ExpressJet Airlines reached a capacity purchase agreement with Delta Air Lines to operate 10 Embraer 145XRs, the only aircraft that remain from the 69 that Continental Airlines cut from the service agreement with ExpressJet in January 2006.

LOT Polish Airlines leased two 82-seat E-175s from GECAS. They will enter service in the second half of this month, at which point LOT will operate 16 E-170s/-175s.

Boeing is remaining tight-lipped about possible plans for new freighter models of the 767-200/-300 based on its entry in the USAF KC-X tanker competition in order to counter the A330-200F, which has bolted out of the starting gate with 32 orders. While Boeing still is garnering orders for its 767-300F (ATWOnline, Feb. 16), it is looking for a foil to truly match the A330-200F's 69 ton payload over 3,200 nm.

The French government yesterday pledged €100 million ($132 million) in aid to Airbus that will fund the development of carbon-fiber composite materials, but the announcement was overshadowed by labor unions' angry response to the Power8 restructuring plan unveiled Wednesday.

IT WILL BE A STEP AHEAD OF THE 787 and a generation ahead of the 777" was the bold claim by then-CEO Christian Streiff when Airbus announced its proposed A350 XWB in July. But aside from a supportive, and highly conditional, commitment from Singapore Airlines for 20 and an order in January from Pegasus Aviation Finance for two, carriers have not rushed to embrace the third iteration of the A350, which received industrial launch last Dec. 1. By then, of course, Streiff had yielded the stage to EADS Co-CEO Louis Gallois.

The A350 XWB will serve as the paradigm for Airbus's new operational philosophy, with 50% of its production to be outsourced as the company looks to develop a network of risk-sharing development partners as part of the Power8 restructuring plan unveiled yesterday (see story above).

WestJet yesterday finalized a term sheet with Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise for one 737-700 and one 737-800, both to be delivered in 2009. The Calgary-based LCC plans to operate a fleet of 85 737NGs by the end of 2009 and has said it will operate 92-95 of the type by 2011.

Adria Airways placed an order for two 86-seat CRJ900s, becoming the aircraft's 12th customer. CEO Tadej Tufek said the CRJ900 will allow for greater capacity than its seven CRJ200s while replacing A320s on routes where "loads are insufficient to support the larger aircraft."