Airbus announced that South African Airways ordered five A320s, boosting an earlier commitment for the type to 20 from 15 previously. Aircraft, which will be delivered from 2013, will be powered by IAE V2500s. SAA recently agreed to lease six A330-200s from Aircastle for delivery in 2011 (ATWOnline, Dec. 18, 2009). It already operates a fleet of 11 A319s, six A340-200s, six A340-300s and nine A340-600s.

PowerJet, the Snecma/NRO Saturn joint venture, announced yesterday that 100% of certification tests have been completed on the SaM146 engine that will power the Sukhoi Superjet 100. Speaking to reporters at the Regional Airline Assn. Annual Convention in Milwaukee, PowerJet Chairman and CEO Jean-Paul Ebanga said the last medium-bird ingestion test was conducted successfully yesterday and the engine is in the "home stretch" toward EASA certification "sometime this summer."

AerCap Holdings reached agreement to sell six A320s to Dublin-based operating lessor Avolon. Four of the aircraft were manufactured this year and are part of the AerVenture portfolio, a joint venture between AerCap and Abu Dhabi investment holding company Waha Capital. The other two are owned by AerCap and were manufactured in 2008. All aircraft have been sold with leases attached.

ATR VP-Marketing and Airline Studies Mario Formica said 2011 "will be fundamental" for making a final decision on whether or not the manufacturer will launch an 80/100-seat turboprop.

Bombardier pushed back against the notion that a re-engined A320 or 737 would severely damage the viability of its CSeries, questioning whether Airbus or Boeing could deliver equivalent fuel-burn improvements without making major and costly aircraft design modifications.

Finnair will lease two E-170s to Kenya Airways for four years beginning June 1. Value of the lease agreement is nearly $20 million. The leasing arrangements are being made by US lessor Jetscape Inc. Finnair Aircraft Finance, responsible for administering the Finnair fleet, either owns or leases 10 E-170s. Of these, two are leased to Finncomm Airlines in Finland. The aircraft leased to KQ are for sale. AY also operates 10 E-190s.