Orient Thai Airlines, which operates regional and domestic services, is acquiring eight 172-seat MD-80s from Continental Airlines and will phase out two of its eight 747s. The MD-80s will be used by budget operation One-Two-Go. As part of the fleet revamp, two 757s flown by One-Two-Go will be transferred to Orient Thai. Bangkok Airways has decided to add 717s to its fleet despite acquiring A320s. It has sourced two more 717s, its fifth and sixth, that will be put into service next year.

Volga-Dnepr Group confirmed that the first new-build IL-76 cargo aircraft equipped with PS-90A-76 engines and "new generation avionics" completed a 30-min. test flight at an altitude of 700 m.

Boeing is carrying out a three-week flight test program on a 777-300ER intended for ANA at its Glasgow, Mont., test facility to demonstrate lower noise features. The Quiet Technology Demonstrator 2 program is an equal cost-sharing project among Boeing, General Electric, Goodrich Corp.'s Aerostructures division and NASA. Concepts being tested include chevrons on the engine exhaust ducts and new acoustic treatment for the GE90 engine inlet. Aerodynamic fairings for the main landing gear designed by Goodrich under contract to NASA also will be tested.

Royal Air Maroc and Boeing signed an MOU July 31 covering the purchase of up to five 787s. Formal negotiations are expected to conclude next month. Engine choice and delivery dates were not disclosed.

General Electric announced that Bradley Mottier, currently president of Unison Industries LLC, a wholly owned GE subsidiary, will become VP and GM of the Services business within GE Transportation, Aircraft Engines, beginning next month. Mottier, a 25 year-veteran of Unison, was appointed president in April 2002 when GE acquired the company. He will be succeeded at Unison by Christina Alvord, GM at Middle River Aircraft Systems.