Horizon Air will replace 37-seat Q200 turboprops with 74-seat Q400s on flights from Seattle to various destinations in Washington and British Columbia from Jan. 28. Separately, Horizon and partner Alaska Airlines have introduced a Spanish language website. By early next year the carriers plan to offer Spanish at check-in kiosks and add Spanish-speaking reservations agents at call centers, among other initiatives.

Airbus reportedly intends to outsource 50% of A350 XWB production even as parent EADS' board debates whether to green-light the program and its funding (ATWOnline, Nov. 29). One way to keep costs down is to outsource much of the aircraft's production, Airbus CEO Louis Gallois told Reuters. "On the A350, our plan is to outsource 50% of the airframe production, which would allow us to hand over [a portion of labor and costs] to partners participating in the development," he said.

Finnair confirmed four E-190 options yesterday, signing an order for the 100-seat aircraft worth more than €100 million ($131.4 million). The jets will be delivered in 2008-09. The carrier currently operates 10 76-seat E-170s and now has 10 E-190s on order, the first of which will be delivered next month.

Sales and deliveries of larger RJs and turboprops helped push Bombardier's overall net income to $74 million for the fiscal third quarter ended Oct. 31, reversing a loss of $9 million in the same period a year ago. Bombardier Aerospace reported a $43 million operating profit on revenues of $1.8 billion compared to a $31 million operating profit in the year-ago quarter. The number of aircraft deliveries remained relatively stable at 73 versus 74 in the 2005 period.

Brit Air, which operates regional services for Air France, ordered three CRJ700s worth $97 million at list prices that will replace three CRJ100s coming off lease. The AF subsidiary operates 19 50-passenger CRJ100s, 12 72-seat CRJ700s and 13 F100s.

TAM placed an order for V2500s to power 11 A319s and four A321s, IAE partners Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney announced yesterday. The deal includes a V2500Select aftermarket services package and is worth $160 million in business to each engine maker. Japanese Aero Engines Corp. and MTU Aero Engines also are part of IAE. The Brazilian carrier firmed an order for 37 Airbus aircraft and 12 options earlier this month (ATWOnline, Nov. 17). It currently operates 38 V2500-powered A320 family aircraft.

Airbus's A350 XWB program remains up in the air following the cancellation of a meeting last week at which details of the revamped aircraft and its financing were supposed to be hammered out. All parties are staying silent publicly, but widespread media reports detail a rift between the French government, which holds a 15% stake in Airbus parent EADS, and EADS stakeholders Lagardere and DaimlerChrysler over the A350's financing and whether France should be allowed to raise its EADS stake.

CTT Systems said Continental Airlines ordered 41 Zonal Drying Systems for installation on 757-200s. Installation began in October.