all the way to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport.

Airbus hopes to launch the world’s first zero-emissions plane in 2035. However, it also has other competitors. In 2012, another aerospace giant, Boeing of the United States, also used mixed biomass fuel in 787 passenger aircraft, and also established the first Pacific route powered by biomass fuel, which was launched in China in 2014. quality fuel production plants to ensure a stable supply.

Currently every Airbus aircraft is certified to mix up to 50% aviation sustainable fuel in the fuel, but Airbus aims to achieve 100% aviation sustainable fuel certification by the end of the decade. According to the Waypoint 2050 report co-authored by aviation experts, sustainable aviation fuels may reduce carbon emissions by 53% to 71% in the future.

Thousands evacuated in Philippines as Taal volcano briefly erupts

The Taal volcano on the island of Sonlu in the Philippines erupted on the morning of the 26th, sending out 1,500 meters of steam and ash that forced thousands of people to evacuate.

Located about 50 kilometers from Manila, the capital of the Philippines, Sonlu Island is one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines. It has recorded 33 volcanic eruptions since 1572. The eruption in 1911 killed more than 1,000 people, and the eruption in January 2020 also caused Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced and ash drifted up into Manila, temporarily closing the airport.

Taal volcano is located in the center of Taal Lake. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it erupted “briefly” at 7:22 a.m. After the magma came into contact with the volcanic lake, it triggered a steam explosion and earthquake.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology also issued a three-level alert, indicating that magma has invaded the main crater and may cause the next eruption. More than 12,000 people in five villages in Hukou have been ordered to evacuate, the regional civil protection agency said, with attention to a “volcanic tsunami” of volcanic gas, ash and debris.

Renato Solidum, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, pointed out that this was a strong eruption, but now the volcano has calmed down, but it is not clear whether there will be a next eruption. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology may lower the alert level if there is no rise or a downward trend after two weeks of close monitoring.

Canada relaxes entry requirements, people who have been fully vaccinated will be exempted from submitting test certificates from April 1

Travelers who have been fully vaccinated against the new crown will no longer be required to provide a virus test report when entering Canada on April 1.

Canadian Health Minister Duclo pointed out that after the new rules take effect, entrants may still be randomly selected for virus testing, but they do not need to be isolated while waiting for the results. Further relaxation of the entry epidemic prevention measures.

In addition, many local governments in Canada have recently gradually relaxed public epidemic prevention restrictions. Ontario, which has the highest cumulative number of cases in the country, will lift its mandatory mask-wearing order in schools and most public places starting March 21. Many other provinces have also cancelled or are preparing to cancel the mask order, cancel the use of vaccination vouchers, relax or cancel the restrictions on the number of people in public places, etc. However, experts pointed out that driven by the Omicron subtype variant virus BA.2, the epidemic in Ontario still shows signs of rebound.

On the other side of soaring oil prices, Tesla expands the free range of overcharge

Since the outbreak of the Ukrainian war, Tesla has opened free use of super charging stations throughout Ukraine. In response to many people fleeing by car to neighboring countries, Tesla announced today that all super charging stations in Poland and Slovakia are also free.

The chain effect caused by the war has led to soaring oil prices. Gasoline is an important strategic material on the front line of the war, and it is not easy for ordinary people to obtain it. Electric vehicles may be able to help a little.

After Russia officially invaded Ukraine, Tesla announced the opening of supercharging stations in Ukraine for free use, hoping to help local car owners not be affected by the war as much as possible, and also opening four border supercharging stations in Poland, Slovakia and Hungary for free use.

As the war spread for more than two weeks, many Ukrainians fled to nearby countries, so Tesla announced today that the more severely affected Poland and Slovakia have also opened free overcharging throughout the country.

“We hope this helps you gain a little peace of mind and travel to a safer place,” the Tesla announcement reads.

Due to the EU’s complete electric vehicle policy, Tesla has opened the use of supercharging stations for other brands of electric vehicles this year. Therefore, this policy not only benefits Tesla owners, but also many brand electric vehicle owners can use the supercharging stations to recharge their batteries. , go to the shelter.

According to the Sino-European trade route, the sea freight rate may triple again

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine now looks like it could really turn into a protracted war, making it more difficult to relieve the already severely blocked shipping. A supply chain consulting firm estimates that the war may double or even triple the high sea freight costs. Standard container freight from China may soar from the current range of US$10,000 to US$30,000, and air freight may be higher.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has severely affected cargo ships crossing the Black Sea, a key route for oil and bulk food exports. Several ships have been fired or detained since the war began. Countries have begun imposing sanctions on Russian trade, including the United Kingdom banning all Russian ships from British ports, and the shipping industry and ports of Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany will also intercept and inspect cargo ships bound for Russia. The world’s largest shipping company Maersk, Japan’s ONE, MSC and Germany’s Hapag Lloyd have all announced they will suspend freight to and from Russia and Ukraine, affecting at least 47% of global container shipping.

Basically all Ukrainian ports are now closed, and ships are diverted to exacerbate the problem of port congestion in other European ports. According to Lloyd’s List, more than 200 ships were waiting to cross the Kerch Strait, the only waterway that connects the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov, this week.

It’s not yet peak season for the shipping industry, but there will be a major impact on the supply chain as companies start to ramp up their summer shipments. Some shipping companies offer other alternative routes. For example, Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fifth largest container shipping company, will launch a Sino-German express service from April, connecting Shenzhen Dachan Bay Terminal to Hamburg, with a transit time of 27 days.

Maersk has also started to promote intermodal services, saying it can transport goods from Busan, South Korea, via the Trans-Siberian Railway to Russia’s Baltic seaport city of Kaliningrad, and then to the rest of the Baltic region in less than 20 days. By comparison, crossing the Suez Canal would take 60 days of ocean-going voyages, but services through Russian possessions could face new restrictions and risks of sanctions.

Global air transport is also affected, and Russia has closed its airspace to 36 countries. With longer routes and more fuel consumption, the conflict will negatively impact global air cargo capacity and increase air cargo prices, Flexport supply chain economists said.

Since about 41% of the world’s exports are in Asia, and Ukraine is one of the ancient trade routes between China and Europe, the war has disrupted the trade routes, and European countries are the most affected. Spot exchange rates for containers from Asia to Europe have soared, and now a standard container from China to Europe is asking $14,000 and shipping from China to the West Coast of North America is nearly $16,000.

The longer the Russian-Ukrainian tensions persist, the greater the impact on logistics across Europe. Maersk warned customers that this is a global impact, not limited to trade with Russia, and supply chains remain severely disrupted. “We worked hard to fix supply chains, and it took time, but after Russia invaded Ukraine, we ran out of time,” said Georgetown University professor and former U.S. trade official.

Oil prices continue to rise, airline tickets are set to rise

International oil prices jumped in shock, and the market expects that oil prices will only be higher in the short term. Since fuel accounts for 30% of airline costs, the surge in oil prices is another blow to the unrecovered aviation industry. Airlines are already mulling price increases, such as Qantas Airways, which has said it needs to increase its revenue per seat-kilometre by 7 per cent, saying it is small enough to affect travel to some extent.

In fact, rising oil prices will not necessarily affect airlines. General airlines will adopt a hedging strategy to respond to oil price fluctuations. For example, European airline Lufthansa has hedged 63% of its fuel demand in 2022 to $74 per barrel, and Ryanair said that by March next year, 80% of its fuel demand The hedge price is $63 a barrel. British Airways has said it will hedge 60% of its fuel prices for the rest of the year, but did not specify a price cap.

Hedging can help airlines avoid rapid fluctuations in fuel costs, allowing them to keep fares stable even when oil prices rise or fall rapidly. Southwest Airlines used a fuel hedging strategy in the 2000s that allowed them to lock in jet fuel prices well below what competitors paid, giving them a huge competitive advantage in pricing.

Delta Air Lines operates an oil refinery. In addition, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines have hedged some fuel needs. But the three largest U.S. global airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines, are not hedged. Another big factor affecting fares is demand, and while U.S. airlines typically aren’t hedged, the recovery has been stronger and can therefore boldly pass on costs to customers. For example, strong demand in the United States has caused American Airlines to raise prices. Travel booking app Hopper said domestic airfares have risen 21 percent since the start of the year and international airfares 13 percent.

The situation is different in Europe, where the recovery in demand has not been strong since the start of the pandemic, and some European airlines such as Lufthansa and Ryanair have tried to make up for this through heavy fuel hedging, or airlines buying fuel in advance at fixed or capped rates contract. Demand is still everything, and European airlines may be reluctant to raise prices immediately, even with a surge in oil prices.

Even though changes in oil prices don’t affect air passengers as quickly as they do car driving, fuel costs are a major concern for airlines. Hopper economist Adit Damodaran said that, on average, 30% of an airline’s operating costs come from fuel costs, and a 10% increase in jet fuel costs would result in a 3% increase in airline operating expenses. Jet fuel costs have risen 113% since the start of 2021, and airfares are set to rise in 2022.

Qantas said that with the expiration of the oil hedging contract, air ticket prices are expected to need to rise. Although the recovery of business travel is slow, the domestic leisure travel market and some key cities have even higher international demand than before the epidemic. Jefferies analyst Anthony Moulder reported that Qantas has the ability to raise fares and slow capacity increases in response to higher oil prices. However, Qantas chief executive said the 7 per cent increase in revenue per seat per kilometre was modest but large enough to impact travel to some extent.