The first 787 test aircraft powered by GEnx-1B engines completed its first flight late Wednesday, landing at Boeing Field in Seattle at 6:29 p.m. local time following a 3 hr. 48 min. flight. The aircraft is the fifth of six 787s in the Dreamliner flight test program (ATW Daily News, April 22). A second GEnx-1B-powered 787 will take flight before the end of July, Boeing said.

British Airways 777-200ER sustained substantial damage to its right Trent 895 engine while en route from Singapore to London Heathrow on June 15 and diverted to Amsterdam Schiphol "reporting multiple technical problems and a low fuel state,"according to Ascend. The consultancy and data services provider said the damage to the engine turbine and outlet area occurred approximately 5 hr. prior to landing. The aircraft, MSN 30315 built in 2001, landed safely and there were no injuries to anyone onboard.

Hong Kong Airlines this week took delivery of its first Airbus aircraft, an A330-200 with which it intends to launch services to Europe by the end of the month, initially flying to Moscow. The A330 is the first of 53 Airbus aircraft it has on order comprising 23 A330s and 30 A320s. "The arrival of the A330 is a milestone for Hong Kong Airlines as we expand into the long-haul market," President Yang Jian Hong said. Aircraft are equipped with Panasonic Avionics' eX2 IFE and communication systems.

Turkish Airlines topped up its firm order with Airbus with an additional A330-200 for delivery in July 2011. The aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. The purchase joins existing orders for 10 A330-300s, two A330-200 freighters and 24 A320 family aircraft signed last year. ‪

Boeing yesterday announced a further bump to the 737NG production rate, to 35 per month in early 2012, up from 31.5 currently.

Boeing announced yesterday that the 747-8 freighter has received expanded type inspection authorization from US FAA, a critical step toward certification that allows agency personnel to participate in test flights and collect required data.

Lufthansa Technik AERO Alzey signed an eight-year exclusive repair and overhaul agreement with Eurowings covering "at least" 30 CF34-8C engines powering the carrier's CRJ900 fleet.