Engine Alliance received FAR 33 certification from US FAA for its GP7200, designed for the A380. The 21-month test program involved eight engines. The GP7200 ran approximately 7,000 cycles, 25 full-scale certification tests and more than 50 component tests. It powered two flight test programs on a flying testbed and initially is certified at 76,500 lb. thrust. It was tested at levels in excess of 94,000 lb. Engine Alliance President Bruce Hughes said the engine was tested and certified to ETOPS standards. The first A380 test flight will take place this year.

Airbus and Boeing finished the year strong as several airlines announced aircraft orders or confirmations during the final week of 2005 and the first few days of the new year. Air Deccan led the way with its Dec. 24 announcement that it signed to purchase 30 additional A320s for delivery starting in 2008. The deal is worth $1.5 billion at list prices. The Indian LCC ordered 32 A320s in January 2005. It will take delivery of eight this year, increasing its fleet to 32 aircraft. No engine choice was announced for the new batch of 180-seaters.

As an approach tool, Required Navigation Performance has the potential to offer significant benefits: Improved safety, more direct approaches, fewer diversions for weather, reduced fuel burn and, as a result, cost savings for airlines. There are environmental benefits too: Less wasted fuel means reduced harmful emissions and improved track-keeping on departure and approach means less noise nuisance.

FAA and several contractors in March will begin testing a prototype communications scheme that theoretically could save millions of dollars per year for airlines and possibly give them some extra revenue to boot. The concept, called Aerosat Airborne Internet, calls for using the thousands of en route aircraft in the skies at any moment to create a communications "mesh" that proponents say could increase bandwidth dramatically and reduce the cost of existing communications pipes.

Singapore Airlines hosed down media speculation that it is about to order 80 aircraft from Boeing made up of 777-200LRs, 787s and 747-8Fs. SIA has issued three RFPs--one for 19-hr. nonstop capability, one for A350/787 regional capability and the third for high capacity in the A380/747-8 range.

Transaero is considering adding eight 737-800s for charter operations. Zadar Airlines, a Croatian charter carrier, plans to start operating with two 737-500s by spring.

Boeing enjoyed another bumper week last week with an additional 64 orders logged in its order book. Net of cancellations, the airframer has chalked up 870 orders for the year with more expected to be signed off this week. The 870 total is just shy of the record of 877 set in 1988, which included McDonnell Douglas orders.

After what it called "a blockbuster year for the 787," Boeing revealed it has outstanding offers to airlines for more than 500 Dreamliners and 787 Program VP and GM Mike Bair said the airframer hopes to turn many of those offers into firm orders. Following up on yesterday's announcement that Boeing is looking at going ahead with the 787-10, Bair was even more bullish on the dash 10, saying, "a go-ahead is highly likely." He told ATWOnline that the company is finalizing studies on the range/payload tradeoff and that "the business case looks very attractive."