Copa Airlines exercised options for one 737-800 and three Embraer 190s, a transaction worth $180 million at list prices. The dash 800 brings Copa's 737NG order to eight firm with purchase rights for an additional nine. It will take delivery of the 155-seat 737 in October 2009. The three 190s bring to 15 the number of Copa's firm orders and it holds 15 options. The three 94-seat, GE CF32-10E-powered aircraft are Advanced Range versions and are scheduled for delivery in 2007 and 2008.

Southwest Airlines managed to stave off rising unit costs and a 79.6% jump in fuel expenses to record a first-quarter profit of $61 million, up 3.4% over the $59 million earned in the three months ended March 31, 2005. The carrier also announced yesterday that it will exercise options for 79 737-700s for delivery from 2007 through 2012, bringing its firm orders to 140.

Air China will take 15 of the 80 737NGs purchased earlier this month by China (ATWOnline, April 12), according to an airline spokesperson cited by press reports. The deal is worth approximately $982.8 million.

GoAir selected the CFM56-5B to power the fleet of 20 A320s (10 firm and 10 option) it ordered at Asian Aerospace in Singapore (ATWOnline, Feb. 24). The firm engine order is valued at $120 million at list prices. The Indian carrier launched last year and operates four aircraft serving 14 markets. It plans to grow its fleet to 33 within three years.

A340-600HGW received certification from EASA. Airbus claims the 380-tonne variant, powered by improved Trent 500s, provides up to 18% higher productivity compared to earlier versions. The dash 600HGW has a range of 7,900 nm. (14,600 km.), an improvement of 250 nm. (463 km.) over the base A340-600 in a typical three-class arrangement seating 380. Qatar Airways will take the first aircraft this summer followed by Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic and Etihad Airways. Airbus also is working on an improved variant of the dash 500, certification of which is due to take place early next year.

Star Alliance is working on collective specifications for the 787, Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe told ATWOnline during the group's meeting in Johannesburg earlier this week. The alliance has a working group including member airlines Lufthansa, ANA, Singapore Airlines, ANZ, Air Canada and LOT Polish Airlines negotiating with Boeing on a wide spectrum of specifications ranging from cockpit configuration through galley configuration and seat pitch.

Airbus is taking recent criticisms of the A350 from some key customers to heart. Responding to questions from reporters at the opening of a new facility in Toulouse Monday, CEO Gustav Humbert said, "We are listening to the customers...We have every reason to go the extra mile and study all our options intensively," according to Bloomberg News. Last week, Singapore Airlines CEO Chew Choon Seng said Airbus should have "designed a new fuselage" for the A350 (ATWOnline, April 11).

Cuba signed a deal on behalf of Cubana de Aviacion for the purchase of two new Il-96-300s and three Tu-204s, according to press reports. Aircraft will be delivered this year and next and cost $250 million, 15% of which will come from the Cuban government with the rest financed by Russian banks.