Latest news with #777
New Straits Times
20 hours ago
- General
- New Straits Times
FACTBOX: Who were the two pilots who flew the Air India jet that crashed?
INDIA: A cockpit recording of dialogue between the two pilots of the Air India flight that crashed last month indicates the captain cut the flow of fuel to the Boeing 787 jet's engines, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Below is a brief profile of the two pilots based on the preliminary investigation report and media reports: CAPTAIN SUMEET SABHARWAL The 56-year-old had an airline transport pilot's licence that was valid until May 14, 2026. He had obtained clearances to fly as pilot-in-command on several aircraft, including the Boeing 787 and 777 and the Airbus A310. He had a total flying experience of 15,638 hours, of which 8,596 hours were on a Boeing 787. Sabharwal had called his family from the airport, assuring them he would ring again after landing in London, according to a Times of India report. A pilot who had briefly interacted with him told Reuters he was a "gentleman." FIRST OFFICER CLIVE KUNDER The 32-year-old had a commercial pilot licence that was issued in 2020 and was valid until Sept 26. He had obtained clearances to fly Cessna 172 and Piper PA-34 Seneca aircraft as pilot-in-command and as co-pilot on Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 jets. He had a total flying experience of 3,403 hours. Of that, 1,128 hours of experience were as a 787 co-pilot. Since his school-going days, Kunder was passionate about flying, and in 2012, he began serving as a pilot, Indian media reported, citing his relatives. He joined Air India in 2017.
Business Times
20 hours ago
- Business
- Business Times
Trump's trade deal pushes Garuda to learn to love 737 Max again
[JAKARTA] Five months after a Boeing 737 Max aircraft operated by Lion Air crashed into the Java Sea in 2018, Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia tried to cancel its remaining order for the same model. Now, the country is working to revive that deal as it seeks to forge favourable ties with US President Donald Trump's administration. Trump announced in a social media post on Tuesday (Jul 15) that Indonesia will order 50 aircraft, including 'many' of Boeing's larger 777 planes. While Trump did not disclose a buyer, Garuda chief executive officer Wamildan Tsani Panjaitan had previously said he's in talks to buy 50 to 75 Boeing aircraft, including 737 Max and 787-9 Dreamliner models. The accord points to the intertwined political and economic interests whenever Trump negotiates with foreign leaders. The US President has previously announced aircraft purchases while visiting countries including Qatar, or when he's hammered out trade agreements with the likes of Vietnam or the UK. In Indonesia's case, Trump said he got the deal over the line in direct negotiations with President Prabowo Subianto during a phone call. The dilemma for Boeing is how to restore or expand the existing 49-jet Max order without leaving Garuda in a financial and strategic bind. The airline is already having trouble keeping its existing fleet airworthy, with at least 15 jets grounded as recently as May, as it struggles to make maintenance payments. At the same time, the state-owned carrier, alongside the Danantara sovereign wealth fund that owns Garuda, is under pressure to move quickly with an announcement to please Trump, according to people familiar with the discussions. The airline and Boeing do not yet have an agreement on the models and quantities that would typically be in such an announcement, said the sources, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. Boeing referred any questions to Garuda. The airline and its owner did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up On its own, Garuda does not even have the funds to finance the earlier 737 Max agreement, the sources said. That may prompt Danantara to step in by providing some sort of guarantee or a shareholder loan similar to the US$405 million it put forward last month, the sources said. Garuda may receive between US$800 million and US$1.2 billion more from Danantara to assist with payments to maintenance and leasing companies, they added. As a result, any plane deal could be structured as a purchase while the parties discuss financing options with Danantara and lessors for a later stage, the sources said. But given the weighty political implications, Garuda may feel pressure to agree to a deal under terms it does not necessarily favour and with jets it does not actually need, one of the sources said. Trump is known to combine state visits with tariff announcements to flex his deal-making skills. During his tour of the Middle East, he announced an aircraft accord in every country he visited, including a record plane purchase by Qatar Airways. Not all of those transactions are necessarily what they appear to be. Trump has previously announced inaccurate sizes for accords, wrong numbers of purchased jets or has mixed up aircraft types. He's also presented old agreements as new ones. Some deals that were announced during his first term meanwhile, have since fallen through. At this point, Garuda only operates eight older 777-300 aircraft, raising the question of why the airline would want to buy Boeing's yet-to-be-certified successor in large quantities, as Trump has suggested. The earlier 737 Max order still sits on Boeing's books under a special US accounting category for at-risk deals that are not likely to materialise, the sources said. The state-owned carrier sank back into the red in 2024 after an almost US$10 billion debt restructuring failed to revive its fortunes. That performance is in contrast to its peers in the region that are profitable as they benefit from a rebound in travel demand after the pandemic. BLOOMBERG
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Something similar with India, says Donald Trump after trade deal with Indonesia sealed
WASHINGTON DC: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he believes Washington will conclude a trade deal with India similar to the agreement reached with Indonesia, offering the clearest indication yet of his expectations for the ongoing trade negotiations. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with the media, accompanied by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, upon his arrival from Pennsylvania, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., July 15, 2025 (REUTERS) 'Indonesia was great. He (Prabowo Subianto) is a great President and we made a terrific deal where they opened up the entire country to trade with the United States. We weren't allowed to go in and trade. I think something similar will happen, I would say, with India,' Trump told reporters on Tuesday. Trump announced that under the Indonesia agreement, Indonesian goods would face a 19% tariff when exported to the United States, while US exports would face no tariffs entering the Indonesian market — an asymmetric arrangement favouring American exporters. 'As part of the Agreement, Indonesia has committed to purchasing $15 Billion Dollars in US Energy, $4.5 Billion Dollars in American Agricultural Products, and 50 Boeing Jets, many of them 777's,' Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. Indonesia initially received a tariff letter stating that the country's goods would face a 32% American tariff starting on August 1 if an agreement was not reached, before concluding the deal that reduced this to 19%. The reference to an Indonesia-style deal comes as New Delhi and Washington remain engaged in intensive trade negotiations. An early harvest deal covering goods is currently awaiting political approval from President Trump, with increased access for American agricultural goods and automobiles into the Indian market remaining key sticking points. India has been notably absent from the tariff ultimatum letters sent by the Trump administration over the past weeks, suggesting continued diplomatic engagement despite the approaching August 1 deadline for additional tariffs. An Indian trade team led by chief negotiator for the deal Rajesh Agrawal is due to hold meetings with American counterparts this week. Should India and the United States fail to reach a deal, an additional 16% reciprocal tariff will be imposed on Indian goods starting August 1, adding to the 10% baseline tariff already being levied. Former US trade negotiator Mark Linscott suggested the negotiations have reached unprecedented depths despite Trump's unpredictable approach. 'It's almost impossible to assess the thinking of the President. He clearly engages in complicated calculus of what is beneficial for the United States, what's beneficial for the administration, what's beneficial for him in terms of winning in a negotiation. What I can provide is my own assessment which is that I don't think that the United States and India have ever gone so far in trade negotiations,' Linscott said in an interview to HT earlier this month. When asked about the possibility of a US-India deal falling through, Linscott expressed hope that negotiations would succeed. 'It's a possibility. I hope it's not the case. I think it would be a mistake. I think what seems to have been negotiated already is clearly in US interests. I can't say definitively that it won't happen, but I certainly hope that it doesn't happen.' President Trump's threats to place tariffs on Brics nations, including India, have added complexity to the bilateral negotiations. Additionally, America's proposed Russia sanctions bill could impose a 500% tariff on countries that purchase Russian energy, including India. Trump said he would 'strongly consider' the Russia sanctions bill, which is currently making its way through the United States Senate, potentially creating another layer of trade complications for India. The potential Indonesia-style deal would operate within the broader framework established during Prime Minister Modi's February visit to America, when India and the United States announced they would work to raise bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030 under the 'Mission 500' initiative.
Saudi Gazette
a day ago
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
Striking trade deal with US was an ‘extraordinary struggle,' Indonesia says
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States has reached a trade agreement with Indonesia, after negotiations Jakarta described as an 'extraordinary struggle.' The deal will see the US impose a 19% tariff on Indonesia's exports, a reduction from the 32% Trump had initially threatened to impose on the country. After first announcing the agreement on Truth Social, Trump told reporters that it calls for Indonesia to not charge any tariffs on American exports. Trump also said Indonesia committed to buying '$15 Billion in US Energy, $4.5 Billion in American Agricultural Products, and 50 Boeing Jets, mny of them 777's.' On Wednesday afternoon, Indonesia's government confirmed the deal, saying President Prabowo Subianto had negotiated it directly with Trump over the phone. 'This is an extraordinary struggle by our negotiating team led by the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs,' Hasan Nasbi, the Indonesian president's spokesperson, told Reuters. Prabowo was expected to reveal more detail later on Wednesday. In a post on Instagram the Indonesian president wrote the two sides 'agreed and concluded to take trade relations between Indonesia and the United States into a new era of mutual benefit between our two great nations.' Before departing the White House to speak at a summit in Pittsburgh, Trump said Indonesia is 'known for high-quality copper, which we'll be using.' That may mean that copper from the country could face lower tariffs, or no tariffs, if Trump proceeds with his threat to levy a 50% tax across all copper imports on August 1. While Indonesia shipped $20 million worth of copper to the US last year, according to US Commerce Department data, that's far behind top suppliers Chile and Canada, which sent $6 billion and $4 billion worth of the metal to the US last year. 'No tariffs there; they pay tariffs here. Switching the asymmetry our way,' US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a CNBC interview on Tuesday. Trump said India is 'working along the same line' with regard to securing a trade agreement. In April, Trump briefly imposed a 32% tariff on goods from the country before pausing so-called 'reciprocal' tariffs. Countries that were due to face those tariffs have been charged a minimum 10% tariff for the past three months. That's due to end on August 1. 'Great deal, for everybody, just made with Indonesia. I dealt directly with with their highly respected President,' Trump wrote on his social media platform Tuesday morning. 'DETAILS TO FOLLOW!!!' This marks Trump's fourth trade agreement announcement in three months. He had previously promised dozens of deals with US trading partners over that time frame, but that has proven tough to reach. One of the four agreements he previously announced was with Vietnam earlier this month, similarly posting on Truth Social. But the administration has yet to announce any more information on that agreement. Trump's volatile trade policy has paralyzed many businesses. Some fear that new orders they place for products manufactured overseas could be tariffed at dramatically higher rates given Trump can — at the flick of a switch — change rates charged on a country's exports. Trump has said companies can avoid such headaches by moving production to the United States. But it's not so simple in practice: Businesses may not only encounter difficulty finding the right workers, but it could take years — and many millions of dollars — before manufacturing facilities are up and running. Then, once production is moved to the US, costs could increase, leading to higher prices for American consumers. Representatives from the Indonesian government did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment. Indonesia is America's 23rd top trading partner, US Commerce Department data from last year shows. The United States imported $28 billion worth of merchandise from there last year. Apparel and footwear were the top two goods Americans bought. Meanwhile, the US exported $10 billion worth of goods there last year. Oilseeds and grain as well as oil and gas were the top two exports. — CNN
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Trump says Indonesia to face 19% tariff under trade deal
It remains unclear when the lower tariff level announced on July 15 will take effect for Indonesia. - AFP WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Tuesday(July 15) that he had struck a trade pact with Indonesia resulting in significant purchase commitments from the country, following negotiations to avoid steeper tariffs. Indonesian goods entering the United States would face a 19 per cent tariff, Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. This is significantly below the 32 per cent level the president earlier threatened. "As part of the Agreement, Indonesia has committed to purchasing $15 Billion Dollars in US Energy, $4.5 Billion Dollars in American Agricultural Products, and 50 Boeing Jets, many of them 777's," Trump wrote. Boeing shares closed down 0.2 per cent after the announcement. The Trump administration has been under pressure to wrap up trade pacts after promising a flurry of deals recently, as countries sought talks with Washington to avoid the US president's tariff plans. But Trump has so far only unveiled other deals with Britain and Vietnam, alongside an agreement to temporarily lower tit-for-tat levies with China. Last week, Trump renewed his threat of a 32 per cent levy on Indonesian goods, saying in a letter to the country's leadership that this would take effect Aug1. It remains unclear when the lower tariff level announced Tuesday will take effect for Indonesia. The period over which its various purchases will take place was also not specified. Trump said on social media that under the deal, which was finalised after he spoke with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, goods that have been transshipped to avoid higher duties would face steeper levies. He separately told reporters that other deals were in the works, including with India, while talks with the European Union are continuing. Indonesia's former vice minister for foreign affairs, Dino Patti Djalal, told a Foreign Policy event Tuesday that government insiders had indicated they were happy with the new deal. Trump in April imposed a 10 per cent tariff on almost all trading partners, while announcing plans to eventually hike this level for dozens of economies, including the EU and Indonesia. But days before the steeper duties, customised to each economy, were due to take effect, he pushed the deadline back from July 9 to Aug 1. This marked his second postponement of the elevated levies. Instead, since early last week, Trump has been sending letters to partners, setting out the tariff levels they would face come August. So far, he has sent more than 20 such letters including to the EU, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. Canada and Mexico, both countries that were not originally targeted in Trump's "reciprocal" tariff push in April, also received similar documents outlining updated tariffs for their products. But existing exemptions covering goods entering the United States under a North American trade pact are expected to remain in place, a US official earlier said. Trump has unveiled blanket tariffs on trading partners in part to address what his administration deems as unfair practices that hurt US businesses. Analysts have warned that without trade agreements, Americans could conclude that Trump's strategy to reshape US trading ties with the world has not worked. "In the public's mind, the tariffs are the pain, and the agreements will be the gain. If there are no agreements, people will conclude his strategy was flawed," William Reinsch, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said previously. - AFP.
