Nearly 1,000 Ships' GPS Jammed Near Iran Daily, Navy Group Says
Close to 1,000 ships a day are seeing their GPS signals jammed near Iran's coast, according to a French naval liaison group.
The disruption makes it harder to navigate safely at night, in poor visibility or when there's heavy shipping traffic, the MICA Center, which promotes co-operation between navies and commercial shipping said in a post on X. On average 970 vessels have had their signals jammed daily since June 13, it said.
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Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
These are the best airlines of 2025 – and no US carrier made the list. Here's why.
Skytrax recently released its World's Best Airline Awards of 2025 – also called the "Oscars of the aviation industry" – with Qatar Airways scoring the top spot for the ninth time and no U.S. airlines making the list. Since 1999, the aviation rankings organization has determined the annual awards based on results from the largest airline passenger satisfaction survey. For this year's list, the global survey was conducted from September 2024 to May 2025, with the winners announced on June 17. "We welcomed back a large number of previous winners and were also delighted to see new faces and airlines represented here today," said Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, in a statement. "As is indicated by so many former winning airlines being present, quality consistency is clearly well recognised by customers when they vote for these airlines." Not only did Qatar Airways win World's Best Airline, but also Best Airline in the Middle East, World's Best Business Class and Best Business Class Airline Lounge. "This recognition is far more than an award, it is a celebration of the passion, precision and purpose that defines who we are as an airline," Qatar Airways Group CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer said in the release. Airlines based in the Middle East and Asia dominated the top 10, with many repeat winners like Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Emirates, while no U.S. carriers made it into the top 20. Here are the top 20 airlines of 2025, according to Skytrax: Qatar Airways Singapore Airlines Cathay Pacific Emirates ANA All Nippon Airways Turkish Airlines Korean Air Air France Japan Airlines Hainan Airlines Swiss International Air Lines EVA Air British Airways Qantas Airways Lufthansa Virgin Atlantic Saudi Arabian Airlines STARLUX Airlines Air Canada Iberia U.S. carriers were absent from a majority of the Skytrax awards. However, two made it onto lists: Delta Air Lines scored the Best Airline Staff Service in North America, and JetBlue Airways was the sixth Best Regional Airline for 2025. (Regional airline awards are for those with mostly domestic flights and international ones up to six hours.) "This isn't just a ranking problem. It's a reputation and business problem," said Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and founder of air passenger rights company AirAdvisor. "The reason U.S. airlines are failing to crack the top 10 isn't because they're incapable; it's because they're prioritizing margins over meaningful passenger experience." A 2024 report by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations found major U.S. airlines generating billions in revenue from charging "sky high junk fees," such as checked bags and seat assignments, to passengers. Between 2018 and 2023, seat reservation fees made a combined $12.4 billion for American, Delta, United, Frontier and Spirit. "U.S. carriers need to understand that international passengers and, increasingly, Americans too, expect more than just an on-time flight," said Radchenko, adding that they should invest in improving the traveler experience instead. "Travelers may not buy tickets based on awards, but they feel the difference, and they vote every day with their wallets and loyalty, he continued. "Until U.S. airlines close the gap on these fundamentals, we'll continue to see them locked out of the global top tier.' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These are 2025's best airlines – and none are in the US
WIRED
4 hours ago
- WIRED
Fancy Airplane Seats Have Nowhere Left to Go—So What Now?
Upper and business class cabins have expanded to the point where the top tier resemble hotel suites more than passenger pods. But what happens now airlines have no more room to offer? All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. Not so long ago, direct aisle access along with the ability to lie horizontally were the hallmarks of comfort on airplanes if on entering you happened to be turning right and not left. Fast-forward a decade and the prevailing new high-water mark is now the private suite with sliding doors, expansive entertainment screens and even double beds. Qatar Airways' Qsuite allows four passengers to dine together face-to-face, while Virgin Atlantic's Retreat Suite offers an oversized version of business class that aims to blur the line between where the suits sit and first. At the very front of the plane, showers and private bedrooms have raised the bar even further. However, as airlines continue to compete on seclusion, space, and spec, the business appears to have flown itself into a dilemma: If square footage is the ultimate flying luxury, now we live in a world where your sky space can be more akin to a bijou hotel room, what happens when there's no more room left to give? 'Business class used to be all about hardware—the seat, the screen, the privacy door,' Nigel Goode, chairman of design studio PriestmanGoode, says, agreeing that the sky-high space race is coming to a close. 'But now it's about human-centred design. The Qsuite that we originally developed for Qatar Airways broke the mold because it gives passengers so much more scope. They can sit as a four, they can be in a family, there's a double bed option. You can adapt your own privacy level.' Airline cabins are becoming hybrid communal spaces where passengers can decide to be alone or interact with others—but now there's no more room to expand. Courtesy of Qatar Airways This shift is apparently redefining cabin formats around intent rather than hierarchy, and unlocking new revenue models for airlines. Key trends? Technology that supposedly can reflect passenger mood, hybrid layouts that balance solitude with sociability, and sustainability as status with lightweight materials that tell a carbon story. Nippon Airways, for example, has just announced "THE Room FX" cubicle coming in 2026 for business travelers that despite the extra kit involved in being a private cabin seat, the whole pod has a comparable weight to the current Boeing 787-9 business class seat. But as the physical airplane seat is approaching its design limits, it looks like the airline business is being forced to bank on the next wave of upselling innovation being emotional, and so far more nebulous. NewTerritory, a brand experience studio currently working with LATAM Airlines, over 12 months conducted more than 400 hours of behavioural research with five global airlines surveying 258 passengers. Its findings? Seventy-five percent of business class passengers polled said empathy—in how airlines address fatigue, jet lag and stress—is the strongest driver of loyalty. 'Passengers want to feel like valued guests, not just ticket holders,' says founder Luke Miles. 'Just as we expect comfort and care in a high-end hotel, travellers now expect the same in the sky.' 'The future of business class isn't about seats or service in isolation,' Miles says. 'It's a composite, symphonic experience where every element—from preflight to landing—works in harmony to create something emotionally resonant and brand authentic.' So in other words, as innovation in hardware levels out, brands are being forced to lean into hoping differentiation will come from journeys that feel personal, restorative, and intentional. This, however, is hardly groundbreaking thinking. The luxury world is awash with such watchwords. And, according to Mariel Brown, director of foresight at design agency SeymourPowell, this next leap in air travel will be all about another overused luxury watchword: customization. 'Luxury in 2035 won't be about square footage. The new differentiator will be control—the ability for passengers to tailor their environment effortlessly. From climate and lighting to when and how they eat or connect, seamless personalization will matter more than physical boundaries.' Well, as long as those physical boundaries still include a double bed and sliding doors. Expect to see embedded, adaptive tech—smart armrests, modular wellness trays, mood-sensitive lighting—replacing one-size-fits-all features. 'The magic is in the margins,' Brown says. 'A light that softens as you close your eyes. A seat that remembers how you slept last time. These don't have to be expensive innovations, just well-considered ones.' Inexpensive innovations or not, if self-softening lights do start appearing on planes, they'll almost certainly be for the expensive seats, initially at least. Qatar Airways' Qsuite broke new ground by allowing four passengers to dine together face-to-face. Courtesy of Qatar Airways Wellness is apparently becoming foundational to the premium cabin experience. Brown sees a future in biometric responsiveness—seats that passively monitor hydration and posture or adjust lighting to your circadian rhythm (Collins Aerospace has introduced its Hypergamut lighting system that purports to do just this.) 'Designing with neurodivergent travellers and limited mobility in mind should be standard, not a bonus,' Brown says. 'When that happens, everyone benefits.' Goode cites the Finnair AirLounge—a business-class seat that his team developed with, again, Collins Aerospace—as a more lifestyle-led response. "It's a nonmechanical seat, more like a sofa. Lighter, more flexible and built for movement. It reflects a domestic mindset, not just an aviation one.' Of course, the problem for airlines is that innovation in this tightly regulated, risk-averse space isn't easy. 'Airlines often have to offer the same thing—but just a bit better,' Goode says. But that hasn't stopped experimentation. PriestmanGoode's latest concept, Maya—developed with Collins Aerospace and Panasonic Avionics Corporation—features curved wraparound screens, 3D-knitted materials, and seats embedded with sound-absorption and haptic vibration. 'Passengers won't just be watching entertainment,' Goode says. 'They'll be interacting with their own micro-environment.' So it seems set that because there's no more cabin floor space to conquer, the next game-changing business class features will not be bigger berths or screens. Not onboard bars. Not mood lighting. The airline industry is banking on a technological leap that will yield cabins that learn, adapt, and respond. Where personalization is functional, not performative. Where the best tech is hidden, not on display. And where luxury is measured not just in inches, but in the degree of emotional impact the airline can impart as you favorite those movie choices and peruse the wine list. But until we get to a reality where your lie-flat pod knows who you are as you approach the single-digit seats, here is a rundown of what the major airlines have planned for pimping their plane service in 2025. United Airlines Debuting in May 2025, United's eight 'VIP' Polaris Studio suites with 25 percent more space than a standard Polaris seat are located at the front of each business class cabin. With 27-inch 4K OLED screens (up from 19 inches), privacy doors, companion ottomans, and high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi, the new studios have been designed to try and cater for both work and downtime. There's also a new caviar service and a retro-style sundae cart with Tillamook flavours elevate the onboard experience. United Airlines' new 'VIP' suites—caviar service and a retro-style sundae cart not pictured. Courtesy of United Airlines Air France From July this year, Air France will be rolling out new Sofitel MY BED mattress pads from the French hotel brand. The newest iteration of the airline's business class seats are upholstered in natural wool and full-grain French leather (for a more organic sensory feel, apparently.) On the culinary front, triple Michelin-starred chef Régis Marcon and pastry chef Nina Métayer have drawn up a menu of dishes inspired by the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (think Royale of salmon and prawns in a "tangy sauce" with snow peas and yellow carrots.) Air France has turned to Sofitel hotels to get their seat mattresses worthy of return flights. Courtesy of Virginie Valdois/Air France Qatar Airways Launching on Boeing 777-9 aircraft this year, the Qsuite Next Gen features nearly 4.75-foot suite walls and sliding doors—among the tallest in the sky. Passengers can opt to sit in a quad layout around a shared table or convert two central seats into a double bed. Qsuite passengers also get manoeuvrable 4K OLED HDR 10+ Panasonic Astrova screens (a world-first, apparently) and PIN-lockable storage for valuables, these suites marry innovation with intimacy. Qatar's Qsuite Next Gen pods feature world-first 4K OLED HDR 10+ Panasonic Astrova screens. Courtesy of AMER SWEIDAN/Qatar Airways Riyadh Air Set to take off by the end of 2025, this new Saudi airline benefits heavily from generous investment from the country's sovereign wealth fund. With no expense spared, the cabin itself has been designed by British firm PriestmanGoode. Business class seats are Safran's Unity model, and have integrated Devialet speakers in the headrest so travellers don't need to wear headphones. At the front of the cabin, four Business Elite suites come with 32-inch 4K OLED screens (10 inches bigger than in the rest of business class), and can also be made up as double beds for couples. Riyadh Air's business class seats boast integrated Devialet speakers in the headrest so travellers don't need to wear headphones. Courtesy of Riyadh Air
Fox News
7 hours ago
- Fox News
US Virtual Embassy in Iran urges Americans to evacuate country immediately after partial airspace reopening
The U.S. Virtual Embassy in Iran is insisting that Americans leave the Middle Eastern country amid conflicts in the region after a partial reopening of its airspace. This comes after a ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel to end the nearly two-week conflict. "As of June 26, 2025, Iran's airspace has been partially reopened, although business trips from Tehran and other major centers may be interrupted," the embassy said in an advisory. "US citizens should follow local media and consult with commercial airlines to get more information about flights departing from Iran." American citizens who wish to leave Iran must travel by land to Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey or Turkmenistan if the conditions are safe, the embassy said. The U.S. State Department created a crisis information acceptance form for American citizens in Iran to provide information on consular assistance, the embassy noted. But because of the limitations of consular support in Iran, the embassy said it does not anticipate that withdrawal from Iran will be provided with direct assistance from the U.S. government. U.S. citizens who plan to leave Iran must use the available facilities to leave the country, it said. The embassy encouraged Americans wanting to leave Iran to take several actions, including having a plan to leave immediately without relying on the U.S. government, keeping their phones charged and communicating with loved ones about their situation, preparing an emergency plan for emergency situations and signing up for alerts from the U.S. government such as the Intelligent Passenger Registration Program (STEP) that would make it easier to find their location in an emergency abroad. Americans who cannot leave Iran are advised to find a safe place in their residence or another safe building and to carry food, water, medicine and other essential items with them. At certain intervals, the Iranian government has limited access to the mobile internet network and physical phone lines, the embassy said, adding that U.S. citizens should be prepared for internet network outages and develop alternative network connectivity and communication plans. "American-Iranian dual citizens must leave Iran with an Iranian passport and before leaving Iran, they must be ready to face checkpoints and be interrogated by Iranian authorities," the embassy said. "The state of the Iranian government Dual citizenship does not recognize and will treat American-Iranian dual citizens only as Iranian citizens. US nationals in Iran are at significant risk of interrogation, arrest, and detention. Showing a US passport or proving a connection with the United States is sufficient reason for the arrest of a person by the Iranian authorities." "US passports may be confiscated in Iran," it continued. "American-Iranian dual citizens should consider that in their Iranian passport, they will receive the necessary visas for the countries they will pass through on their return trip to the United States, so that in case of confiscation of their American passport, they can use [their] Iranian passport in Iran. These people can then apply for a new US passport in the country they will pass through." U.S. citizens who reside in Iran with a permanent residence visa, regardless of how long they are staying, must obtain an exit permit when departing Iran, the embassy said, noting that all Iranian passport holders are required to pay exit fees.
