AVIC and GE signed a framework agreement Sunday to launch an avionics joint venture targeted at the fast-growing Chinese aviation market. Lorraine Bolsinger, president and CEO of GE's Aviation Systems business, told reporters that GE and AVIC each will hold 50% of the joint venture but she declined to reveal the size of GE's investment. AVIC VP Zhang Xinguo said his company has not yet decided how much to invest and when the JV will be established formally. "Our first priority is to make a bid for the C919 for the short term," Bolsinger noted. The C919, Commercial Aircraft Corp.

Rolls-Royce won an order for Trent 700s to power 20 A330s ordered by Air China and scheduled to begin delivery in 2011. The contract is worth $1.5 billion at list prices and includes TotalCare service support. Rolls also said its share of an order from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise for V2500s to power 20 A320s ordered by DAE's finance and leasing arm is worth $110 million. The aircraft, part of an order for 70 announced last year, are scheduled to deliver starting in 2011. Pratt & Whitney said its share is worth more than $112 million.

Airbus said EASA has certified all A330 models for ETOPS "beyond 180 min.," which will be available as a customer-selectable option that will extend diversion distance up to 1,700 nm. (240 min. of flying at one-engine speed under "standard conditions").

Boeing late last week moved the first 747-8 freighter out of its Everett assembly hall for painting, with flight testing set to start in the 2010 first quarter. First aircraft is destined for launch customer Cargoloux, one of nine airlines that have ordered a combined 78 747-8Fs. Boeing has sold 105 747-8s overall, including passenger and VIP variants. The -8F at 76.3 m. is 5.6 m. longer than the 747-400 freighter. The stretch provides 16% more revenue cargo volume, translating to four additional main-deck pallets and three more lower-hold pallets.

Vietnam Airlines has signed an MOU for four A380s, VN and EADS officials told reporters in Hanoi. EADS VP Marwan Lahoud said VN is the first new A380 customer since 2006 and that the order was worth $800 million-$1.2 billion, according to Agence France Presse. VN CEO Pham Ngoc Minh told Bloomberg News that the agreement marked the start of negotiations. An Airbus spokesperson contacted by ATWOnline could not confirm the reports. VN has ordered both the 787 and A350.