Blue Wings last week signed an MOU with Airbus for 20 A320 family aircraft, the plane-maker announced. The order is worth $1.6 billion at list prices, according to Reuters, which said the deal reached at Farnborough comprised 16 150-seat A320s and four 185-seat A321s to be delivered starting in 2009. Blue Wings is based in Dusseldorf and operates mostly charter services to Turkey, the Middle East and South Asia. It plans to launch flights to the CIS. It is 48% owned by Alpstream AG, a Zurich-based affiliate of Russian National Reserve Corp.

Embattled Airbus ended the Farnborough Airshow on a high note, announcing Friday that Singapore Airlines signed a letter of intent for up to 40 A350-900 XWBs and up to 15 A380s, for which SIA is the launch customer. The LOI covers 20 firm plus 20 options for the A350 XWB and nine new orders for the A380 plus six new options. The A350s will be delivered in 2012 and as an interim measure SIA will lease 19 A330-300s for delivery in 2009-10. The first of the newly ordered A380s will be delivered in mid-2008.

Rolls-Royce announced that Hainan Airlines signed a $250 million contract for Trent 700s to power five new A330s leased from ILFC. Hainan also signed a long-term TotalCare services agreement. Deliveries will begin in November 2007. Rolls said the Trent 700 is powering every one of the 100-plus A330s either operating or on order with Chinese carriers.

Embraer last week unveiled plans to offer higher-capacity variants of its 170/190 E-Jets. The modifications will not require structural changes or new testing. The 170, now at 78 seats, also will be offered with 80. The 86-seat 175 will be offered with 88 seats, the 108-seat 190 with 114 and the 118-seat 195 with 122. "Embraer has identified a growing demand for high-capacity configured E-Jets," VP-Market Intelligence-Airline Market Luiz Sergio Chiessi said. "We are talking mainly about low-cost and Regional carrier applications.

General Electric said it received more than $2.5 billion in engine orders and OnPoint Solutions service agreements at Farnborough. Among the deals were a 10-year, $40 million OnPoint accord with Egypt's AMC Airlines for service on its CFM56-7B-powered 737-800s, GEnx orders from ILFC and Emirates and a $195 million TAP Portugal order for CF6s to power five A330s along with a nine-year service agreement. CFM International said it logged approximately $850 million in orders for its CFM56 family at the show.

Futura International Airways of Palma de Mallorca ordered three 737-800s plus three purchase rights, Boeing announced Friday. The three firm aircraft are worth about $210 million at list prices and are scheduled for delivery in 2009 and 2010. Futura, owned in part by Spanish equity firm Corpfin Capital (65%) and Aer Lingus (20%), operates 11 dash 800s and 13 other 737 family aircraft.

Germanwings said this week it has taken delivery of 19 new A319s. "Over the next three years we aim to significantly increase our flights from Cologne Bonn Airport and to develop new attractive destinations," Chairman Joachim Klein said.

WestJet finalized an agreement yesterday with Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise for three 737-700s and one 737-800, with deliveries scheduled for late 2007 and the first half of 2008. The deal also includes options for three more dash 700s and one additional dash 800, which would be delivered in 2009. By the end of 2008, WestJet's fleet will number 76 aircraft.