Airbus parent EADS posted first-half 2010 net income of €185 million ($241.7 million), down 51% from a €378 million profit in the year-ago period, but expressed optimism going forward owing to rebounding commercial aircraft sales. Large numbers of orders announced at this year's Berlin and Farnborough air shows "reflect an improvement in the commercial aviation market," CEO Louis Gallois said. EADS's first-half order intake jumped 79% year-over-year to €30.8 billion "due to higher commercial aircraft orders," the company stated.

Airbus will increase the monthly production rate of A320 family aircraft to 38 in August 2011 and to 40 in the 2012 first quarter.

The inability to recover the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from AF447 is causing the aviation industry to take a look at streaming data from aircraft in flight.

AJW Aviationexpanded its power-by-the-hour contract with Danish carrier Jet Time to include a seventh 737-400. GECASyesterday announced the delivery of one new 737-800 to Japan Airlines under a sale and leaseback transaction.

TAM, the largest Airbus operator in Latin America, finalized an MOU for 20 A320 family aircraft and five A350-900s announced at the ILA Berlin Air Show in June. TAM's A350s will be powered by Trent XWBs; engine selection for the A320s was not announced (ATW Daily News, June 9).

An A321 operated by Pakistan's privately owned Airblue crashed on approach to Islamabad from Karachi at approximately 9:45 a.m. local time Wednesday. All 146 passengers and six crewmembers were killed when the aircraft went down in the Margalla Hills around 15 km. from Islamabad International Airport, according to multiple press reports. A statement on the airline's website described the weather as "poor...with thick fog." Flight ED202 departed Karachi around 7:45 a.m. local time for the approximately two-hr. trip.

Boeing reported second quarter net income of $787 million, down 21% from $998 million in the year-ago period, and expressed optimism regarding potential revenue growth in 2011 even as it repeated its warning that planned first delivery of the 787 to ANA in the fourth quarter may be delayed by "a few weeks."

Jetscape leased one E-175LR to Royal Jordanian for eight years beginning in October. Curtiss-Wright Controls said it will provide the flap track assembly for the outboard and inboard flap system on 737-800s under a contract with Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The assemblies will be manufactured at Curtiss-Wright's facility in Shelby, N.C. beginning in 2012.