Qatar Airways signed an MOU with Airbus for the purchase of 80 A350 XWBs valued at $16-$18 billion, providing a major boost to an aircraft program that has undergone a significant redesign. The manufacturer said Qatar Airways will launch the aircraft into commercial service in mid-2013. In 2005 the carrier committed to 60 of the original-design A350s. Yesterday's agreement supersedes and expands that accord.

Embraer relocated its office in China to a newly established Central Business District in downtown Beijing. Since entering the Chinese market in 2000, the company has received orders for 71 ERJ-145s, 50 E-190s and two executive jets.

Malaysia Airlines' spectacular turnaround continued in the first quarter with a net profit of MYR133 million ($39.2 million) that represented a reversal from the year-ago period's MYR321 million loss and a significant premium over the MYR50-MRY99 million profit the carrier had forecast.

S7 Airlines yesterday announced an order for 15 787s valued at $2.4 billion at list prices, plus 10 purchase rights. Delivery date and engine choice were not announced. The order occurs as the airline, the largest domestic carrier in Russia, works to distance itself from last summer's A310 runway overrun in Irkutsk that claimed 124 lives. It passed the IOSA audit in December and has committed to a fleet revamp that included the delivery of 14 Western aircraft last year as well as yesterday's order.

Bombardier Aerospace's operating profit for its fiscal first quarter ended April 30 more than doubled to C$112 million ($103.7 million) from C$55 million in the year-ago period owing to robust aircraft sales. Aerospace's revenue lifted 15% to C$2.3 billion. It received 91 net orders for regional aircraft, nearly a fivefold increase over 19 ordered in the year-ago quarter, comprising 53 regional jets and 38 turboprops. Delta Air Lines' order for 30 CRJ900s led the way, with Horizon Air and Pinnacle Airlines each ordering 15 Q400s to lead turboprop sales.