Spirit AeroSystems said it shipped the Airbus A350's first production composite center fuselage panels from its Kinston, N.C., plant to Saint-Nazaire, France, where final upper shell assembly is planned.

1 Lufthansa Technik (LHT) said it will begin converting the first of three privately owned Boeing 747-8I aircraft in 2012 as part of its VIP cabin quick-change kit for Airbus and Boeing narrowbody aircraft.

Emirates took delivery of its 16th A380, on lease from Doric Asset Finance for 12 years. Boeing has surpassed 300 deliveries of the 777-300ER aircraft type, with an Oct. 21 delivery to Biman Bangladesh. It is the first direct Boeing order from the carrier. The 777-300ER has received 543 orders, as of Sept. 30.

Bombardier Aerospace announced an unidentified Chinese airline has signed a conditional purchase agreement for six CRJ900 aircraft, plus five options, in a deal worth approximately $264 million based on list prices.

Airbus confirmed Friday morning that Transaero Airlines (UN) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Airbus for four A380 aircraft, making UN the launch customer for the A380 in Russia, the CIS and Eastern Europe.

Russian carrier OrenAir (R2) recently took delivery of its first Boeing 777-200ER. The aircraft, VQ-BNU, was leased from International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC) and made its first flight in 1999.

Transaero Airlines (UN), Russia’s second-largest carrier, is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Airbus Friday for A380s, ATW learned from a well-placed source.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight 7871, the first Boeing 787 commercial passenger service, landed at Hong Kong Oct. 26 after a 4 hr. and 10 min. flight from Tokyo Narita.