Boeing is coming under growing pressure to boost capacity on the 747-8 Intercontinental by two seat rows as airlines start to look at it as a possible alternative to the A380 rather than a model positioned between the 365-seat 777-300ER and 555-seat A380. Increasing the length of the dash 8 to that of the 747-8F adds 20 seats. Moving galley carts into the overhead space would add another 30, lifting seating capacity to 500 in the standard Boeing configuration compared to 416 for the 747-400 using the same rules. Currently the passenger variant has a 3.6-m.

Syrian Arab Airlines plans to order up to four Tu-204s and two Il-96s. According to RIA Novosti, Syrian Minister of Transport Yarub Sulayman Badr was traveling to Moscow Tuesday to examine details of the deal. "The Russian offer is very attractive and looks optimistic," he said, adding that the carrier needs more capacity.

777-200LR still is on high priority lists at Qantas and Singapore Airlines, according to internal sources at both carriers. Qantas is impressed with the 747-8, but under its rules the aircraft may not be able to perform the Dallas-Sydney mission in all seasons. Boeing has been working with Qantas since mid-2005 to refine the 777-200LR to perform a variety of missions including London-Sydney nonstop and Sydney-Dallas. SIA has been looking to the type to replace its five A340-500s, with reports suggesting that its nonstops to New York and Los Angeles are not profitable.

Emirates remains totally committed to the A380, saying that fundamentally it promises to be a "superb aircraft." Speaking to ATWOnline in Sydney, Emirates President Tim Clark urged Airbus to instigate program management changes quickly and refocus its energies on getting the program back on track. He was bullish on Airbus CEO Gustav Humbert's efforts, saying, "Humbert is honest and is demanding accountability."

TransAsia Airways signed a contract for the purchase of two new ATR 72-500s plus one option. The deal, including the option, is valued at $53.7 million. The aircraft will be delivered in 2007 in a 72-seat configuration and will bring TransAsia's ATR fleet to 12.