Bloomberg In the world of multibillion dollar defense contracts, India stands out. Home to one of the biggest armed forces on the planet, the country has an uneasy co-existence with neighbours Pakistan and China. Its rapidly aging fighter jets make it a lucrative potential prize for the likes of Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. While India wants to upgrade …

Bloomberg Britain will impose a 5 kilometer (3.1 mile) drone exclusion zone around its runways as the government responds to illegal incursions that closed London Gatwick airport for 36 hours in December, disrupting travel for more than 120,000 people. The measures, taking effect March 13, extend the current 1-kilometer no-fly zone for unmanned and model aircraft, the Department for Transport …

Bloomberg Air France-KLM Group’s French pilots approved a pay deal, putting an end to last year’s labour conflict and handing Chief Executive Officer Ben Smith more freedom to define his new strategy. The accord, hammered out during months of talks between management and unions, was approved by 85 percent of pilots, the SNPL union said in a phone message. It …

Bloomberg Walmart Inc. finally gave the US retail sector some good news. The company brushed off the industry’s disappointing December sales with its best holiday quarter in at least a decade, soothing concerns about the sector’s outlook for 2019. Comparable sales for Walmart stores in the US — a key performance barometer — rose 4.2 percent in the quarter that …

Bloomberg Southwest Airlines Co. said it would investigate the cause of an operational emergency that’s seen an “unprecedented number” of aircraft taken out of service for mechanical issues, and indicated the groundings may be related to ongoing contract talks with a labour union. The disruptions started February 12, days after the airline’s last contract talks with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal …

Bloomberg Flybe Group Plc said American Airlines-backed Mesa Air Group Inc. has launched a counter-bid for its business, leading the stock to more than double in price. The approach from Phoenix, Arizona-based Mesa and New York private-equity firm Bateleur Capital LLC is “preliminary and highly conditional,” Exeter, England-based short-haul carrier Flybe said in a statement on Wednesday, without revealing how …

Bloomberg Chinese regulators have proposed easing a major solar power subsidy policy announced last year, according to the nation’s main industry group, a move which would partially reverse rules that undercut demand in the world’s biggest user and shook the global market. Policy makers are starting approvals again for utility-scale, ground-mounted projects that receive subsidies, which were halted in June …

Bloomberg There’s plenty of demand for Tesla Inc.’s Powerwall home-battery systems. The trick is finding installers that have them. Only 12 percent of US companies that install solar panels and residential batteries carry the Powerwall, a study on Tuesday from Boston-based EnergySage and the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners found. Meanwhile, about 55 percent of customers shopping for …

Bloomberg An oil discovery in a remote corner of northwestern China could trigger a surge in shale drilling, benefiting service companies and providing a needed output boost for the world’s biggest importer, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley. PetroChina Co. has achieved daily output of 100 tons of oil (733 barrels) at a test well in the Jimsar field in …

Bloomberg Chinese state media sought to highlight the growing bull case for the country’s shares. A front-page story in the China Securities Journal noted a bullish trend in financial markets, while Shanghai Securities News said insurers are optimistic about the country’s equities. The articles come against the backdrop of the Shanghai Composite Index advancing 12 percent from Jan. 3 and …