ACE Aviation Holdings, parent of Air Canada, concluded its previously announced order with Boeing covering 18 777s, plus purchase rights for 18 more, in a yet-to-be-determined mix of 777-300ERs, 777-200LRs and 777Fs with deliveries beginning next March. The deal also includes firm orders for 14 787 Dreamliners plus options and purchase rights for an additional 46 with deliveries starting in 2010. The order originally was placed in April but was suspended after Air Canada was unable to reach a satisfactory agreement with its pilots union on pay rates and work rules for the new fleet.

Boeing plans to set a new world distance record over the next 24 hr. when its 777-200LR Worldliner takes off from Hong Kong flying eastbound to London. The aircraft will take off with a full load of fuel--350,000 lb.--and 35 passengers and crew, flying nonstop on a route it hopes will exceed a distance greater than halfway around the world.

Hello, a Swiss charter airline founded by former Crossair CEO Moritz Suter, will add three ex-SAS MD-90s to its fleet from spring 2006. The carrier, which launched in August 2004, currently operates three MD-90s.

Emirates President Tim Clark again floated the concept of operating some of the carrier's A380s in an all-economy configuration seating up to 780 passengers. Emirates has ordered 45 A380s and some of these could be dedicated to the operation, which Clark dubbed Emirates Express. According to press reports, he suggested the concept partly was behind the airline's recent request for 42 additional weekly services between Australia and Dubai. However, it will not proceed with the plan in the near future because its plate already is too full.

Mexico's Interjet confirmed its A320 order yesterday, agreeing to 10 firm buys and 10 options (ATWOnline, June 17). Deliveries of the single-class, 150-seat aircraft will begin in second-quarter 2007. No engine has been selected. "The A320 is without a doubt the reference in the low-cost market," Interjet President Miguel Aleman said. The startup LCC, wholly owned by ABC Aerolíneas SA de CV, will commence operations in December from Toluca with seven used A320s.

GoJet Airlines took delivery of three of six leased CRJ700s last week. The new Regional, flying as United Express, ordered 10 CRJ700s, four from the airframer and six through GECAS (ATWOnline, June 23). The remaining three GECAS aircraft will be delivered by April.

AirBridge Cargo of Russia, the scheduled cargo airline of Volga-Dnepr Group, ordered two 747-400ER freighters. The aircraft, worth $450 million, will be powered by GE CF6-80C2B5F engines and are scheduled for delivery in October 2007 and February 2008. "The addition of this advanced aircraft to our cargo fleet will allow AirBridge Cargo to take another step in the realization of our ambitious project to develop scheduled cargo flights between Asia and North America via Russia," said Volga-Dnepr VP San Wraight. AirBridge, formed in February 2004, has a fleet of three 747-200s.

Airbus said its third A380 powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, MSN 2, performed a successful inaugural 3-hr. flight Nov. 3. All systems were checked out and the whole flight envelope was cleared. The aircraft will fly to Hamburg where it will be the first to be fitted with a full cabin.