Dublin-based RBS Aviation Capital, a unit of Royal Bank of Scotland, has ordered 20 737NGs, according to Boeing's orders website. RBS was established in 2001. Boeing also lists one new 737NG sold to an unidentified customer.

Boeing listed orders for three 747-400s on its website but did not identify the customer. The order comes on the heels of a UPS order for eight 747-400Fs and takes the year's total net of cancellations to 18. The 747 backlog now stands at 38, which will bridge production to delivery of the proposed 747 Advanced if it is launched. Cargolux has placed a provisional order for 10 747ADVs and Boeing is expected to confirm the go-ahead of the program in September.

CIT Group, the New York-based finance and leasing company, ordered five A350s and 24 A320s from Airbus valued at $2.2 billion at list prices, the companies announced yesterday. CIT said it also took options on an undisclosed number of additional aircraft.

Airbus and Russia's Irkut Corp. signed "a preliminary agreement" on Russian participation in the design and manufacture of the proposed A350 "on a risk-sharing basis," the companies announced yesterday. The letter of intent was signed at MAKS 2006 in Moscow by Airbus and Irkut on behalf of Unified Aviation Consortium, "a new umbrella organization that is being formed as a result of the restructuring of the Russian aviation industry," Airbus said.

UPS ordered eight 747-400Fs, Boeing said yesterday. The order is the first by UPS placed directly with Boeing for any 747 variant. First delivery is scheduled for June 2007 with two additional deliveries that year followed by the remaining five in 2008. UPS chose GE CF6-80C2-B1F engines to power the aircraft. Value of the order was not disclosed. Earlier this year, UPS signed up for 10 A380Fs plus 10 options