Lufthansa's supervisory board yesterday approved orders for nine A330-300s and 32 A320 family aircraft. All nine A330s and two A320s will be operated by Swiss International Air Lines, with deliveries starting in early 2009. The -300s will replace A330-200s that Swiss currently operates. Lufthansa will take delivery of 20 A321s, four A320s and six A319s beginning in 2011 to operate within Europe.

Honeywell was awarded a contract valued at $16 billion by Airbus to supply major mechanical systems and provide aftermarket support on the A350 XWB, including designing and building the APU for the aircraft.

AVIC I will launch its new regional carrier with a fleet composed mainly of Chinese-manufactured aircraft "very soon," Senior VP Hu Wenming told ATWOnline yesterday at the Beijing Air Show. AVIC I and China Eastern Airlines revealed earlier this month that they will start a regional airline (ATWOnline, Sept. 7). "We are quite optimistic about China's regional market though it takes time to fully develop it," Hu said. "According to our national plan, China will build 51 regional airports. .

Thai Airways' board will decide next month on a fleet expansion plan that could include as many as 65 new aircraft, with eight 747-8Is likely to be among the orders. President Apinan Sumanaseni told media in Bangkok yesterday that the board is looking at two options, one for 61 aircraft and the other for 65. Other aircraft mentioned were the 787, 737-900, A350 and A321. According to an airline source, the aircraft would be delivered over 10 years and likely would be valued at THB390 billion ($12.1 billion).

AirAsia X's first 396-seat A330 is due to arrive in Kuala Lumpur today for the carrier's service launch later this month. The A330 will be the first of three leased by the long-haul LCC to arrive with another 10 on firm order to be delivered next year. Air Asia X initially will launch flights from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne Avalon and London Stansted.

Air New Zealand subsidiary Air Nelson said it will purchase two additional Q300s valued at $32 million, bringing its total on firm order to five and increasing its fleet of the 50-seat turboprops to 23 by May 2009.

Horizon Air, which grounded its fleet of Q400s following the collapse of landing gear on two separate SAS flights (ATWOnline, Sept. 13), inspected 16 of its 33 affected aircraft by Friday and plans to begin placing them back in service today. The regional carrier canceled 89 flights Friday and expected additional cancellations over the weekend because of the grounding. By Tuesday it intends to introduce a "modified schedule" as aircraft are returned to service.

Babcock & Brown filed last week with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to spin off part of its commercial aircraft leasing business in an IPO that could raise more than $440 million. The newly created lessor will be known as Babcock & Brown Air. Shares are being offered at $22-$24 each and will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol FLY, B&B said in a statement.