Influx of Embraer 190s at JetBlue will require the addition of some 3,000 new employees over the next year, according to COO Dave Barger. Currently the company hires about six employees per day but that number will move up to eight to accommodate the new aircraft deliveries, Barger said this week in Brazil at the handover of the first 190 (ATWOnline, Sept. 14). "By the end of the year, we will have eight," said CEO David Neeleman.

JetBlue Airways took delivery of the first Embraer 190 in ceremonies in Brazil Tuesday. It has ordered 100 of the GE CF34-powered aircraft, which will be configured for 100 passengers in a 2-2 arrangement. The 190 received FAA certification Sept. 2, three days after Brazilian certification. "Today is a day JetBlue customers and crewmembers have been looking forward to for years," said CEO David Neeleman, who attended the handover.

Airbus delivered the 4,000th aircraft to come off its production line to Lufthansa last week. The A330-300 was turned over at a special ceremony in Toulouse.

ARINC will provide GoJet Airlines with its GlobaLink VDL Mode 2 data link service, AviNet wide-area network service, Air-Ground Domestic radio voice service and OpCenter Web-based messaging service. GoJet, a subsidiary of Trans States Holdings, expects to launch service Oct. 1 under the United Express banner using CRJ700s.

FedEx ordered six A300-600Fs plus an undisclosed number of options, Airbus announced Sunday. Deliveries will begin in 2007. Value of the order and engine selection were not released. FedEx operates 47 A300-600Fs plus 54 A310Fs.

Malaysia Airlines advised the markets yesterday that its first A380 will be delivered six months late, similar to the revised delivery schedules for all launch customer airlines. MAS said in a media release, "Airbus confirmed that the first A380-800 aircraft will be delivered in July 2007 instead of January 2007 and the last (sixth) aircraft will be delivered in May 2009." Executive Director Tengku Azmil Zahruddin said, "We are naturally disappointed with this delay.

M7 Aerospace was awarded an STC for passenger-to-freighter conversion of ATR 72s. The company already holds an STC for ATR 42 conversions and has completed 30 to date.

Indian government finally approved Indian Airlines' order for 43 A320 family aircraft. Indian media quoted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as saying, "Our government has announced today the purchase of 43 Airbus aircraft worth $2.2 billion." The announcement was made after the conclusion of talks between Singh and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Separately, India is moving to stabilize the flow of pilots from airline to airline and will legislate that pilots must give carriers six months' notice of intent to leave.