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☆ Turmoil in Russia: Reactions from foreign governments
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"With very limited evidence of fighting between Wagner and Russian security forces, some have likely remained passive, acquiescing to Wagner." LITHUANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER GABRIELIUS LANDSBERGIS"For 100 years Lithuanians have lived on the edge of Moscow's brutal banditocracy, knowing it's only a matter of time before the next chaotic implosion. CZECH FOREIGN MINISTER JAN LIPAVSKY"We are closely following the situation in the Russian Federation. ESTONIAN PRIME MINISTER KAJA KALLAS"Estonia is closely following the development of the situation in Russia and exchanging information with allies. The instructions of Russian security authorities should be followed at all costs," it said in its updated travel advice.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, Wagner, JAMES, OANA, GABRIELIUS, it's, JAN LIPAVSKY, ANDRZEJ DUDA, Emmanuel Macron, GIORGIA, Meloni, Frances Kerry, Hugh Lawson Organizations: MINISTRY, Russian National Guard, Wagner Group, NATO, Ukraine, Russian Federation, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Russian, Britain, Ukraine, Rostov, Voronezh Oblast, Moscow, EU, Estonia

☆ Japan sees 1.9 million visitors in May, down from cherry blossom rush
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, June 21 (Reuters) - Japan saw a slight decline in visitors in May from the previous month, when a rush of tourists came to see the nation's famous cherry blossoms without COVID-19 restrictions, official data showed on Wednesday. The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure came in just below 1.9 million last month from a post-pandemic high of 1.95 million in April, the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) said. Meanwhile, the yen has weakened sharply against other major currencies, making trips to Japan the cheapest in many years. "Japan has been viewed for a long time as a bucket list country by North American leisure travellers," she said. "Now that Japan has reopened to tourists and the current exchange rate makes leisure trips less expensive, we think this trend will continue to grow."

Persons: Jefferies, Mitsuko Miyasako, Kiyo Weiss, Rocky Swift, Varun, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Japan National Tourism Organisation, Consumer, J.Front, Air, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, China, Tourism, Osaka, Kyoto, Asia, Pacific, American

☆ Global airlines grasp at the 100% recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Thomas Shum | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG, June 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Global airlines are setting drawn out timelines to a full recovery. Some carriers, particularly in Asia, think they will only fly at or over pre-pandemic capacity levels in 2024 or later. Airlines didn’t rehire quickly enough to support the sudden recovery in demand and are now overpromising and underdelivering. Asian hub carriers like $16.5 billion Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI) are particularly strained. Singapore Airlines, for example, posted a record net profit of S$2.2 billion ($1.6 billion) for the financial year ended March.

Persons: Britain’s, Una Galani, Pranav Kiran Organizations: Reuters, Qantas Airways, International Air Transport Association, Singapore Airlines, Boeing, Air, Peers, Cathay, HK, Deutsche Lufthansa, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Twitter, IndiGo, Airbus, Air India, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Asia, Europe, China, Ukraine, Africa, South America, Air India

NEW DELHI/PARIS, June 20 (Reuters) - Record plane orders by India's top two carriers show the country's untapped potential for air travel and its rise as an aviation superpower, but recent airline failures and rows over regulations suggest progress may not be smooth. A day later, rival Air India firmed up an order for 470 Airbus and Boeing (BA.N) aircraft that, until Monday, had been the industry leading plane deal. LEASING CONCERNSBut while the opportunity in India is big, so are the risks, says Ameya Joshi, an independent aviation analyst. Leasing companies warn that restrictions on repossessing their assets in case of defaults will drive up costs for all Indian airlines - even for IndiGo and Air India. It will eventually help Indian airlines by lowering risk and moderating lease rental costs," said Joshi.

Persons: India's, Jyotiraditya Scindia, planemakers, Ameya Joshi, Joshi, Aditi Shah, Tim Hepher, Joanna Plucinska, Mark Potter Organizations: NEW, Paris, Airbus, Air India, Boeing, Air, CAPA India, planemakers, IndiGo, lessors, Thomson Locations: NEW DELHI, PARIS, Air India, India, New Delhi, outdoing U.S, Paris

☆ The double-decker airplane seat is back. Here’s what it looks like now
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

It might not sound particularly appealing on paper, but 23-year-old airplane seat designer Alejandro Núñez Vicente believes double-level seating is the future of economy flying. You may have seen a photo of Núñez Vicente’s Chaise Longue Airplane Seat prototype floating around the internet. Núñez Vicente envisages an airplane cabin in which the Chaise Longue is in the center, flanked by two rows of regular airplane seating. He says he designed the Chaise Longue to solve the airplane seat conundrum – not make it worse. The earlier iteration of the Chaise Longue Airplane Seat at AIX 2022.

Persons: Germany CNN —, Alejandro Núñez Vicente, Núñez, ” Núñez Vicente, ”, Núñez Vicente, they’ve, he’s, “, “ It’s, it’s, ” Alejandro Núñez Vicente, ’ ”, Núñez Vicente’s, Francesca Street, CNN Núñez Vicente, Clara Service Soto, van, didn’t, you’re, “ there’s, Service Soto, “ We’re, Vicente, He’s Organizations: Germany CNN, CNN Travel, Aircraft, legroom, 1OFF, CNN, AIX, Clara, Service, “ Locations: Hamburg, Germany, “, Madrid, Spain, Europe

☆ Ozempic is taking China by storm. Drugmakers are scrambling to boost supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Ozempic, originally a medication for treating diabetes, is in high demand worldwide with celebrities and social media users touting it as a miracle drug for weight loss. “This is a wonder drug,” according to a popular series of posts on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social app similar to Instagram. Soaring pricesThe social media hype was so enormous that Xiaohongshu launched a crackdown in February and deleted more than 5,000 posts sharing weight loss experiences with Ozempic. Fill the shortageThe weight loss drug market in China is expected to boom in the coming years. Novo Nordisk has applied to China’s drug regulator to widen the scope of use for semaglutide, according to the National Medical Products Administration.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Ozempic, they’ve, ” Ozempic, Xiaohongshu, Ozempic, Kevin Frayer, hasn’t Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Daily, First Affiliated, of Sun, University, Novo Nordisk, Tebon Securities, National Medical Products Administration, ., CNN, Huadong, Intellectual, Beijing Intellectual Property Locations: Hong Kong, China, Ozempic, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Beijing

ISTANBUL, June 5 (Reuters) - The United States is in a "business recession" but the consumer is "strong", Scott Kirby, chief executive of United Airlines (UAL.O), the world's largest carrier, told reporters at an aviation conference in Istanbul on Monday. Business demand hasn't fully recovered yet ... that's taking more time," he said. I think actually, in the U.S., we're in a business recession, and the consumer is just fine, the consumer is strong." The chief of the world's biggest airline also raised concerns over competing carriers flying over Russia. However, newly approved flights for Chinese airlines are avoiding flying over Russian airspace to and from the United States, Reuters reported on June 1.

Persons: Scott Kirby, Kirby, We're, Aditi Shah, Jason Neely Organizations: United Airlines, International Air Transport Association, world's, U.S, Air, Reuters, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, United States, Istanbul, U.S, Russia, Washington, Moscow, Ukraine, India, Air India

☆ ANA CEO looks to boost fleet with Boeing 787, launch low-cost airline
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Aditi Shah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Air travel is slowly recovering in Japan post pandemic with inbound passenger traffic coming back stronger while outbound leisure demand is "still weak", he added. While the fear of getting infected is still putting off some passengers from travelling overseas, a weaker yen versus the dollar is making it costlier for Japanese travellers and hurting outbound demand, Inoue said. While limited flights between the U.S. and China are resulting in some additional inbound demand for ANA as passengers travel through Tokyo, inflationary trends in the U.S. are expected to further crimp outbound travel, he said. ANA said last year it plans to launch a new international low-cost carrier in late 2023 or early 2024, focused on the Southeast Asian market as tourism revives post pandemic. ANA expects to launch Air Japan by spring 2024, Inoue said.

Persons: Shinichi Inoue, Inoue, Aditi Shah, Jason Neely, David Evans Organizations: All Nippon Airways, ANA, Boeing, Monday, International Air Transport Association, U.S, Japan, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Istanbul, Japan, China, Tokyo, U.S

☆ Airlines say ready to avoid repeat of summer travel chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Airline leaders attending IATA's annual meeting in Istanbul this week remain concerned about air traffic control disruption in Europe and the United States, however. "But as far as they are concerned, they have fulfilled their obligation to get their resources in place for this summer. Rising numbers of disputes between travellers and airlines globally have led to calls for passenger compensation. Some passenger groups have accused airlines of skirting compensation by invoking an exemption for exceptional circumstances. Airlines have reported strong bookings for this summer as air traffic returns towards pre-COVID levels.

Persons: Willie Walsh, they've, Walsh, Eurocontrol, Tim Hepher, Joanna Plucinska, Aditi Shah, David Holmes Organizations: Airlines, International Air Transport Association, Sunday, Airline, Reuters, European, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Istanbul, Europe, United States, North America, Canada, U.S, European Union, Ukraine

☆ UK airports face nationwide border system issue, causing major delays
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, May 27 (Reuters) - Passengers flying into Britain faced major delays after landing at airports on Saturday due to a nationwide issue affecting the automated border control gates that scan passports upon arrival. Images posted on social media showed long queues with hundreds of people at London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports with frustrated passengers complaining of having to wait several hours in line. "We are aware of a nationwide border system issue affecting arrivals into the UK," said a spokesperson for the British government's interior ministry, which has oversight of border control. "We are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible and are liaising with port operators and airlines to minimise disruption for travellers," they told Reuters. Heathrow, Britain's busiest airport, said it had deployed extra staff to manage the queues and was working with Border Force to help resolve the problem.

☆ Travel chaos on holiday weekend as passport gates fail at UK airports, causing long delays for passengers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Passengers faced long delays at British airports Saturday after electronic passport gates failed. Many passports were being checked manually by UK Border Force officers until the problem was resolved. A representative for Heathrow tweeted: "We are aware of a nationwide issue impacting the eGates, which are operated by Border Force. A representative for Gatwick airport said some passengers may experience delays at immigration due to the nationwide issue with the e-gates. A Home Office representative told Insider: "We are aware of a nationwide border system issue affecting arrivals into the UK.

☆ Rome Fiumicino seen as Lufthansa's new southern hub after ITA deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Angelo Amante | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Shares in Lufthansa were down 0.2% on Friday, a day after the airline and the Italian Treasury announced the ITA deal. A report from TRA consulting firm says some 43 million people travelled through Rome Fiumicino in 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak, and the airport has potential to become an even stronger hub for the Mediterranean area. His report said this is due to the weakness of the national airline, and the integration of ITA into the Lufthansa group might help Fiumicino become an hub for travellers heading to the Americas. Lufthansa, which already operates the brands Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, said it would look to feed more passengers into Fiumicino airport. Analysts believe Lufthansa has good chances to boost Fiumicino, after fostering development of other airports it entered after its previous takeovers.

☆ These airlines are back in the black — they're looking to China as the next bright spot
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Travellers check in for the flight at the Singapore Airlines counter in the departure hall at Changi International Airport in Singapore on December 2, 2021. Roslan Rahman | AFP | Getty ImagesThree major airlines in Asia are back in the black, rebounding from their pandemic doldrums as global travel picks up, and they're all saying that China could be the next bright spot for them. Just this week, Singapore flag carrier Singapore Airlines posted a record net profit of 2.16 billion Singapore dollars ($1.61 billion) for the financial year ended March. At that time, ANA posted a net profit of just 28 billion yen, less than a third of its current net profit. Hopes in China reopeningAll three airlines are looking to China to power further growth.

☆ Japan visitors rise to nearly 2 mln in April after China eases travel curbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, May 17 (Reuters) - Visitors to Japan rose to a post-pandemic high of almost 2 million in April, official data showed on Wednesday, benefiting from a relaxation of travel restrictions in China. The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure climbed to 1.95 million last month from 1.82 million in March, the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) said. Arrivals were still down 33% from April 2019, before pandemic travel curbs were adopted the next year. China last month eased outbound travel restrictions that had cut off a lucrative flow of visitors during the pandemic. A record 9.5 million Chinese visitors landed in Japan in 2019, a third of all visitors.

☆ China's domestic travel recovery marred by anti-spending 'special forces'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Passengers wait to board trains at Shanghai Hongqiao railway station ahead of the five-day Labour Day holiday, in Shanghai, China, April 28, 2023. To get to the ancient temples, pagodas and grottoes she wanted to visit, she walked roughly 30,000 steps a day. "I can control the expenses, to go to many places for the least amount of money, but it is really tiring." "Maybe I didn't wear the right shoes, but my feet started to hurt after walking more than 10,000 steps," she said, joking that she exemplified "the battle-scarred version of special forces travel." ($1 = 6.9121 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Casey Hall and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Marius Zaharia and Lincoln Feast.

☆ Chinese company earnings reveal lopsided economic recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Summer Zhen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Restaurants and tourism businesses recovered, with travel-related consumer services sector earnings surging 155%, data from China International Capital Corp (CICC) showed. Food-and-beverage sector earnings jumped 18% and automobiles were up a smaller 8%. Several analysts believe the first quarter will be the low point for 2023 and full-year earnings will reach double digits. Refinitiv data forecasts full-year earnings growth of 26% for companies listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The materials sector posted the worst results, with earnings in steel and building materials tumbling more than 60%, respectively.

☆ Italian fashion group Tod's sales jump in Q1, beating expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Shoes of Italian luxury shoemaker Tod's are displayed in the window of the company's store in Zurich, Switzerland, April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File PhotoMILAN, May 10 (Reuters) - Sales at Italian fashion group Tod's (TOD.MI) rose by 23% in the first quarter of the year, beating analysts' forecasts thanks to a strong performance in China and despite moderate growth in the Americas. "Considering the good sales trends we experienced in April and the excellent orders' backlog for the winter collections, I'm confident about the group's future results," said Tod's Chairman and CEO Diego Della Valle. In the United States sales rose 6.6%. Tod's CFO said he is confident of achieving the consensus sales figure for the year, currently at 1.1 billion euros.

☆ Japan's spending downturn, wages decline heighten pressure on economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, May 9 (Reuters) - Japan's consumer spending unexpectedly fell in March at the fastest rate in a year, while real wages marked a twelfth month of decline on persistent inflation, highlighting the challenges facing the economy in mounting a strong post-COVID revival. Household spending fell 1.9% in March from a year earlier, the data showed, against economists' median forecast for a 0.4% rise and following a 1.6% gain in February. It marked the biggest decline since March 2022's 2.3%, when Japan was still trying to curb the spread of coronavirus. For the full fiscal year 2022 that ended in March, household spending rose 0.7%, slowing from 1.6% expansion in fiscal 2021. Separate data showed Japanese real wages falling 2.9% in March, marking the full year of declines that started in April 2022 on decades-high consumer inflation.

SINGAPORE, May 8 (Reuters) - China is hammering out details with Singapore on a bilateral visa-free travel arrangement, according to Beijing's embassy, a move that could boost arrivals in the city-state from what was its biggest pre-pandemic tourism market. There were 3.6 million Chinese visitors to Singapore in 2019, more than any other country, who spent a combined S$4.1 billion ($3.09 billion). Many Chinese have in recent years been keen to invest, move assets or relocate to Singapore, with some buying into luxury real estate. Among Singapore's 4 million citizens and permanent residents, three-quarters are of Chinese ethnicity and many speak Mandarin, making it easy for mainland Chinese to navigate the country. Singaporeans were allowed 15-day visa-free visits prior to the pandemic.

☆ Sudan's well-off stuck in limbo at border town en route to Egypt
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Maggie Michael | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

While women, children and the elderly can enter Egypt freely, though often after waiting days in testing conditions at a packed border, Sudanese men aged 16-50 must apply for visas. When she got to Wadi Halfa the bus driver, who had promised to take her to Egypt, dropped her off with her family and demanded more money. He returned to Wadi Halfa to apply for his visa but was told to wait, so he sent his elderly parents to Egypt alone. Half the group continued on to Egypt while the rest settled in a school in Wadi Halfa, sleeping in a classroom with three other families. The school gave him and others a warning that they needed the classrooms back this week for end of year exams.

☆ Morning Bid: German data in the rear-view mirror
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Vidya Ranganathan. The euro is digesting a widely anticipated hawkish quarter-point rate rise from the European Central Bank, and is off its one-year highs. While ECB President Christine Lagarde was clear more tightening will come, markets are paring back their expectations for further rate rises . In the background, there's also evidence that travellers from a reopened China flocked to Europe during their May Day break early this week. Reuters GraphicsKey developments that could influence markets on Friday:Economic data: German March industrial orders, Swiss forex reserves, UK PMI, US non-farm payrolls.

But with flights remaining limited after China's border reopening in January, European luxury stores will need to wait longer for the return of masses of tourists they once depended on for growth. The average transaction value by Chinese travellers in Europe in March was 28% above 2019 levels, UBS said, citing data from VAT refund provider Planet. Cartier-owner Richemont (CFR.S), Hermes (HRMS.PA) and LVMH were best placed to benefit from wealthy Chinese shoppers, UBS added. As wealthy Chinese return to Europe and other foreign destinations, the appeal of China's Hainan Island, a duty free shopping hotspot, appears to be waning among top luxury spenders. China's "higher income, top luxury spenders (are) already travelling abroad again," she said, leading to an observable lower per-capita spend in Hainan.

☆ British Airways-owner IAG sees travel rebound lifting forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - British Airways-owner IAG (ICAG.L) said strong ticket sales for summer travel and a winter season which beat expectations meant 2023 profit would come in above its previous forecasts. IAG's positive outlook is in line with Europe's major airlines. Lufthansa, easyJet and Ryanair have all pointed to robust summer bookings, showing consumers prioritising travel spend despite high inflation and an uncertain economic outlook. Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) on Friday reported better-than-expected first-quarter revenue and said it was seeing strong summer ticket sales. It posted an operating profit before exceptional items of 9 million euros, well above the 179 million euro loss expected by analysts.

☆ 'Mind the gap,' King Charles to remind train travellers during coronation weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People wearing protective face masks walk along a platform on the London Underground, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain, July 25, 2021. REUTERS/Henry NichollsLONDON, May 5 (Reuters) - Passengers travelling on British trains during the weekend of King Charles' coronation will hear a special message recorded by the monarch himself, including a reminder to "mind the gap," officials said on Friday. The announcement, by Charles and his wife Camilla, will be heard by anyone travelling by train or the London underground "tube" network between Friday and Monday. "My wife and I wish you and your families a wonderful coronation weekend," passengers will hear Charles say, followed by wishes for a happy journey from Camilla: "Wherever you are travelling, we hope you have a safe and pleasant journey." "And remember, please mind the gap," Charles will add.

CNN —Sudanese actress Asia Abdel-Majid was killed in crossfire during fighting in the capital Khartoum on Wednesday, amid clashes between two warring factions that have devastated Sudan and led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians. The 80-year-old was killed after shells hit her home in Bahri, north of the capital, in fighting between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army, her nephew told CNN. It is unclear if it was the RSF or the army that fired the shot that killed Abdel-Majid. The kindergarten is next door to Abdel-Majid’s home, where she was alone when the shelling took place. ‘Torn apart’Smoke rises over Khartoum during clashes between the RSF and the Sudanese army on April 17, 2023.

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