Aviation Partners Boeing will provide Norwegian with 42 blended winglet systems for its new fleet of 737-800s under a deal announced Tuesday. Delivery is scheduled from June 2009 to May 2014. Norwegian also intends to lease additional 737-800s equipped with blended winglets (ATWOnline, Jan. 31).

Chinese government officially approved the launch of the jumbo aircraft manufacturing company that reportedly will begin operating as early as this month. It did not start up last month as originally planned (ATWOnline, March 6). Local news reports revealed that it will be called China Commercial Aircrafts Co. and that the first board meeting was held last month in Beijing.

SATA Air Acores parent Grupo SATA ordered four Q400 NextGens, Bombardier announced. Aircraft are worth $113 million at list prices and will seat 80 passengers each. Delivery date was unannounced. Air Acores currently flies five BAe ATPs and one Do-228.

Malaysia Airlines yesterday announced an order for 35 737-800s and 20 options plus an agreement with Airbus regarding the delayed delivery of its six A380s. The narrowbody order is worth $4.2 billion at list prices assuming all options will be exercised. Delivery will begin in September 2010, "when the weakness of the global economy should be less of a concern," MAS MD and CEO Idris Jala said.

AVIC I Commercial Aircraft Co. will postpone the first flight of the ARJ21 at least six months to this September/October owing to the fact that "supplier[s] of key systems were not able to provide necessary test conditions on time." The aircraft was scheduled to take to the skies in March (ATWOnline, Dec. 24, 2007). ACAC promised it is making efforts to ensure that the delivery of key systems is on schedule.

Iraqi government signed an agreement for the purchase of 10 787s and 30 737NGs, Boeing announced yesterday (ATWOnline, Feb. 21). Contractual terms are yet to be finalized.

AVIC I announced an MOU with GECAS for the sale of five ARJ21-700s, China Daily reported from Beijing. AVIC I Vice GM Hu Wenming, speaking at the ceremony launching Joy Air (see item above), confirmed that GECAS is the new aircraft's first overseas customer and that the lessor "said it will buy more ARJ21 planes to strengthen its fleet. . .This means ARJ21 planes have been accepted by the market."

Pratt & Whitney, maker of the Geared Turbofan that will power the newly launched Mitsubishi Regional Jet, "currently [has] several proposals out with various airlines and we are confident that there will be additional orders throughout this year," according to Todd Kallman, president of Pratt's Commercial Engines unit. ANA placed the first MRJ/GTF order last week (ATWOnline, March 28).