Transportation

State-owned Garuda Indonesia is struggling to reduce its debt load. (Photo by Rie Ishii) 
Transportation

Garuda Indonesia hands in restructuring plan to creditors

Flagship airline calls submission 'first step' in becoming profitable

17 November 2021
A train leaves Kars train station on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway connecting Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Turkey looks to access Azerbaijan through a shorter route that cuts across Armenia. (Anadolu Agency)
Transportation

All-Turkic corridor heralds rise of new Eurasian political bloc

Turkey-led group has potential to disrupt Russia-China power balance

17 November 2021
Thai Airways, Thailand's cash-strapped national flag carrier, is revising its financial plan for rehabilitation. (Photo by Ken Kodaka)
Transportation

Thai Airways struggles to finalize loans for rehabilitation

National flag carrier will no longer actively seek 25bn baht loan from government

15 November 2021
ANA sees signs of a recovery in domestic passenger demand since the government lifted its coronavirus states of emergency.
Interview

Slower return to profit may prompt ANA to sell assets: CEO

Pickup in demand, cost cuts indispensable to move back into black

14 November 2021
AirAsia X will have to pay back less than a penny on the dollar on $8.1 billion in liabilities.
Transportation

AirAsia X creditors agree to take 99.5% haircut

Long-haul carrier wins approval for drastic debt restructuring plan

12 November 2021
Singapore Airlines and other Asian carriers have been hit hard by tough travel restrictions in the region.
Business Spotlight

COVID curbs leave Asian airlines lagging their U.S. peers

Loss-hit Singapore and Japan carriers pin recovery hopes on borders reopening

12 November 2021
A rail line from Kunming, China, to Vientiane, Laos, is slated to open on Dec. 2. But other parts of the pan-Asia railway face setbacks. (Photo by Vientiane Times)
Belt and Road

Southeast Asia's Belt and Road rail hopes beset by delays

Only small fraction of Thailand's segment completed after 4 years

11 November 2021
AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes wants Southeast Asian countries to speed up the reopening of their borders to spur demand for travel.
Transportation

AirAsia's Fernandes sees financial recovery in nine months

Carrier names ex-Adidas executive to lead growth of digital businesses

10 November 2021
Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines planes at Singapore's Changi Airport in 2019: The international route between the city-state and Kuala Lumpur was one of the world's busiest before the pandemic.
Coronavirus

Singapore, Malaysia to restart quarantine-free air travel link

Vaccinated passengers can fly between Kuala Lumpur and city-state from Nov. 29

8 November 2021
The Hanoi Metro Line 2A, originally scheduled to open in 2015, was delayed by 12 project reevaluations and over two years of safety checks. (photo by Tomoya Onishi)
Transportation

Vietnam's first urban railway enters service

China-backed $900m commuter line in Hanoi opens after 6 year-delay

6 November 2021
Japan Airlines has been hit by weak domestic passenger demand due to several states of emergency imposed in the country to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Karina Nooka) 
Transportation

Japan Airlines forecasts full-year net loss of $1.28bn

Carrier to cut 2,500 employees by fiscal 2023 to encourage profitability

2 November 2021
The Hanoi Metro Line 3 project has faced extensive delays.
Transportation

Stalled Vietnam rail project pushes Hyundai Engineering venture to seek damages

Contractor considers international arbitration if $115m payment is not made

2 November 2021
Flames are visible in a train carriage following a stabbing and arson attack on the Keio Line in Chofu, western Tokyo, on Oct. 31 that left 17 people injured.
Terrorism

Suspect in Tokyo train attack says he adores 'Batman' villain Joker

Man in green shirt and purple suit injures 17; says thinking of death penalty

1 November 2021
 ANA Holdings fell short of expected traffic during its peak season in the July-September period. (Photo by Akiyoshi Inoue)
Transportation

ANA revises full-year forecast to $880m loss, its second in a row

With borders closed, Japan's leading airline struggles to recover from pandemic

29 October 2021
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visit the COSCO container terminal in Piraeus in November 2019.
Transportation

China's COSCO raises stake in top Greek port Piraeus to 67%

Shipping giant says it aims to expand key foothold in Belt and Road initiative

26 October 2021
The Xturismo is the first 'hoverbike' to make its debut in Japan. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Technology

Japan drone maker's flying motorcycle to hit the skies next year

A.L.I. Technologies starts taking orders for $682,000 Xturismo

26 October 2021
Police in Vietnam inspect travel documents of commuters during the first day of a lockdown in Hanoi on Sept. 6. The country's economy has been hammered by COVID curbs.
Coronavirus

Asian economies take $1.7tn hit from COVID in 2020

Tourism and other service sectors suffered most

26 October 2021
Ocean Network Express, the containership joint venture known as ONE, helped lift Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha's profit to a new record in the first half.
Transportation

Kawasaki Kisen poised for 23-fold surge in profit to record $2bn

Container ship demand buoys Japan shipper beyond upgraded guidance for 1st half

26 October 2021
Taiwan's Foxconn has big ambitions in electric vehicles and has three prototypes, including the Model C shown here.
Transportation

Indonesia and Foxconn in talks over electric vehicle investment

Jakarta says plan in place, but iPhone assembler only confirms discussions held

25 October 2021
Japan Airlines hopes to offer flying car transportation at the World Expo in Osaka in 2025 and elsewhere. (Illustration courtesy of JAL)
Transportation

Japan Airlines books seats on British and German flying cars

Japanese carrier plans to launch business at Expo 2025 in Osaka

24 October 2021
A container terminal of Eurotransit in Altynkol, Kazakhstan. The country's rail transport is benefitting from rising maritime shipping costs and delays. (Photo by Yohei Ishikawa)
Interview

Kazakhstan transit cargo to double in volume by 2025 from 2010

Rail transport gaining from pandemic, online shopping: deputy minister

23 October 2021
Truck deliveries from China to Europe are encountering fewer delays than sea and rail shipments. 
Belt and Road

Anxious European importers turn to trucks to get Chinese goods

Port congestion and shortage of shipping containers drive search for alternatives

22 October 2021
Singapore is now allowing inoculated travelers from the U.K., the U.S. and selected other countries to enter without quarantining.
Coronavirus

Singapore quarantine-free travel stirs hope for wider Asia revival

Philippines, Thailand also easing rules for some arrivals to spur economies

19 October 2021
Tata Sons' less-than-stellar record in the airline industry does not bode well for Air India, which has seen better days.
Transportation

Tata's takeover of Air India faces turbulence as foes lash out

Burden of investment falls on family's shoulders after privatization

15 October 2021
Cargo container vessels are backlogged at the Port of Long Beach in California. 
Trade

Key U.S. West Coast ports stay open 24/7 to unsnarl supply chain

Biden teams with FedEx, Walmart and Samsung to ease import backlog

14 October 2021