A United Airlines flight that took off on Friday morning from San Francisco International Airport landed in Oregon missing an external panel, the FAA said. The panel was found to be missing after the plane, a Boeing 737-800, landed safely at its scheduled destination at Rogue Valley International Medford Airport in Oregon and parked at a gate, United Airlines said in a statement. It was unclear when or how the panel went missing. According to the airline, there was no indication of any damage to the plane during the flight, and the aircraft did not declare an emergency on its way to the Medford airport. “We’ll conduct a thorough examination of the plane and perform all the needed repairs before it returns to service,” the airline said. “We’ll also conduct an investigation to better understand how this damage occurred.” The plane was carrying 139 passengers and a crew of six, according to United Airlines. No injuries were reported. The plane has been in service for more than 25 years, and it was from a previous generation of 737 aircraft, according to Airfleets.net, a website that tracks aircraft information. The airport briefly paused operations to inspect the runway, and resumed flights after no debris was found on the airfield, Amber Judd, the director of the Medford airport, said in an email. Boeing referred questions about the flight to United Airlines. The FAA said it planned to investigate the episode. The discovery of the missing panel on Friday came as Boeing has faced heavy scrutiny in recent weeks after a door-sized section blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 Alaska Airlines flight in January just minutes after it had taken off from Portland, Ore. There were no major injuries during the flight, but the frightening episode, which was recorded on video, prompted government officials to look into quality control at Boeing.<br/>
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Polish flag carrier LOT will choose between its current supplier Embraer or rival Airbus for the delivery of 84 new aircraft it plans to buy to service its regional routes, the State Assets Ministry said on Saturday.<br/>LOT will send a request for proposals to the two companies in the near future, the ministry said in a statement on its website, adding it is looking to purchase up to 110 aircraft by 2028. "(LOT) is faced with making a strategic decision whether to continue cooperation with the current supplier (Embraer) in the regional segment or to switch to a competitor's platform (Airbus)," it said. "In the near future, the company intends to send a request for proposals for the acquisition of 84 regional aircraft to two manufacturers who offer aircraft that meet the requirements. That is Embraer and Airbus." LOT currently has a fleet of 75 planes, over half of which is made up of Embraer aircraft with the remainder being Boeing B737s and B787s.<br/>
Singapore Airlines announced updates to its premium economy service offerings. The changes include 175 new food menu items and all-new dishware, as well as a new amenity kit available on request on flights of at least seven hours, designed by U.S.-based sustainable lifestyle company Out of the Woods. The carrier introduced its premium economy cabin in 2015, which features roomier seats and elevated service compared to the traditional economy product. Thursday’s announcement represents the first major overhaul of the service offerings in the class. According to Betty Wong, Singapore Airlines’ divisional vice president of inflight service and design, the carrier’s changes to its premium economy offerings were based on customer feedback, which showed that food and beverage options were the top deciding factor for most customers who chose to book premium economy tickets. “Taste, availability of choice and meal portions are the most important factors contributing to the premium economy class customers’ inflight dining experience,” Wong said in a presentation to media in Singapore on Thursday “Customers can enjoy an elevated inflight dining experience which includes an improved and expanded selection of beverage options, a new amenity kit, a return of our hard copy menu so customers can view all of the meal offerings that are available onboard.” <br/>