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MOSCOW, Dec 1 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree putting St Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport under the temporary management of a Russian company, wresting control from investors from Germany, Qatar and other Gulf states. The airport's management company has 14 co-owners. The rights of foreign shareholders will pass to two different Russian entities. Russian shareholders will retain their rights. The decree stated that airport's foreign shareholders would be able to restore their rights to stakes in the new company if they apply and conclude corporate agreements that comply with Russian laws on foreign investment.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Fraport, VTB, Ramzan Kadyrov, Taimuraz, Carlsberg's, Gleb Stolyarov, Alexander Marrow, Ilona Wissenbach, Gareth Jones, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Petersburg's Pulkovo, Qatar Investment Authority, Russian Direct Investment Fund, Baring, Baltika Breweries, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Germany, Qatar, St Petersburg, Abu Dhabi, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow

China's decision may escalate trade disputes globally and spur other countries to prioritize research into alternative sources and materials, industry executives said. "We see China's move as a potential catalyst to highlight the urgency of improving (U.S.) graphite supply," said John DeMaio, president of Graphex Group's (6128.HK) graphene division. It has graphite supply deals with Syrah Resources (SYR.AX) and is looking for other sources, DeMaio said. Synthetic graphite could account for nearly two-thirds of the EV battery anode market by 2025, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence estimates. Chief Operating Officer Hans Erik Vatne told Reuters recently that developing synthetic graphite production is costly, but that is the price to pay to reduce reliance on China.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, John DeMaio, Graphex Group's, DeMaio, Tesla, Hans Erik Vatne, Rob Anstey, Alvin Liu, Akash Sriram, Ernest SCheyder, Nick Carey, Christina Amann, Marie Mannes, Gilles Guillaume, Ilona Wissenbach, Ben Klayman, Josie Kao Organizations: Volkswagen, REUTERS, Syrah Resources, Magnis Energy Technologies, Mineral Intelligence, Reuters, EVs, BMO Capital Markets, BMW, Volvo, Renault, General Motors, Ford, Thomson Locations: Salzgitter, Germany, China, Warren , Michigan, West, U.S, Europe, Oslo, Norway, Bengaluru, Houston, London, Berlin, Stockholm, Paris, Frankfurt

Volkswagen logo is pictured at the 2022 New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 13, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Now expects operating profit margin on sales of 7.0%-7.3%Keeps outlook for sales, deliveriesTo publish final Q3 results on Oct. 26FRANKFURT, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) cut its profit margin outlook for the current year on Friday, blaming negative effects from raw materials hedges at the end of the third quarter. Volkswagen kept its outlook for deliveries and sales, still expecting to hand between 9 million and 9.5 million vehicles to clients this year, while sales are forecast to grow by 10% to 15%. The carmaker, which is due to release full quarterly figures on Oct. 26, said third-quarter sales grew 12% to 78.8 billion euros, while operating profit was up around 14% at 4.9 billion. Volkswagen's controlling shareholder, Porsche SE (PSHG_p.DE), specified its 2023 outlook following Volkswagen's warning and now expects group profit after tax in the lower half of the 4.5 billion euro to 6.5 billion euro forecast range.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Bernstein, Christoph Steitz, Ilona Wissenbach, Jan Harvey, Rod Nickel, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: New York, REUTERS, Volkswagen, Porsche, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, FRANKFURT, Frankfurt, Slovenia

☆ Daimler Truck premieres new eActros 600 in step towards all-electric shift
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz Trucks, the European division of commercial vehicle maker Daimler Truck (DTGGe.DE), premiered its battery-electric long-haul truck eActros 600 on Tuesday, with series production planned for the end of 2024. It will be produced on Mercedes-Benz Trucks' existing assembly line in Woerth am Rhein, Germany, in parallel to diesel vehicles. The company is currently building a fleet of around 50 prototype vehicles to be tested with customers, it said. The eActros 600 purchase price is 2.5 times its diesel equivalent. Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach, Victoria Waldersee Editing by Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Daimler Trucks, Ilona Wissenbach, Miranda Murray Organizations: Benz, Daimler, Mercedes, Victoria, Thomson Locations: Woerth, Rhein, Germany, Europe

On Sunday, U.S. air carriers United Airlines (UAL.O), Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) and American Airlines (AAL.O) suspended direct flights following the FAA's caution advisories. Britain's easyJet (EZJ.L) halted flights to Tel Aviv on Sunday and Monday, and said it would adjust the timings of flights over the next few days. Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) group, also among the airlines most exposed to Israel according to Goodbody, cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv through Monday. Portugal's TAP suspended flights up until Monday and offered refunds or rescheduling at no additional cost. Hainan Airlines (600221.SS), the only Chinese airline to fly between China and Israel, and other airlines flying from Hong Kong and South Korea, cancelled flights between Tel Aviv and Shanghai on Monday.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Amir Cohen, Finland's, Britain's, Goodbody, Virgin Atlantic, IAG, Ben, Ben Gurion, Douglas Gillison, Sophie Yu, Farah Master, Joyce Lee, Brenda Goh, Tim Hepher, Ilona Wissenbach, Sergio Goncalves, Anna Ringstrom, Sarah Young, Joanna Plucinska, Clarence Fernandez, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Israeli, Ben Gurion International, REUTERS, El Al, Fighters, Tourism, Regulators, Federal Aviation Administration, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Sunday, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Delta, Air, Wizz, Lufthansa, Portugal's TAP, Virgin, East . British Airways, Ryanair, flyDubai, Hainan Airlines, Thomson Locations: Lod, Israel, Tel Aviv, Gaza, Israel's, United States, U.S, New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, Miami, United, Europe, Air France, Hungarian, East, Ben Gurion, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Lisbon, Stockholm, London

☆ Exclusive: China's Nio explores investment, tech alliances with Mercedes - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Nio, when contacted, denied it talked to Mercedes on a collaboration, calling it "untrue", without elaborating. Mercedes said in a separate response that there were no collaboration plans with Nio at the moment. Chinese EV companies may also be able to navigate potential trade barriers better by forging such tie-ups. Nio, whose investors include Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings (0700.HK), has publicly called for more such tie-ups with established automakers. ($1 = 7.3127 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh; Additional reporting by Ilona Wissenbach in Frankfurt; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: William Li, Ola Kaellenius, Nio, Mercedes, Leapmotor, Elon Musk, Tesla, Nio's Li, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Ilona Wissenbach, Muralikumar Organizations: HK, Mercedes, Benz, Nio, EV, Volkswagen, SAIC, Audi, VW's, Tencent Holdings, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Tesla, Frankfurt

☆ Volkswagen to temporarily pause production of two EV car models due to drop in demand -spokesperson
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A Volkswagen logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 5, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Volkswagen AG FollowFRANKFURT, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) will suspend production of ID.3 and Cupra Born electric cars at its Zwickau and Dresden plants in Germany in the first two weeks of October due to weaker demand, a spokesperson for the carmaker said on Tuesday. Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach, writing by Emma-Victoria Farr, editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David, Dee, Delgado, Ilona Wissenbach, Emma, Victoria Farr, Susan Fenton Organizations: New York, REUTERS, FRANKFURT, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Zwickau, Dresden, Germany

☆ Mercedes applies for tax relief for projects at two U.S. plants
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Mercedes Benz Group AG FollowBERLIN, Sept 25 (Reuters) - German carmaker Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) has applied for tax breaks for potential projects at two of its U.S. plants under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a company spokesperson said on Monday. "We have decided to participate in the application process for production-related tax relief" under the IRA for the plants in Alabama and South Carolina, according to the spokesperson. A final decision is expected later this year or early next year, Handelsblatt reported. Mercedes did not want to comment on the production plan for the electric GLS. Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach, Writing by Miranda Murray, Editing by Friederike HeineOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elijah Nouvelage, Mercedes, Handelsblatt, Ilona Wissenbach, Miranda Murray, Friederike Heine Our Organizations: Benz, REUTERS, Companies Mercedes Benz Group, Thomson Locations: Woodstock , Alabama, U.S, Alabama, South Carolina, United States

Mercedes will also offer a lithium-iron-phosphate, or LFP, battery in the new CLA model lineup due to hit showrooms in early 2025, a first for any Mercedes EV, the CEO said in an interview. Mercedes will preview the future electric CLA with a prototype to be unveiled at the IAA auto show in Munich, Germany on Sunday. Getting more driving range using less energy from the battery is the key target for the German automaker's future EV development, Kaellenius said. Driving range remains a critical competitive benchmark in the EV market. Mercedes engineers have been testing ways to improve EV efficiency using long road trips in a prototype vehicle called the Vision EQXX.

Persons: Ola Kaellenius, Mercedes, Tesla, Kaellenius, Joe White, Susan Fenton Organizations: DETROIT, Benz, Reuters, EV, Tesla, Sunday, VW, Consumers, Thomson Locations: China, Munich, Germany, Europe, United States

REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File PhotoLONDON/GDANSK, Aug 7 (Reuters) - European carriers on Monday reported disruptions and suspended flights across the African continent after Niger's junta closed its airspace on Sunday. The junta on Monday braced for a response from the West African regional bloc after ignoring its deadline to reinstate the country's ousted president or face the threat of military intervention. The disruption adds to a band of African airspace facing geopolitical disruptions including Libya and Sudan, with some flights facing up to 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) in detours. But aviation analyst James Halstead said that airlines would mostly have to find alternative routes and difficulties should be limited given the small number of African air connections. Spokespeople for Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) and Brussels Airlines said that flight times could be between one-and-a-half and three-and-a-half hours longer for rerouted flights.

Persons: Charles de, Stephanie Lecocq, FlightRadar24, James Halstead, I'm, Ilona Wissenbach, Tim Hepher, Jason Neely, Mark Potter, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, West African, Air, Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, British Airways, Thomson Locations: Air France, Sudan, Djibouti, Paris, Charles de Gaulle, Roissy, France, GDANSK, Libya, detours, Europe, Africa, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Bamako, Mali, Accra, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, West Africa

☆ Daimler Truck hits record returns margin amid rising costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Daimler Truck (DTGGe.DE) achieved a second-quarter record adjusted return on sales of 10.3% for its industrial business, the company said on Tuesday, even as it faced rising monthly costs from inflation. Supply chain issues were easing, the truck and busmaker said, with some bottlenecks remaining this year though no major production downtime was expected. The company struggled in the first quarter with supply chain issues for semiconductors, but has maintained that a general improvement in supply chains would lift its profits. Earnings per share in the quarter fell slightly to 1.11 euros compared to 1.12 euros a year earlier. ($1 = 0.9101 euros)Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach, Victoria Waldersee, Writing by Friederike Heine; Editing by Kim Coghill and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: busmaker, Martin Daum, Ilona Wissenbach, Victoria Waldersee, Friederike Heine, Kim Coghill, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Daimler, Thomson Locations: United States, Japan

☆ Bosch opens chip test centre in Malaysia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Robert Bosch (ROBG.UL) has opened a new test centre for chips and sensors in Malaysia for 65-million-euro ($71.62 million) and plans to invest a further 285 million euros by the middle of next decade, the German technology group announced on Tuesday. Up to 400 jobs will be created by the mid-2030s, it added. Bosch currently carries out most of the final testing of its semiconductors from its factories in the German cities of Reutlingen, Germany, Suzhou, China and Hungary. Those locations will be joined by the new test centre in Penang, for which Bosch is receiving funding from Malaysia. ($1 = 0.9075 euros)Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach, Writing by Miranda Murray; Editing by Riham AlkousaaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Robert Bosch, Bosch, Ilona Wissenbach, Miranda Murray, Riham Organizations: Bosch, Thomson Locations: Malaysia, Reutlingen, Germany, Suzhou, China, Hungary, Penang

☆ Bosch ups investment in hydrogen, begins fuel-cell power module production
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The planned investment was one billion euros more than earmarked in its previous investment plan for 2021-2024, the statement added. Bosch expects one in five new trucks weighing six metric tons or more would feature fuel-cell powertrains by 2030, it said. Bosch said production of its fuel cell power module - a fuel cell system generating electricity in vehicles from hydrogen, primarily used in commercial long-distance applications - has begun in its Stuttgart-Feuerbach plant in Germany and in Chongqing, China. Daimler Truck (DTGGe.DE) plans to bring a hydrogen truck to market in the second half of the decade, forming a joint venture with Volvo (VOLVb.ST) to develop the zero-emissions technology. Automaker Stellantis said this year it would begin deliveries in Europe of its first medium-sized vans powered by hydrogen fuel cells by the end of 2021.

Persons: Bosch, Stefan Hartung, Feuerbach, Stellantis, Victoria Waldersee, Ilona Wissenbach, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Bosch, Nikola Corporation, Daimler, Volvo, Volkswagen, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Stuttgart, Germany, Chongqing, China, American, Europe

☆ Mercedes to extend CEO Kaellenius' contract - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN, July 6 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz wants to extend Chief Executive Ola Kaellenius' contract, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Thursday, confirming a report in the Handelsblatt business daily. The person said no surprises were expected on the question of another term for Kaellenius, which would keep the 54-year-old at the helm of the German carmaker until at least mid-2029. Kaellenius' contract is currently set to expire in May 2024. Handelsblatt reported that a supervisory board decision was expected on the matter this summer. Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach; writing by Miranda Murray and Rachel More; editing by Sabine Wollrab, Matthias Williams, Madeline ChambersOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ola Kaellenius, Kaellenius, Handelsblatt, Ilona Wissenbach, Miranda Murray, Rachel More, Sabine Wollrab, Matthias Williams, Madeline Chambers Organizations: Benz, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BERLIN

☆ Audi names Volkswagen strategy chief Doellner as new CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FRANKFURT, June 29 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) Audi named the German group's strategy chief as its new CEO on Thursday, as the luxury carmaker seeks to catch up with rivals in the dash towards electrification, including in China, the world's top car market. Gernot Doellner, who replaces Markus Duesmann, will become CEO with effect from September, Audi said, after the luxury automaker's supervisory board passed a resolution on Thursday. Doellner is a Volkswagen Group veteran who joined the company as a doctoral student in 1993 and rose through the ranks to become head of product development at Porsche. He headed up the Panamera series from 2011 to 2018 and became head of product strategy at Volkswagen AG in 2021. "Audi is a fantastic company with a rich history," Doellner said, adding: "I look forward to shaping the company's future together with the entire team at Audi."

Persons: Gernot Doellner, Markus Duesmann, Doellner, Oliver Blume's, Bentley, Peter Bosch, Christina Amann, Jan Schwartz, Ilona Wissenbach, Christoph Steitz, Victoria Waldersee, Tom Sims, Emma Rumney, Hans Seidenstuecker Organizations: Audi, Volkswagen Group, Porsche, Volkswagen AG, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Benz, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, China

☆ Carmakers owe compensation for emissions cheating devices, German court rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 26 (Reuters) - Carmakers must pay compensation for diesel vehicles fitted with illegal emissions controlling devices, Germany's highest federal court ruled on Monday, in a case that could potentially cost Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and others millions of euros. The judge overturned previous dismissals by courts of such claims and referred them back to courts of appeal. It was up to carmakers to prove that their so-called defeat devices were functional and not illegal, she said. Carmakers argue the devices, which are only switched on at certain temperatures, are needed to protect the motor and are in line with the law. Reporting by Ursula Knapp, Victoria Waldersee, Ilona Wissenbach; Editing by Maria Sheahan and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ursula Knapp, Victoria Waldersee, Ilona Wissenbach, Maria Sheahan, Mark Potter Organizations: Volkswagen, Mercedes, Benz, Audi, Court, Justice, Thomson

☆ Chinese delegation to meet with Germany's top corporate brass next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FRANKFURT/BERLIN, June 16 (Reuters) - A Chinese delegation led by Premier Li Qiang will meet Germany's top CEOs next week as part of a visit to Europe, hoping to strengthen ties at a time when Berlin is pursuing a strategy to lessen its economic dependence on Beijing. A meeting between Li and a group of German and Chinese CEOs is scheduled for June 19, according to people familiar with the plans. Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE), SAP (SAPG.DE) and Siemens Energy (ENR1n.DE) all confirmed that their CEOs would meet with the delegation. The CEO of Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) division Audi will also participate, a person familiar with the matter said. BASF (BASFn.DE), Bayer (BAYGn.DE), Infineon (IFXGn.DE), Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and BMW (BMWG.DE), all companies with major business ties to China, declined to comment.

Persons: Premier Li Qiang, Li, Li Shufu, Mercedes, Roland Busch, Olaf Scholz, Robert Habeck, Andrew Small, Marshall, Siegfried Russwurm, Ilona Wissenbach, Hakan Ersen, Christoph Steitz, Ludwig Burger, Patricia Weiss, Christina Amann, Andreas Rinke, Rene Wagner, Sarah Marsh, Jan Schwartz, Alexander Huebner, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Louise Heavens Organizations: Premier, Mercedes, Benz, SAP, Siemens Energy, Volkswagen, Audi, Beijing Automotive Group Co, HK, Siemens, Pacific Committee, BASF, Bayer, Infineon, BMW, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, BERLIN, Europe, Berlin, Beijing, China, Asia, German, Germany, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich

BRUSSELS, May 10 (Reuters) - Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) suffered a setback on Wednesday after Europe's second-highest court sided with Ryanair (RYA.I) and annulled a European Union competition regulator's decision clearing its state bailout. The court also ruled in Ryanair's favour on Wednesday against pandemic state aid measures for SAS (SAS.ST), saying recapitalisation measures did not include sufficient measures to incentivise the Swedish and Danish governments to exit quickly. "We have seen the ruling by the General Court in the EU and will now review the content of the ruling as well as possible ways to proceed. Lufthansa and several other European airlines received state aid following a protracted travel slump due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which were approved by the EU executive subject to conditions. The Commission can appeal to the Court of the Justice of the European Union, Europe's highest, on points of law.

☆ Volkswagen, Bosch give up joint venture plans for battery cells
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A Volkswagen logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 5, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' DelgadoMay 4 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and Bosch (ROBG.UL) have cancelled their plans to create a joint venture to equip battery cell factories, Bosch said on Thursday. "We are not setting up a joint venture," Bosch Chief Executive Officer Stefan Hartung said, adding that the partnership with the German carmaker to digitise its battery factories would continue. The joint venture, announced at the beginning of 2022, was designed to deliver battery production systems, as well as assisting battery cell manufacturers in scaling up and maintaining their production sites. "Volkswagen and PowerCo are sticking to their plan to get involved in equipping battery cell factories in the future.

☆ Bosch looks to growth in cars, heating systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Robert Bosch GmbH FollowFRANKFURT, May 4 (Reuters) - German technology group Robert Bosch expects 6% to 9% revenue growth this year from 88.2 billion euros ($97.49 billion) in 2022 and an EBIT margin of 5%, up from 4.3% last year, it said on Thursday thanks to growth in both its cars and heating systems businesses. The transformation of energy systems to protect the climate creates business potential, Bosch Chief Executive Stefan Hartung said, making clear that opportunities lay in both the electrification of cars and heating systems. "Growth is not only on the road, even though we are very successful there," he said. ($1 = 0.9047 euros)Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach Writing by Madeline Chambers Editing by Friederike HeineOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ No flight cancellations expected during largest NATO air drill in history
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Air Defender 23 will be one of the largest air drills in NATO history, with 25 countries taking part in the joint exercise in German, Dutch and Czech airspace. It will use air corridors that have often been used for training purposes, according to the German air force. Air traffic control strikes in France and elsewhere have exacerbated that limited airspace, increasing fears of costly cancellations and delays across the continent. Germany's aviation sector in particular was concerned about the exercise's detrimental impact on commercial aviation. "Coordinated action will allow this major military event to take place while, at the same time, accommodating civil air traffic with the lowest possible impact in terms of air traffic delays and re-routing actions," Eurocontrol added.

[1/3] BMW's concept model i Vision Dee is unveiled during an event at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China April 18, 2023. While the battery-electric vehicle market share of German automakers in China is rising, it is still miniscule. The EV sales of all four German brands added up to only a quarter of BYD's in 2022. "The Chinese market is no longer as stable for German carmakers as it was," Thomas Luk, partner at management consultancy Kearney, said on the sidelines of the Shanghai show. Many are also adopting direct sales, an approach German automakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz have also said in recent months they are moving towards.

Strikes have rolled through France, Portugal, Britain and Germany in recent weeks and could cause air travel disruption in parts of Europe through the Easter holidays, officials at airlines, airports and air traffic authorities told Reuters. There's no doubt about it," said Steven Moore, who is in charge of air traffic management operations at Eurocontrol. Airlines say they have to pay compensation without themselves getting compensated for air traffic delays. Consumer groups say air traffic control strikes are not new and airlines should be quicker to react and pay compensation. He called last week on the European Commission to do more to stop such strikes hitting overflights, by introducing minimum service rules, though industry experts say strikes are a national issue.

ZURICH/BERLIN/LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Urs Kessler, who runs Jungfrau Railways, a train that takes tourists up the highest mountain in Switzerland, was excited for the return of Chinese tourists after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted late last year. Chinese outbound flight bookings to Europe during March and August are only 32% that of pre-pandemic levels, according to travel data firm ForwardKeys. OPTIMISM FOR THE FUTUREMany tourist operators and retailers hope the second half will bring a relaxation in visa policies, more flights and the long-expected influx of Chinese tourists. Harrods launched branded stickers, including its iconic teddy bear, on China's popular WeChat messaging platform this year to attract Chinese tourists. Kessler believes his Lang Lang campaign was still worth it.

The company's full-year operating profit of 1.51 billion euros ($1.60 billion) came after a loss of 1.6 billion euros a year ago. Fourth-quarter profit swung to 575 million euros from a loss of 42 million euros, in line with expectations. The balance sheet also improved, with net debt falling to 6.9 billion euros from 9 billion euros. However, operating profit was still 34% lower than the pre-pandemic 2019 level and passenger numbers had only recovered 72%. The company said it expects "further significant improvement" in operating profit this year.

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