A tail of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane that crashed is seen stuck on a building after the incident in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave
A tail of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane that crashed is seen stuck on a building after the incident in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave
The crash of an Air India 787-8 Dreamliner jet minutes after taking off on Thursday poses another challenge for Boeing, whose new CEO has been trying to rebuild trust following a series of safety and production challenges.
It was not clear what caused the crash, as air disasters can occur for a number of different reasons. The London-bound plane crashed in India's western city of Ahmedabad, authorities said, in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade.
The disaster, in which most of the 242 people on board were killed, muddies the efforts of CEO Kelly Ortberg to move past its recent issues after the planemaker hit production targets in May and received a vote of confidence from airline bosses in recent months. Shares were down about 4.9% on Thursday. Boeing said it was aware of the initial reports and was working to gather more information.
Before the crash, airline executives had been voicing greater confidence in Boeing's rebound in deliveries and in Ortberg's leadership after years of reputational damage for the planemaker.
At a recent summit in New Delhi, executives were more optimistic over Boeing's crises around safety and regulation. The widebody 787 planes, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service, have never had a fatal crash until the Air India incident. They were grounded in 2013 due to battery issues, but no one was reported injured.
"It's a knee-jerk reaction (to the incident) and there's revised fears of the problems that plagued Boeing aircraft and Boeing itself in recent years," said Chris Beauchamp, analyst at IG Group.
Boeing's narrowbody 737 MAX jets were grounded for years following two fatal crashes and have faced years of scrutiny and production delays. Last year, the US planemaker came under renewed scrutiny after a door plug blew off a 737 MAX 9 mid-flight, prompting a temporary FAA grounding and fresh concerns over quality control.
Shares of Spirit AeroSystems, a key supplier, and GE Aerospace, which makes engines for the jet, also fell about 2% each. GE Aerospace said it has activated its emergency response team and would support the investigation, but did not specify if the Air India aircraft was equipped with its engines.
The engine maker did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Boeing's outstanding debt also sold off modestly after the crash. Its bonds maturing in May 2029 were trading at 88 basis points over Treasuries, or 10 basis points wider than on Wednesday, according to a bond broker.
Gold Rebounds from 6-month Low; Inflation Data in Focus
A vendor displays gold bracelets for sale at a gold shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar (AFP)
Gold prices rebounded from a six-month low on Thursday, as investors bought the metal at bargain prices while awaiting a key US inflation report that could shed more light on the Federal Reserve's policy outlook.
Spot gold rose 0.5% to $4,095.64 per ounce by 0558 GMT, after hitting its lowest since November 21 at $4,022.09 earlier in the day. US gold futures for August delivery were down 0.4% at $4,116.20, Reuters reported.
"With prices hurtling towards $4,000, it's an obvious level of support that could prompt bears to book a quick profit or tempt battered bulls from the sideline," said Matt Simpson, a senior analyst at StoneX.
"The US dollar index failed to gain much ground following Wednesday's CPI report. So, unless there are any nasty surprises in PPI (Producer Price Index) - gold could be due a technical bounce over the near term."
US consumer inflation increased at its fastest pace in three years in May, boosted by surging prices for energy products amid the Middle East conflict.
The May US PPI data is due at 1230 GMT.
Traders are pricing in a more than 70% chance of a US rate hike by December, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
The United States and Iran traded air attacks on Thursday for a second straight day, with US President Donald Trump vowing further strikes if Tehran did not immediately agree to a peace deal.
Oil prices climbed on Thursday, after Iran declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following US strikes.
Elevated crude oil prices can accelerate inflation, and while gold is viewed as a hedge against inflation, higher interest rates tend to weigh on the non-yielding metal.
Spot silver rose 0.4% to $63.95 per ounce, platinum gained 0.4% to $1,671.09, and palladium climbed 2.9% to $1,248.45.
Embraer Presses Ahead with Saudi Aviation, Defense Partnershipshttps://english.aawsat.com/business/5282728-embraer-presses-ahead-saudi-aviation-defense-partnerships
Embraer Presses Ahead with Saudi Aviation, Defense Partnerships
Embraer E195-E2 aircraft parked at the company’s headquarters (EPA)
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer is pressing ahead with strategic memoranda of understanding signed with Saudi Arabia in 2023, company officials said, underscoring the kingdom’s growing weight in the global aviation market.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat during a tour and media briefing at Embraer’s main plant in Sao Paulo, the officials said the agreements remain active and are moving forward at a pace.
The understandings cover civil aviation, military and defense applications, and urban air mobility.
The remarks come as Saudi Arabia pushes through a sweeping expansion of its aviation and air transport sector under Vision 2030.
The program includes new national carriers, expanded regional and international air links, and efforts to localize aircraft maintenance and parts assembly.
That has made the Saudi market one of the most attractive and strategic destinations for the Brazilian aerospace group.
Embraer is the world’s third-largest commercial aircraft manufacturer after Boeing and Airbus. It has a commanding position in regional aviation through its E-Jets family, which seats between 70 and 150 passengers.
Through its electric aviation company Eve, Embraer is also developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, widely known as flying air taxis.
The field has opened the door to promising strategic partnerships with future transport projects in Saudi Arabia.
Cutting production time and tackling supply chains
At the factory briefing, held after the International Air Transport Association's annual general meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Embraer Chief Executive Francisco Gomes Neto said the company was confident it could meet its operating targets for the year.
He expects Embraer to deliver between 80 and 85 commercial aircraft in 2026, out of a total group delivery target of 255 aircraft, including executive jets and defense aircraft.
Neto said total revenue is expected to reach between $8.2 billion and $8.5 billion this year, a sharp rise from about $3.8 billion in 2020, when the company was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The group aims to surpass $10 billion in revenue by 2030, or earlier, supported by growth in future businesses, led by Eve’s electric vertical aircraft program.
He said Embraer had cut factory production time by 28% between 2021 and 2026 through operational efficiency measures. Production of the E1 now takes less than a year, down from about 18 months previously. A shift he linked to closer work with suppliers as global supply-chain bottlenecks gradually ease.
The company’s backlog has also reached a record $32.1 billion, driven by strong demand across its main business units. Commercial aviation accounts for $14.5 billion of the backlog, alongside executive aviation, defense, services and logistics solutions.
Neto said the figure does not include several major strategic deals announced recently. When purchase options and future acquisition rights agreed with global airlines are included, Embraer’s potential order book could rise to about $52 billion.
On the sidelines of the IATA conference, Neto said Eve could eventually add about $1 billion to $1.5 billion a year to group revenue once production expands and manufacturing accelerates. He expects eVTOL vehicles to receive official certification and enter service in 2028.
He also said Embraer is awaiting a major Indian government military tender in the coming months for the purchase of 60 to 80 military transport aircraft. The company sees its C-390 Millennium as a leading contender against the US-made C-130 Hercules, particularly after Embraer’s alliance with India’s Mahindra Group.
Market dominance and moving past the engine crisis
Arjan Meijer, chief executive of Embraer Commercial Aviation, said the company’s new E2 aircraft family is gaining strong traction in the market.
He said demand is rising sharply and that Embraer has captured 76% of the global market share in its category, competing against Airbus’s A220. The E2 has attracted 24 customers worldwide, with 202 aircraft delivered and about 1.25 million flight hours logged.
Meijer also said the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engine crisis has largely receded. Only one or two aircraft are now grounded worldwide, he said, compared with about 22% of the global fleet in March 2025. He described the technical issue as effectively behind the company.
On China, Meijer said Embraer remains optimistic about gaining ground in the country’s aviation market through a dedicated team working there daily. He said the locally certified E2 family complements Chinese-made aircraft by offering capacity between the smaller C909 and the larger C919, giving Chinese airlines more flexibility to connect cities and reduce operating losses.
He acknowledged continuing structural challenges in China since the closure of Embraer’s Harbin joint venture in 2016, but said discussions remain active.
Meijer said Embraer has no current plans to develop aircraft larger than 150 seats, despite repeated customer interest. The company will instead focus on its core segment, where it sees the strongest prospects for profitability and efficiency.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye Strengthen Supply Chains with Land Corridor Bypassing Maritime Chokepointshttps://english.aawsat.com/business/5282621-saudi-arabia-t%C3%BCrkiye-strengthen-supply-chains-land-corridor-bypassing-maritime
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye Strengthen Supply Chains with Land Corridor Bypassing Maritime Chokepoints
Saudi and Turkish transport ministers meet to strengthen cooperation (X)
At a time when the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the escalating U.S.-Iran war have put global supply chains under complex geopolitical strain since late February, a strategic land corridor is emerging from the heart of the maritime blockade, promising to redraw the map of international transport and trade.
Between Riyadh and Ankara, a surge in logistics activity is moving beyond conventional bilateral cooperation. It is shaping a secure, sustainable overland alternative for energy, goods and regional food supplies bound for global markets.
The official signing on Tuesday by Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser and his Turkish counterpart, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, of comprehensive memorandums of understanding on railways, logistics operations and technology laid the operational foundation for that shift.
The agreements go beyond easing the immediate movement of goods. They aim to build a cross-border connectivity system that can serve as an operational line of defense against the current maritime crises.
According to the Turkish minister, the rail link rests on infrastructure that already exists in both Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. He said the Saudi side had completed its section up to the Jordanian border, while Türkiye’s rail network extends into Syrian territory. Iraq could later join the project, he added.
How the network connects
Technically and operationally, the corridor is taking shape as a connected rail network built around geography. The line starts in Istanbul, linking Türkiye’s advanced network to the Arab interior. It crosses Türkiye’s southern border into Syria through Aleppo, then runs south to Damascus, the project’s central anchor.
From the Syrian capital, the route crosses into Jordan, passes through Amman and reaches the Saudi border at the Haditha crossing. That strategic point is where the Syrian and Turkish networks meet the advanced infrastructure of Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR).
Inside Saudi Arabia, the route takes on major development weight. Its main and branch lines pass through major projects, such as the Port of Neom, which is seen as a future logistics corridor linking Red Sea ports. It then connects Makkah and Medina before integrating with the unified Gulf railway network.
That Gulf extension opens the way for the line’s long-term goal of reaching Oman and the Arabian Sea, giving it the profile of a comprehensive intercontinental land corridor that bypasses traditional maritime choke points.
Turning the kingdom into a transit hub
Logistics expert Nashmi Al-Harbi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the signed memorandums “translate in practical terms the vision of creating a land corridor that directly links the Gulf to Europe through Jordan, Syria and Türkiye.”
Al-Harbi said Saudi Arabia’s two maritime outlets, on the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, combined with Türkiye’s position as Europe’s natural land gateway, “turn Saudi Arabia from a logistics endpoint into a genuine strategic transit hub connecting three continents.”
“The added value for supply chain resilience lies in drawing on the lessons of Red Sea disruptions, which proved that diversifying corridors has become an urgent necessity, not an economic luxury,” he said.
He said the project would create alternative land routes that strengthen transport resilience between Asia and Europe, away from the impact of maritime chokepoint closures or swings in marine insurance costs. Required investment in the line is estimated at about $5.5 billion, he added.
Al-Harbi said the project “fully aligns with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to consolidate the kingdom’s position as a global hub.”
It also supports regional connectivity and the localization of the railway industry, he said, building on a strong base after the kingdom ranked fifth globally in container handling speed.
He said the project’s practical impact, including the exchange of best practices in freight, last-mile services and joint logistics centers, would cut cargo transit times between the Gulf and Europe from more than 30 days on traditional sea routes to less than two weeks by land once completed.
Al-Jasser and Uraloğlu shake hands after signing the two memorandums of understanding (X)
Alternatives as shipping costs soar
Logistics expert Hassan Al-Hilal told Asharq Al-Awsat the Saudi-Turkish memorandums represent “a strategic step that strengthens the kingdom’s role as a major center for re-exporting and distributing goods.”
He said the move comes at a critical moment for global trade. “Geopolitical disruptions in vital maritime corridors in recent months have caused record jumps in shipping and marine insurance costs, exceeding 300% compared with pre-crisis levels, as ships have been forced to take longer and riskier alternative routes,” he said.
Al-Hilal said the Saudi-Turkish logistics corridor gives suppliers and exporters “multimodal transport options, combining maritime shipping through Saudi ports with land and rail transport extending through Türkiye toward European and Central Asian markets.”
“This operational diversity directly helps reduce costs linked to storage and rehandling, and limits reliance on a single maritime route,” he said. “It ensures the stable flow of goods and products with high competitive efficiency, maximizing the benefits of the kingdom’s large investments in its port infrastructure.”
Key differences
Comparing the route with the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, or IMEC, Al-Harbi identified three key differences that he said gave the Saudi-Turkish route the edge.
“The first is the geographic route, which passes through Syria and Jordan to Türkiye, rather than IMEC’s passage through Israel. The second is the nature of implementation, as the current project is based on signed memorandums with a clear technical road map, compared with IMEC, which has been suspended since 2023. The third difference lies in the geopolitical dimensions. Türkiye, which had previously criticized the corridor for bypassing its territory, is returning through this new route strongly to the heart of the strategic Eurasian connectivity map,” he said.
Al-Hilal added what he called a decisive operational difference. IMEC, he said, is “a long-term strategic project that requires massive structural investment,” while current Saudi-Turkish cooperation is based on “maximizing the use of infrastructure that already exists” and on immediate operational links between two advanced logistics networks.
That makes it capable of delivering tangible results in the foreseeable term and at a much faster pace to meet current market needs, he said.
Joseph Salem, partner and head of travel, transport and hospitality at Arthur D. Little Middle East, said: “Reviving the Hejaz Railway is one of the most prominent infrastructure projects in the region’s modern history. The two memorandums of understanding signed in Riyadh between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, one covering logistics services and the other railway technology, bring the project one step closer to implementation.”
He said an operational line would give the Gulf a direct overland trade corridor to Europe, reducing reliance on sensitive maritime passages at a time when supply chain resilience has become a growing strategic priority.
“The most important challenge remains implementation, whether in terms of financing, the stability of transit routes, or turning feasibility studies expected to be completed by the end of the year into actual investments,” Salem said.
“The importance of these two memorandums stems from the fact that they address the essential pillars of any cross-border railway project, including the standardization of technical specifications, signaling standards and regulatory alignment,” he added.
“If these elements are in place, the Hejaz Railway could regain its position within the next decade as one of the most important strategic land corridors linking Europe and the Gulf.”
Reviving a century-old legacy
The emerging land artery is not new. It is an ambitious revival, with a modern investment mindset, of a legacy dating back more than a century. It is an extension of the Hejaz Railway, which began operations in 1908 and linked Istanbul with Medina and Mecca through Syria and Jordan.
At the time, Damascus was a main anchor point, with lines branching north and south, as well as vital extensions to Lebanon, especially Beirut, and the historically Palestinian port of Haifa. The railway formed an integrated regional network before it broke apart during World War I.
From Neom to the border
The agreements follow advanced operational steps by the parties to the route. Ankara announced the activation of a trilateral memorandum of understanding with Syria and Jordan to modernize networks and connect the rail line between Türkiye and Aleppo, before integrating the Aleppo-Damascus-Jordan line.
Saudi Transport Minister Saleh Al-Jasser said the Saudi rail network already extends to the Jordanian border via the Haditha crossing, giving the project significant implementation flexibility. Joint technical studies will be completed by the end of this year to strengthen a sustainable land transport system, he said.
According to technical information, the new route will pass through the Port of Neom, linking the kingdom’s giga-projects to the heart of Europe through Türkiye.
International financing and operational pressure
In a related move that strengthens the corridor’s readiness, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, or AIIB, approved a 645.83 million euro loan, equivalent to about $750 million, as a first package to help finance a new 127-km green railway line in Türkiye.
The strategic project, known as the Northern Istanbul Railway Crossing Project, aims to bypass Istanbul’s congested urban area and provide a high-capacity land link for freight and passengers across the Istanbul Strait. It would help ease bottlenecks in international supply chains and connect Türkiye’s two largest airports to the rail network.
The Turkish project’s total strategic cost is estimated at about $8.27 billion, with participation from the World Bank and other international financing institutions to raise the share of Eurasian rail transport.
In the final analysis, the joint rail push lays the groundwork for an unprecedented shift in regional shipping by removing the time and geographic obstacles imposed by maritime disruption. Cutting goods delivery times to less than two weeks would redirect investment toward this emerging land artery, at the expense of traditional routes and suspended alternatives.
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