Avion Aircraft Trading placed a firm order for eight A330-200 freighters, increasing its MOU commitment by two. The order follows finalization of a first leasing arrangement with Icelandair Cargo for four A330-200Fs, Airbus said. Deliveries will start in 2010. No engine type was selected.

AirTran Airways yesterday announced an order for 15 737-700s for delivery in 2011-12. The carrier now has ordered 115 of the type. It currently operates 45. Chairman and CEO Joe Leonard said the order "will provide the needed aircraft that will allow the airline to move forward with our strategic expansion while maintaining our business model."

MacAir Airlines took delivery of Australia's first ATR, a 42-500, for use on its routes in Queensland. The carrier operates a mixed fleet of 14 turboprops to 36 destinations, offering scheduled services as well as flights to the mining community.

FedEx has not ruled out completely its interest in an A380 freighter even though it canceled its $2.3 billion order for 10 last November. "Of course we will look at it again," Chairman, President and CEO Fred Smith said yesterday in Memphis. "It's a great airplane--a marvelous piece of engineering." But he said the delays besetting the program have rendered a freighter version an option for the more distant future.

Embraer yesterday announced the launch of the Advanced Range versions of the E-170 and E-175 and Northwest Airlines as the launch customer. The first 10 of the 36 175s NWA ordered last fall (ATWOnline, Oct. 6, 2006) will be the Long Range version and the remainder will incorporate AR structural provisions off the assembly line. The LRs later will be retrofitted to the AR version.

GE Aviation expects to have the first CF34-10A with 18,000 lb. of thrust to power the ARJ21 ready for testing in the fourth quarter. First flight of the aircraft, produced by China's AVIC I Commercial Aircraft Co., is expected next year. To date there are 71 orders for the jet (ATWOnline, April 19). GE expects to deliver about 500 CF34s this year, according to program GM Chuck Nugent.

Royal Jordanian officially is the 787's first Middle East customer, Boeing revealed this weekend, announcing that the carrier is the source of an order for two previously unidentified aircraft. RJ also took two options and said it intends to lease a further eight 787s. It announced its commitment to the Dreamliner in December when it selected it to replace its A340s (ATWOnline, Dec. 21, 2006). At the time, it said it intended to start with 4-5 787s.

Final assembly of the first 787 began yesterday in Everett, Boeing announced, with rollout scheduled for July 8. Eventually, the company intends to assemble one aircraft every three days. "The 787 production system is the culmination of the lessons we've learned building previous airplanes," 787 VP-Manufacturing and Quality Steve Westby said. "Using composites on the 787 airframe has a number of manufacturing advantages.