NavAero said it achieved an STC for the tBag C22 Class 2 electronic flight bag for the 727-100/-200. It is the 11th STC issued for the tBag C22 EFB.

Turkish Airlines is negotiating a two-year dry lease of three Jet Airways 777-300ERs, a THY spokesperson confirmed to ATWOnline. The widebodies would join the THY fleet in April and be painted in its red-and-white livery. In December 2008, Turkish agreed to wet-lease three 777-300ERs from Jet. THY has a firm order for 12 of the type with delveries starting in October. It is scheduled to take delivery of five this year and seven in 2011 (ATWOnline, July 29, 2009).

Skynet Asia Airways of Japan announced the lease of one 737-800 from AWAS for delivery in the summer of 2011. It currently operates nine 737-400s. Aircraft will feature the Boeing Sky Interior.

Boeing 747 Chief Pilot Mark Feuerstein said the 747-8 freighter "performed as expected and handled just like a 747-400" during Monday's 3 hr. 39 min. first flight. The aircraft departed from Paine Field in Everett and followed a route over western Washington state before returning (ATWOnline, Feb. 9). The manufacturer said it successfully underwent tests for "basic handling qualities and engine performance." The GEnx-2B-powered aircraft reached a cruising altitude of 17,000 ft.

RUAG Aviation announced that Lufttransport of Norway ordered a Do 228 NG, becoming the European launch customer for the upgraded version of the twin-turboprop utility and transport aircraft manufactured by Dornier from the early 1980s until 1999 and by India's Hindustan Aeronautics under license. According to RUAG, the 228 NG "is a completely modernized and enhanced version" of the Do 228-212.

The Thai Airways board announced plans to lease 15 widebody aircraft over the next five years, requiring an investment of THB35.48 billion ($1.07 billion).

The 747-8 freighter achieved first flight yesterday, taking off from Paine Field in Everett, Wash., at around 12:40 p.m. local time following a nearly 3-hr. weather delay and landing at the same airport at 4:18 p.m., marking the start of flight testing for the latest derivative of Boeing's successful widebody program.

Rockwell Collins will provide its CMU-900 communications management unit and GLU-925 multi-mode receiver to Gol for use on its 737NG fleet.