Shenyang Aircraft Corp., an AVIC subsidiary, yesterday began construction on the 21,000-sq.-m. facility in which the CSeries fuselage will be built. SAC delivered the first test fuselage barrel last August to Bombardier's Saint-Laurent site. It is being used to demonstrate manufacturing and engineering structural concepts in advance of the aircraft's final design phase, which is scheduled to begin before year end. It has been subjected to 40,000 simulated flight cycles of testing, Bombardier said

Jet Airways will dry-lease three 777-300ERs to Thai Airways for three years each (ATWOnline, March 19). Jet also has four -300ERs on lease to Turkish Airlines. Skyworld Aviation said it is assisting in the marketing of six Q400s being sold by Republic Airways Holdings. Aircraft were operated by Frontier Airlines subsidiary Lynx Aviation, which will be dissolved by Republic in September (ATWOnline, Feb. 5).

AerCap Holdings and Genesis Lease announced completion of their $1.76 billion merger yesterday. Genesis shareholders will receive one AerCap ordinary share for each Genesis share. AerCap said it now is the world's largest independent aircraft leasing company with assets of some $8 billion and a portfolio of 345 commercial aircraft and 92 engines. AerCap CEO Klaus Heinemann and CFO Keith Helming will lead the enlarged company, in which Genesis shareholders now own approximately 29% (ATWOnline, Sept. 21, 2009).

China Southern Airlines plans to introduce 35 new aircraft this year, increasing its total fleet to 400 by 2011, according to GM Tan Wangeng. He noted that the Guangzhou-based carrier will phase out older MD-90s and 757s. It is scheduled to take delivery of its first A380 and 787 in 2011. It has firm orders for five A380s and 10 787s.

Aires of Colombia took delivery of its eighth 737-700. Aircraft will seat 149 passengers and will be followed by two more this year. It also operates 13 Dash 8-200s. The Bogota-based airline carried 203,405 passengers in January, a nearly fourfold increase year-over-year.

Alliance Airlines, a Brisbane-based charter carrier, said it plans to acquire eight more F100s starting in May to support natural resource-related contracts in Queensland and Western Australia. Aircraft will be purchased from a European operator and will lift Alliance's fleet to 19. MD Scott McMillan told ATWOnline that the F100 acquisition "is a major vote of confidence in the future of the resources industry in this region" and that the aircraft has been "extremely popular among the contract customers we serve."

Sukhoi Superjet 100 completed cold soak testing in Yakutsk, the manufacturer announced. Aircraft was exposed to temperatures as low as -41C and was parked for up to 17 hr. before APU and engine startup. Seven test flights were conducted.

Boeing on Friday said it will "accelerate planned rate increases" on both the 777 and 747-8 in response to increasing demand "in the recovering airplane market." Last week, Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Jim Albaugh signaled that the company likely would make an announcement in April regarding the 777 (ATWOnline, March 18). The 777 monthly build rate will climb to seven from five in mid-2011, about six months earlier than had been planned.