SriLankan Airlines said last week it will equip its long-haul fleet with flatbed seats and new IFE systems starting in May 2011. It said the retrofits will occur on two of its five A340s and four of its five A330s. The airline also operates three A320s and plans to take delivery of five more A320s by the end of 2011, according to its website.

Boeing last week forecasted that airlines in Russia and the CIS will take delivery of about 960 new aircraft valued at $90 billion over the next 20 years.

Boeing said Friday it successfully completed the "final body join" of the first 747-8 Intercontinental in Everett, noting that mechanics "loaded the forward and aft fuselage sections to join with the wing and center section."

Boeing said Friday it successfully completed the "final body join" of the first 747-8 Intercontinental in Everett, noting that mechanics "loaded the forward and aft fuselage sections to join with the wing and center section."

Embraer delivered 20 commercial aircraft in the 2010 third quarter, down 31% from 29 in the year-ago quarter. The company delivered 70 commercial aircraft in the first nine months of 2010, a 27% decrease from 90 during the same period last year. Leading the way for commercial deliveries during the third quarter were 11 E190s (down from 20 in the year-ago quarter) and six E195s (down from 12 last year). As of Sept. 30, its firm backlog was valued at $15.3 billion, down 17.7% from $18.6 billion on Sept. 30, 2009.

Air Lease Corp. Chairman and CEO Steven Udvar-Hazy said this week in Munich that "it's hard to see a meaningful benefit" in re-engining A320s or 737s, Bloomberg reported.

Hong Kong Airlines finalized a contract with Airbus for 10 more A330-200s and converted an existing order for 15 A330s to 15 A350 XWBs. Both agreements were announced with an MOU during the Farnborough International Airshow in July (ATW Daily News, July 21).

Hong Kong Airlines finalized a contract with Airbus for 10 more A330-200s and converted an existing order for 15 A330s to 15 A350 XWBs. Both agreements were announced with an MOU during the Farnborough International Airshow in July (ATW Daily News, July 21).