Lufthansa Systems signed a five-year deal with Cimber Sterling to provide Lido RouteManual navigation charts and the Lido TakeOff performance analysis solution.

Boeing Chairman and CEO Jim McNerney said yesterday that "re-engining the 73[7] is under active consideration" with customers "anxious for us to make a move" on a more efficient narrowbody.

Airbus signed an MOU with CDB Leasing of China "to share competence and experience to cooperate on a variety of leasing and financing projects," including pre-delivery payment financing, delivery financing and passenger-to-freighter conversion projects. CLC will offer financing solutions to airlines around the world and committed to $4 billion in sale-and-leaseback transactions over the next five years.

Gulf Air said it sold its two oldest A340-300s to an affiliate of Florida-based Apollo Aviation Group, commenting that the transaction "relieved the company of the impending requirement to invest $25 million in order for the aircraft to continue in service." Aircraft are 16 years old and had been withdrawn from service.

Former Northwest Airlines President and CEO Doug Steenland has replaced founder and CEO Steven Udvar-Hazy as chairman of ILFC, according to the lessor's website, while The Wall Street Journal cited sources who indicated that Udvar-Hazy could leave the company as early as this week. The newspaper said Steenland joined ILFC last month. The lessor reported a $245.8 million third-quarter profit (ATWOnline, Nov.

Aeroflot last week took delivery of its 33rd A320 and its ninth A330-200. The latter is on lease from AerCap. It expects to take an A330-300 in April. Skytech-AIC of the UK won a contract from Air Greenland to remarket a 757-200ER during the second quarter. The RB211-535E4/11B-powered aircraft was built in 1992.

Gulf Air signed a preliminary lease agreement with Embraer for two E-170ARs scheduled for delivery in early March. Aircraft will be leased for three years, with an option for a further five, and will seat seven in business class and 60 in economy. Gulf said it will initiate a "full analysis and evaluation of all the regional jets on the market including Embraer, Airbus and Bombardier" in order to select the "optimal" aircraft to complement its new regional focus (ATWOnline, Nov. 24, 2009).

Airbus said the second A330-200F flew for the first time Wednesday. The Trent 700-powered aircraft flew for 3 hr. The 200-hr. flight test program is expected to result in mid-March certification, with first delivery to Etihad Crystal Cargo scheduled for the summer. The first -200F, powered by PW4000s, initially flew in November and currently is undergoing cold-weather testing in Canada (ATWOnline, Nov. 6, 2009).