US lawmakers warn that “more military spending is absolutely necessary” to ensure Pentagon’s readiness
The US Congress has raised concerns about how inflation rates and cuts in main acquisition programmes could affect the US military.
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
-
![US lawmakers warn that “more military spending is absolutely necessary” to ensure Pentagon’s readiness]()
-
![Can the US overcome Russian and Chinese nuclear capabilities?]()
Can the US overcome Russian and Chinese nuclear capabilities?
Washington’s ageing inventory and the pace Moscow and Beijing have been modernising their capabilities put in check the US Nuclear deterrence.
-
![US FY2024 funding package passes as China closes military capability gap]()
US FY2024 funding package passes as China closes military capability gap
The Pentagon has been operating under temporary funding since October 2023, which has impacted its main acquisition and development programmes, increasing the capability gap between the US and China.
-
![NATO outlines future challenges as Ukrainian funding from US stalls]()
NATO outlines future challenges as Ukrainian funding from US stalls
In 2023, defence spending increased by an unprecedented 11% across European NATO countries and Canada. Since 2014, the group has spent an additional US$600 billion on defence.
-
![US Pentagon to reduce investments in main acquisition programmes over FY2025]()
US Pentagon to reduce investments in main acquisition programmes over FY2025
The DoD requested nearly US$850 billion to fund operations over the next fiscal year. Despite the amount being 1% higher than the FY2024 budget request, it has not covered the 3% inflation rate, which could impact the DoD’s main programmes in the medium and long term.
-
![Haiti crisis forces Caribbean militaries to prepare for intervention]()
Haiti crisis forces Caribbean militaries to prepare for intervention
As gangs gain control of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s Caribbean neighbours have been preparing to intervene in the failed state, with the US and other partners waiting in the wings with equipment and financial support.
