Airbus announced yesterday that it will deliver the first A380 to Singapore Airlines on Oct. 15, with the carrier's first flight slated for Oct. 25 from Singapore to Sydney. The aircraft will be configured with 471 seats in three classes: Economy, business and "Singapore Airlines Suites." Seats on the first flight will be auctioned via eBay and SIA said it will donate the proceeds to charity. The return Sydney-Singapore flight is scheduled for Oct. 26.

Bombardier announced delivery of the first of 10 Q400s to Frontier Airlines Holding subsidiary Lynx Aviation (ATWOnline, July 4) and the first of four Q400s to Tassili Airlines of Algeria (ATWOnline, Aug. 1, 2006).

Embraer, which continues to struggle with production and staffing issues, saw its second-quarter profit fall 51.6% to $67.3 million from $139.1 million in the same period a year ago. Net sales rose 11.3% to $1.1 billion. The company stated that industrial costs remain high because of longer production cycles, labor costs, overtime and the training of new employees.

Mba remarketed a CRJ200LR owned by ING Lease of Ireland and previously operated by defunct Independence Air to Global Principal Finance Co.

EADS is considering adding its Augsburg plant to the six Airbus plants being partially or completely sold as part of the Power8 restructuring program, possibly including it in a package of facilities to entice potential investors. The Augsburg site is part of the Defense and Security Division but about 70% of its revenue is related to Airbus, EADS said, noting that the German plant "is the single largest aerostructures supplier to Airbus."

Boeing is "confident" that its contingency plans will ensure the 787 is delivered on time to ANA next May even if the aircraft's first flight is pushed back to October. "We're targeting first flight by the end of September, but [Chairman, President and CEO] Jim McNerney also said that target date could move well into the fall as well as we proceed to work on the stuff in front of us," a 787 program spokesperson told ATWOnline.

Boeing's 2007 order book stood at a net 698 following orders for 777s from Air New Zealand and Cathay Pacific Airways added last week. Qatar Airways 787 order, all but confirmed by the airline last month (ATWOnline, July 25), still is listed as unidentified. As of July 31, Airbus trailed by just 10 net orders with 688.

Embraer 195 received type certification from US FAA, the manufacturer announced Friday. The 110-seat aircraft, Embraer's largest, received ANAC and EASA certification last year.