Pentagon’s FY26 defence budget proposal is $130 billion more than US Congress plans to provide
The House Committee on Appropriations approved a FY2026 bill reducing investments in main defence programmes.
AirAsia adds to KL?Hangzhou service
AirAsia’s long-haul, low-fare affiliate, AirAsia X is to increase the frequency on its route between Kuala Lumpur and Hangzhou, the gateway to Shanghai, by moving to direct daily flights from 28 March.
“The response has been extremely good as we are running past 80% load factor for the Hangzhou–Kuala Lumpur routes. This demand has enabled us to ramp-up our frequency,” explained Kathleen Tan, regional head of commercial, AirAsia. “The increased frequency is testament to the AirAsia’s commitment of making travel accessible and affordable to all. It will also provide both business and leisure travellers with more flexibility and greater choice to connect onto AirAsia and AirAsia X’s extensive route network across ASEAN countries and beyond. We have always positioned Hangzhou as our Eastern gateway into the Yangtze Delta region as it takes only 75 minutes from Hangzhou to Shanghai by bullet train and the inbound travellers from China can also take advantage of Kuala Lumpur’s status as a gateway to Asia, Australia, Europe and beyond.”
The Kuala Lumpur–Hangzhou route is serviced by Airbus A330-300s, which holds 383 economy seats including 28 premium seats which have a 60-inch seat pitch.
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![Pentagon’s FY26 defence budget proposal is $130 billion more than US Congress plans to provide]()
-
![What role could holographic and 3D capabilities play in the warfare of tomorrow]()
What role could holographic and 3D capabilities play in the warfare of tomorrow
Holographic and 3D technologies have been lauded by some for their ability to provide technical and operational advantages for military training and planning. But is the hype truly justified?
-
![Unfolding the Golden Dome for America: Seven things you should know about the programme]()
Unfolding the Golden Dome for America: Seven things you should know about the programme
Shephard talked to multiple experts about the most pressing concerns and considerations regarding the air defence system advocated by President Trump.
-
![Industry welcomes UK Strategic Defence Review, but pressure remains on future defence investment plans]()
Industry welcomes UK Strategic Defence Review, but pressure remains on future defence investment plans
While industry reception to the SDR has been positive, questions still remain from analyst and trade associations about what this could mean for future investment and the future UK Defence Industrial Strategy.
-
![UK Strategic Defence Review puts emphasis on autonomy, airpower and munitions]()
UK Strategic Defence Review puts emphasis on autonomy, airpower and munitions
The UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) was launched as one of the first acts of the UK’s new Labour Government in June last year. The review has recommended a major big-picture reform of the country’s forces.
-
![Foreshadowing of UK defence review suggests it is light on programme details]()
Foreshadowing of UK defence review suggests it is light on programme details
The UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) was designed to answer two questions: What is needed to fix UK defence and make it fit for the 2040s, and what do you get for a fixed financial profile? The SDR outlines that work still needs to be done on specifics.
