THAI plans to purchase 23 new aircraft worth about US$3b to replace decommissioned ones, the country’s transport minister said Wednesday. The purchase, subject to cabinet approval expected later this year, was part of the state-owned national carrier’s five-year plan from 2018-2023, Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said. THAI expects to make an order of 13 widebody aircraft and 10 narrowbody aircraft within this year, said the airline’s acting president, Usanee Sangsingkeo. The announcement comes at a time of transition and new leadership for the airliner, which is in the final phase of a reconstruction plan that began in 2015 aimed at restoring profitability. On Tuesday, a new chairman was appointed while a new CE will take the helm later this year.<br/>
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SIA on Wednesday announced that it will launch non-stop flights between Singapore and Los Angeles in November this year. The route will use the new Airbus A350-900ULR (ultra-long-range) aircraft, SIA said. Flight SQ38 from Singapore to Los Angeles will commence on Nov 2, with an initial three flights a week departing Singapore on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Daily operations will commence from Nov 9, after an additional A350-900ULR aircraft enters service. A further three services a week will be added as SQ36 from Dec 7 this year. With this, the airline will fly non-stop from Singapore to Los Angeles 10 times a week, SIA said. "With the introduction of non-stop services between Singapore and Los Angeles, SIA’s existing one-stop service to Los Angeles via Seoul will cease after Nov 30, 2018," the airline said. "Singapore-Seoul frequency will be maintained at four flights per day with the introduction of a new Singapore-Seoul return flight from Dec 1, 2018, operating as flight SQ612." Together with SIA's current daily one-stop service to Los Angeles via Tokyo, the airline will then fly to Los Angeles 17 times a week, it said. <br/>
Air China has placed the pilots of a flight from Hong Kong to Dalian under investigation after claims of aircrew smoking in the cockpit, causing the plane to lose altitude mid-flight. In a statement released just over 24 hours after the incident, the airline vowed "zero tolerance" if crew members were found guilty of wrongdoing. Flight CA106 dropped 25,000 feet in 10 minutes on Tuesday night, flight data showed, triggering the release of oxygen masks from the cabin ceiling. The aircraft did not divert and continued on its journey, landing safely in the northern port city of Dalian. At least two passengers posted photos and videos on social media showing those on board wearing masks but looking calm. According to tracking website FlightRadar24, the 159-seater Boeing 737 suddenly began descending at 7.40pm between Shantou and Xiamen, half an hour after it took off from Hong Kong International Airport. An announcement was heard over the cabin speakers saying the aircraft was carrying out an emergency descent due to cabin decompression. The aircraft then continued to Dalian, the flight lasting three and a half hours. The Communist Party's media mouthpiece, the People's Daily, said the crew were suspected to have been smoking in the cockpit.<br/>