Boeing last week released details of orders from Arik Air, S7 Airlines and SpiceJet (ATWOnline, April 27) and announced that the 737-900ER earned type certification from US FAA. The Arik Air order for three 787-9s, two 777-200LRs and two 777-300ERs previously was listed as being from an unidentified customer and is worth $1.5 billion at list prices. The deal was announced simultaneously with the delivery of two new 737-700s. The Nigerian airline is the fourth from Africa to order both the 787 and 777.

Air Philippines ordered three Q300s plus three options, Bombardier said yesterday. Firm aircraft are worth $56 million at list prices. The 50-seaters will be used primarily on the leisure route between Manila and Caticlan.

EADS co-CEO and Airbus CEO Louis Gallois said negotiations with labor unions on Airbus's Power8 restructuring plan, which calls for 10,000 job cuts, will begin today with an aim toward concluding by mid-July. Speaking in Toulouse at the manufacturer's Technical Press Briefing, Gallois conceded that "I can't ask the unions to support my plan. . .I can ask them to accept my plan. It's difficult [for them] to be enthusiastic when 10,000 workers are being cut."

Airbus did not contend for this week's $2.8 billion aircraft order by Virgin Atlantic Airways, the manufacturer admitted (ATWOnline, April 25). Virgin placed orders for 15 787-9s plus options and purchase rights for an additional 28. With deliveries to begin in 2011, the A350 XWB, which won't begin delivering until 2014, was unable to compete, Airbus COO-Customers John Leahy conceded this week in Toulouse at the company's Technical Press Briefing. "We didn't put an offer in on the A350 at Virgin," he said.

Boeing yesterday confirmed Air Canada's order for 23 787s (ATWOnline, April 25) as interest in and orders for the type intensified ahead of June's Paris Air Show and the July 8 rollout. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer suggested that Qatar Airways is the mystery customer for the 30 unidentified 787s on Boeing's website (ATWOnline, April 20).

A day after Virgin Atlantic and Air Canada ordered 787s, Boeing reported a thumping 26.7% increase in first-quarter net earnings to $877 million from $692 million in the year-ago period. Revenue grew 8% to $15.4 billion and earnings from operations rose 36% to $1.3 billion. Backlog reached a record $262 billion, up 23% in the past 12 months due to continued strength in commercial airplane orders and additional defense orders for the F-18 and C-17.

ATR said Swiftair of Spain ordered three 68-seat 72-500s worth a combined $55 million for delivery between December and mid-2008. Swiftair currently operates 16 ATR aircraft and expects to increase that number to 30 by 2010.

Engine Alliance GP7200, which will power the A380, attained EASA CS-E certification, the GE-Aviation/Pratt & Whitney joint venture announced. US FAA certified it in December 2005. Joint EASA and FAA aircraft certification is expected by year end. Emirates, Air France, Korean Air and ILFC have selected the engine.