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Vietnam Airlines is considering an order of 50 to 100 Boeing 737 Max planes this year to replace its aging fleet of Airbus single-aisle aircraft and may also buy long-range jets in preparation for flights to California. The new aircraft will be for delivery between 2020 and 2030, CE Duong Tri Thanh said. While Thanh didn’t specify which Max model the carrier plans to buy, based on list prices of the popular Max 8, the order would be valued at about US$6.1b to $12.2b before customary discounts. The airline is seizing expanded travel demand presented by Vietnam’s growing economy and US regulatory approval this month for its air-safety system, allowing carriers in the country to fly to the US. <br/>

China Airlines says it has punished a pilot after a video of him taking a nap in the cockpit mid-flight was posted online. His co-pilot, who filmed the incident, has also been reprimanded. The footage drew attention after it was shown in a report on a Taiwanese TV network Wednesday. The man was identified as Weng Jiaqi, a senior pilot with almost 20 years of experience who was promoted to chief pilot last year. The incident comes after the airline last week reached a deal with the pilots’ union to end a 7-day strike over working conditions and benefits that forced the cancellation of more than 200 flights. But China Airlines said that the video was filmed before the pilots walked off the job. <br/>