Engine Alliance and Rolls-Royce battle to win future A380 engine business.

Airbus announced the first four of 10 Korean Air A380s are now in production in Toulouse. The first is being prepared for its first flight, the second and third are in the main assembly hall, and the wings and main fuselage sections of the fourth are complete. First delivery of the 400-450 pax aircraft is scheduled for next May. Teledyne Controls reached an agreement with Boeing to supply its Digital Flight Data Acquisition Unit for Boeing’s Airplane Health Management system for the 737NG.

Pemco World Air Services launched a 757-200 Combi conversion program with an order for four from National Airlines. The initial Combi configuration developed for National Airlines has 10 pallet positions in a Class C cargo compartment, pax compartment, two full galleys, and accommodations for multiple supernumerary personnel, a payload of approximately 36 tons and a range comparable to the passenger version, Pemco said.

Boeing confirmed to ATW that the manufacturer is telling its suppliers to halt deliveries of 787sections for two weeks owing to delays from Italian supplier Alenia Aeronautica, which makes the horizontal stabilizer for the aircraft, according to spokesperson Loretta Gunter.

Delta Air Lines for the first time publicly addressed whether it will retain 18 787-8 firm orders placed in 2005 by Northwest Airlines, stating in a regulatory filing this week that it has entered into an agreement with Boeing "to reaffirm" the orders but has deferred delivery to 2020-2022.