Rolls-Royce yesterday confirmed an order from ILFC for Trent XWB engines to power the 20 A350 XWBs the leasing giant ordered last month (ATWOnline, Oct. 29). The deal is valued at $800 million at list prices and makes ILFC the largest Trent customer, Rolls said, with 61 aircraft in its portfolio and 70 on order.

Rockwell Collins was selected by Airbus to provide the Trimmable Horizontal Stabilizer Actuator for the A350 XWB.

Boeing did not bend to heavy lobbying from Emirates for a shorter stretch with greater range and said yesterday that it completed "firm configuration" of the 747-8 Intercontinental. The airframe will be stretched 5.6 m. (18.3 ft.) with a range of approximately 8,000 nm. (14,815 km.). Emirates had sought a 3.6-m. stretch with a range of 8,300-8,400 nm. (ATWOnline, Nov. 6).

Boeing is revisiting the original 747-8 Intercontinental design in order to meet Emirates' demand for Dubai-US West Coast range capability. Speaking to ATWOnline in Australia, Emirates Vice Chairman Maurice Flanagan said that the "3.6-m. stretch is back on the table and we think other airlines are also interested."

LAN Airlines finalized its July order for 32 787s, with 26 purchased directly from Boeing and an additional six leased from ILFC (ATWOnline, July 16). Boeing said the Chilean company also has committed to acquiring four 777 freighters, two from the manufacturer and two from GECAS. The purchased 787s are a mix of -8s and -9s and are valued at around $4.5 billion at list prices, while those leased from ILFC will be -9s. The 777Fs are valued at approximately $250 million apiece.

AirAsia intends to exercise at least 25 of its 50 A320 options and add 25 more options, CEO Tony Fernandes told reporters last week in Singapore. The carrier placed an order for 50 firm and 50 options in January (ATWOnline, Jan. 9).

AirTran Airways will discontinue its cargo operations effective Dec. 1.

Danish Investigation Board concluded in a preliminary report that the most recent SAS Q400 landing gear malfunction, which caused the airline to pull the turboprops permanently from its fleet (ATWOnline, Oct. 30), was caused by an O-ring that became lodged in the right main gear's actuator, the mechanism that lowers and extends the gear. Investigators determined that this was a different cause than the carrier's two previous Q400 incidents, during which landing gears collapsed as the aircraft touched down.