China Southern Airlines has committed to purchasing 20 A320 aircraft for delivery in 2011-13. The carrier said it would pay less than the $1.54 billion catalog value for the aircraft and that the fleet expansion will increase ATKs by 4.5%. Aircraft are part of the order for 110 A320 family aircraft and 40 A330s that the Chinese government placed with Airbus in November 2007.

ATR delivered 54 aircraft in 2009, down one from the prior year, and enjoyed record revenue of $1.4 billion, up 7.7%. The French turboprop manufacturer took orders for 40 new aircraft plus 17 options last year compared to 42 orders plus 14 options in 2008.

Copa Airlines took delivery of two new 160-seat 737-800s and now operates a fleet of 20 737-700s, 11 737-800s, 26 E-190s and one MD-80 along with AeroRepublica. The airlines expect to be operating a combined fleet of 63 aircraft by year end.

BAE Systems secured an agreement from Condor Airlines to remarket 13 757-300s for a sale/leaseback transaction with a financial institution or lessor. All aircraft will remain in operation with the German carrier.

Ethiopian Airlines CEO Girma Wake yesterday announced that the carrier placed orders for 10 737-800s this month while achieving a long-sought objective to create a West African hub with the launch of ASKY Airlines, a Lome-based carrier operating a pair of 737s leased from ET. First flights for the new airline on Jan. 15 were from Lome to Abidjan and Banjul (ATWOnline, Dec. 9, 2009).