RegionsAir reached agreement to purchase 12 J32s that had been on lease from BAE Systems. Formerly known as Corporate Airlines, the Tennessee-based Regional operates 10 J32s as American Connection and four Saab 340s for Continental Connection.

An order for six Dreamliners from Monarch Airlines highlighted an August during which Boeing sold 30 aircraft, a steep drop from the 90 ordered in August 2005 but higher than the 22 orders posted by competitor Airbus during the month. In addition to the Monarch order, Boeing sold eight 737NGs to Shanghai Airlines and 10 to SpiceJet, including five dash 900ERs. Unidentified customers placed orders for two 737-800s and two 787-8s and Boeing Business Jet took one 787-8 and one 737-900BBJ.

Skymark Airlines is set to join the 787 club, according to sources at the Japanese carrier. Skymark, which operates five 767-300ERs, has advised Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport that it will add four 787s between 2010 and 2012. It operates a 10-times-daily shuttle service from Tokyo Haneda to Sapporo and Fukuoka in addition to four-times-daily flights to Kobe and twice-daily service to Naha. It is expected to be granted additional slots at HND when the fourth runway is opened in 2009.

Honeywell was selected by Singapore Airlines to provide next-generation weather radar for the carrier's 19 new 777-300ERs, with deliveries of its RDR-4000 windshear/weather radar system beginning this month.

BAE Systems, conceding that it would likely have to wait an "extended period" for the value of its 20% stake in Airbus to rise, decided late Wednesday to sell the holding to EADS for €2.75 billion ($3.52 billion), well below previous estimates that the stake was worth €4-€5 billion.

Air France ordered Boeing Class 3 electronic flight bags for its fleet of 777s, comprising 42 in-service aircraft and 13 to be delivered. It is the eighth carrier this year to order the Class 3 EFB, Boeing said, adding the order was the "most significant" to date from a European airline. AF partner KLM was the launch customer for the 777 EFB in 2002. The Dutch flag carrier currently operates 13 EFB-equipped 777s and eventually will have 18.

Frontier Airlines placed a firm order with Bombardier yesterday for 10 74-seat Q400 turboprops with 10 options and said it plans to launch a wholly owned subsidiary carrier to operate the aircraft. The new unnamed airline will "use its fleet of Q400s to bring low-cost service to underserved markets in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region," Frontier said in a statement. "The subsidiary expects to serve as many as 18 destinations using the new aircraft and to create 300-400 new jobs." Destinations will be announced at a later date.

Fallout from A380 production delays continued Monday when Airbus removed Charles Champion as head of the next-generation aircraft program and promoted Mario Heinen, its Single Aisle Program chief, to senior VP and A380 Program head. The announcement came the same day as the A380's first passenger test flight. Alain Flourens, executive VP and head of Airbus's Centers of Excellence, will take over Heinen's role and Champion will remain as a special adviser to CEO Christian Streiff.