Aviareto, a joint venture between SITA SC and the Irish government charged by the Preparatory Commission for the International Registry under the auspices of ICAO to establish and operate the International Registry of Mobile Assets, said the registry will go live March 1 as Malaysia recently became the 8th country to ratify the Cape Town Treaty, effectively bringing it into force (ATWOnline, Nov. 8).

Royal Jordanian added a Q400 to its RJ Express short-haul fleet. A second Q400 will join RJ in December. The carrier will operate the aircraft, leased from Bombardier, on regional routes that include Damascus, Aleppo, Tel Aviv, Aqaba, Sharm El Sheikh and Al Arish.

Boeing yesterday announced the launch of the 747-8 program, formerly designated the 747 Advanced, on the basis of 18 firm orders from Cargolux and Nippon Cargo Airlines. The aircraft, which represents the first major upgrade to the 747 platform since the 747-400 rolled out in December 1998, and the first-ever fuselage stretch, is being offered in two versions: The 747-8 Intercontinental passenger airplane and the 747-8 Freighter. They will be powered by General Electric's GEnx being developed for the 787 and will "meet Stage 4 and QC2 noise requirements," according to Boeing.

Smiths Aerospace opened a $44 million, 128,000-sq.-ft. turbine engine components facility in West Jefferson, N.C.

Hello, a Swiss charter airline, signed an ACMI contract with Iceland Express and will operate three of the LCC's MD-90s from March 2006 through 2008.

Embraer recorded net income of $110 million in the third quarter compared to $113 million for the third quarter of 2004 on a 6.8% rise in sales to $1 billion from $936.7 million during the same period last year. It delivered a total of 41 jets, including nine ERJ-145s and 26 170s/190s. It delivered 101 aircraft through the first nine months and expects the total to reach 145 by year end. At the end of the quarter the firm order backlog was valued at $1.4 billion.

DBA, formerly Deutsche BA, announced its intent to order up to 40 737-700s and dash 800s for delivery beginning next year. Value of the order including options, based on list price, would be approximately $2.1 billion. The deal includes a mix of firm aircraft plus purchase rights and is subject to a final contract being signed. "We want to grow further. It is our goal to be number one in point-to-point German domestic traffic," Chairman Hans Rudolf Woerhl said in a statement. He added that growth would focus on destinations within 1.5 hr. flight time from Germany.

SpiceJet ordered 10 737-800 Aviation Partners Boeing Blended Winglet shipsets for installation beginning in January. Separately, Aviation Partners Boeing said CEO Mike Marino resigned Nov. 11 "to pursue other interests." The search for a replacement will begin immediately.