Rockwell Collins will provide Aer Lingus with a suite of avionics including MultiScan weather radar, GLU-920 Multi-Mode Receiver and a range of communication and navigation offerings on six A330s. Deliveries are slated to begin next year.

B/E Aerospace yesterday announced a deal with Airbus valued at more than $1 billion to provide galley systems for A350 XWBs. Systems are designed to accommodate aircraft's "flex zones" and allow airlines to select various galley positions and configurations. Deliveries will begin in 2013.

Embraer delivered 37 commercial jets, nine executive jets and two aircraft for defense/government use in the third quarter compared to 38 commercial and nine business aircraft in the year-ago period. The Brazilian manufacturer received 13 commercial orders during the quarter and its firm order backlog was valued at $21.6 billion, up 4.3% year-over-year. Nine-month deliveries totaled 145 aircraft, up 34%, and it reaffirmed its estimate that it will deliver 195-200 aircraft this year. Separately, LAM Mozambique Airlines signed a contract for two E-190s plus two purchase rights.

Pratt & Whitney restructured and placed its Commercial Engines, Global Service Partners and Global Material Solutions operations into a new unit named Commercial Engines & Global Services that will be led by Todd Kallman as president. Kallman has headed the Commercial Engines business since 2006. Global Service Partners is Pratt's maintenance, repair and overhaul organization and Global Material Solutions is its engine parts business that is developing non-OEM parts for the CFM56-3.

Radiant Power, a HEICO subsidiary, launched its Sentinel power supply unit featuring 10 min. of additional power for crash survivable cockpit voice recorders as required by US FAA on aircraft of 10 or more passengers. Unit is compliant with ARINC 777 and meets TSO-C155 certification standards.

Investigators probing the Aug. 20 Spanair MD-82 crash concluded that the aircraft's flaps were not extended as it attempted to take off and that no warning was sounded in the cockpit.

China's new turboprop aircraft, the MA600, an enhanced version of the MA60, made a successful first flight at Xi'an Yanliang Thursday. The MA600 was designed to optimize the MA60's structure and avionics system as well as improve its cabin interior. It entered production in 2005 and rolled out on June 29 this year (ATWOnline, June 26).

VGS Aircraft Holding announced the acquisition of a JetBlue Airways A320-200 that will be leased to TAM until October 2014.