Aegean Airlines became the first operator to commit to upgrading its Airbus A320 fleet with the FANS-B+ retrofit solution offered by Airbus, enabling aircraft/ATC datalink without voice backup. Deliveries from Airbus of the kits and service bulletins associated with the upgrade will be aligned with C-checks beginning in January 2011, Airbus said. According to Airbus, the Datalink Services Implementing rule applying to airlines operating in Europe comes into effect on Jan. 1 2011 for new aircraft and in February 2015 for in-service aircraft.

Airbus delivered two A380s yesterday from Hamburg. Air France took its fourth and Emirates received its 12th. The deliveries bring the total in-service fleet to 35 of which 12 have been delivered in 2010.

Ghafari Associates has announced that it has been awarded a contract from Bombardier Aerospace to redevelop its manufacturing complex in Montreal to support the lean manufacture of the CSeries aircraft.

Airbus said Thai Airways signed a firm order for seven A330-300s, confirming a commitment announced at last month's Farnborough Airshow (ATW Daily News, July 22). Deliveries will begin at the end of 2011. Engine selection was not announced but Thai's 20 in service A330-300s are powered by a mix of Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney engines.

In response to robust domestic demand growth, Okay Airways plans to expand its fleet from eight to 12 aircraft by year’s end and to 20 aircraft by the end of 2011. The current fleet consists of three 737-800s, two MA60s and three 737 freighters operating on more than 20 domestic routes. The Tianjin-based carrier placed an order with AVIC for 10 MA60s in 2007. But owing to the carrier’s suspension of operation at the end of 2008, it introduced only one MA60 earlier this month. It operates on the carrier's Shenyang-Dalian route.