Boeing delivered 109 commercial aircraft in the third quarter, up from 100 in the year-ago quarter. Deliveries comprised 81 737NGs, five 747s, three 767s and 20 777s. Year-to-date deliveries totaled 329, up from 295 in the first three months of 2006.

Ural Airlines confirmed an MOU signed at the Paris Air Show for seven A320s, Airbus announced. Ural is a new Airbus customer. Aircraft will accommodate 160 passengers in a two-class configuration. The airline, which currently operates two leased A320s, has not selected an engine.

Bombardier said that an estimated 149 of the global fleet of 165 Q400s have returned to full service following SAS's and Wideroe's combined reintroduction of up to 11 aircraft yesterday (ATWOnline, Oct. 4).

Cathay Pacific Airways today will place its first 777-300ER into service between Hong Kong and Seoul Incheon. The first of 23 ordered by CX will transition to long-haul routes next month and is scheduled to fly to New York JFK on Nov. 15, expanding the route into a thrice-daily service. CX will take a total of five -300ERs this year, five in both 2008 and 2009, three in 2010 and five in 2011. It currently operates 89 passenger aircraft and 19 freighters.

European turboprop manufacturer ATR announced updated versions of its 50-seat ATR 42 and 70-seat ATR 72 that include a more powerful engine, new cockpit technology and increased maximum takeoff weight. The -600 series, offered in both variants, "will be the most modern, most up-to-date, with the latest generation technology," CEO Stephane Mayer said yesterday in Washington.

Thales was awarded a contract from ITT for the supply and lifecycle support of ADS-B radios for the ITT team's winning bid to deploy the ground stations for FAA's ADS-B program (ATWOnline, Aug. 31). Thales said the initial contract term is three years with a value of up to $40 million, rising to $140 million if all options are exercised.

Pinnacle Airlines will defer the start of the transition of 15 CRJ-200s to Northwest Airlines until November in exchange for a $1.5 million payment, the regional announced. Aircraft will leave the carrier at a rate of around two per month and originally were scheduled to begin transferring to NWA in September.

Vietnam Airlines confirmed yesterday that it will acquire 12 additional 787-8s following Boeing's Monday announcement that the carrier had promised to "move forward" with additional acquisitions (ATWOnline, Oct. 2).