Singapore Airlines’ (SQ) new medium- to long-haul low-cost carrier Scoot took ownership of its first aircraft, a Boeing 777-200, Saturday.

Kigali-based RwandAir has signed a firm order for two Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen aircraft, plus two options, making it the first CRJ900 operator in eastern Africa.

Southwest Airlines (SWA) on March 8 took delivery of its first Boeing 737-800; it plans to receive 33 -800s by the end of the year.

Russian carriers are turning to Western-built regional aircraft as they replace Soviet-built fleets. Russian regional carrier Saravia Airlines (6W) will lease three Bombardier Q400s, the company said in a statement.

Frontier Airlines will launch 3X-weekly Orlando-Bloomington, Ill. service May 25. It will also increase seasonal 2X-weekly Orlando-Madison, Wis. service from seasonal to year-round May 27, swapping the Embraer E-190 with an Airbus A319. REDjet will launch Barbados-St. Maarten service May 19. Silver Airways will launch Gainesville, Fla. service to Orlando (daily) and Tampa, Fla. (12X-weekly) April 15.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines plans to replace 3,520 seats in its narrowbody fleet with new lightweight, slim economy-class seats, beginning with its Boeing 737-800 fleet in May.

SunExpress (XQ), the Antalya-based joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, will lease its fleet of 28 Boeing 737-800s to make better use of over-capacity during the low-demand European winter season, it said in an statement.

Airbus has completed structural assembly of the first A350 XWB aft fuselage of aircraft MSN1, which will be the first to fly.