Boeing yesterday confirmed Air Canada's order for 23 787s (ATWOnline, April 25) as interest in and orders for the type intensified ahead of June's Paris Air Show and the July 8 rollout. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer suggested that Qatar Airways is the mystery customer for the 30 unidentified 787s on Boeing's website (ATWOnline, April 20).

A day after Virgin Atlantic and Air Canada ordered 787s, Boeing reported a thumping 26.7% increase in first-quarter net earnings to $877 million from $692 million in the year-ago period. Revenue grew 8% to $15.4 billion and earnings from operations rose 36% to $1.3 billion. Backlog reached a record $262 billion, up 23% in the past 12 months due to continued strength in commercial airplane orders and additional defense orders for the F-18 and C-17.

ATR said Swiftair of Spain ordered three 68-seat 72-500s worth a combined $55 million for delivery between December and mid-2008. Swiftair currently operates 16 ATR aircraft and expects to increase that number to 30 by 2010.

Engine Alliance GP7200, which will power the A380, attained EASA CS-E certification, the GE-Aviation/Pratt & Whitney joint venture announced. US FAA certified it in December 2005. Joint EASA and FAA aircraft certification is expected by year end. Emirates, Air France, Korean Air and ILFC have selected the engine.

The first A380 designated for launch customer Singapore Airlines is "in the paint shop" and on schedule for an October delivery, a sign that the troubled aircraft program finally is progressing normally, Airbus executives said.