Singapore Airlines management announced an additional capacity cut and said it has met with three staff unions to discuss its plans for "mitigating the impact of the global economic downturn." In a statement released Monday, the airline said that falling advance bookings prompted it to reduce capacity in the fiscal year beginning April 1 by 11% year-over-year. SIA will ground 17 aircraft, 13 more than previously planned. It originally planned to convert one aircraft into a freighter and return three others to lessors.

Rolls-Royce delivered 987 commercial aviation engines last year, up 16% year-over-year and the highest total since 2001. Civil aerospace revenue rose 11% to £4.5 billion ($6.43 billion) and the value of Rolls' order book climbed 21% to £43.5 billion. The division reported an underlying profit before financing of £566 million, up 0.4% from the prior year. The group's full-year net loss was £1.35 billion, reversed from a profit of £600 million in 2007. Financing costs and foreign exchange losses were the principal culprits.

The US National Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether icing played a role in last Thursday night's Colgan Air/Continental Connection crash outside Buffalo. NTSB Member Steven Chealander, who is leading the investigation, said the Q400's cockpit voice recorder indicated that "the crew discussed significant ice buildup, ice on the windshield and on the leading edge of the wing."

CIT Aerospace announced delivery of the first of five CFM56-7B24-powered 737-800s to Garuda Indonesia.

Aeroflot took delivery of its 25th A320 this week. Aircraft will seat 140, is on lease from GECAS and is the 46th A320 family aircraft in SU's fleet. It will take delivery of an additional 17 this year.

US National Transportation Safety Board confirmed that the birds ingested in the CFM56-5B/P engines of the US Airways A320 that successfully ditched in the Hudson River on Jan. 15 were Canada geese (ATWOnline, Jan. 22). Identification was made by the Smithsonian Institution's Feather Identification Laboratory.

CFM International signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International to collaborate on developing a CFM56 maintenance training center. It is expected to offer advanced courses specific to CFM56-5B and -7B line maintenance and inspection.

Ethiopian Airlines took delivery of its first MD-11 freighter. The used aircraft was purchased directly from Boeing and will serve Liege, Johannesburg, Lagos, Dubai, Hong Kong, Madras and Kinshasa. ET will take another MD-11F on lease in August. Its freighter fleet previously comprised two 757-200Fs and two 747Fs.