Styrian Spirit is evaluating ordering a CRJ900.

Embraer delivered the third of 15 Embraer 175s to Air Canada, launch customer for the model. The first two were received earlier this month and the remainder are slated for delivery by year end.

First of two newly acquired Evergreen International Airlines 747-200Fs made its inaugural flight last week. The carrier plans to place the other aircraft into service soon, bringing its total 747 fleet to 12.

Rockwell Collins said it received the first US FAA TSO-C166 approval for ADS-B functionality on Mode-S transponders. The approval enables enhanced traffic situational awareness on the airport surface and during flight; visual acquisition for see and avoid, sequencing and merging, crossing and passing operations, and oceanic in-trail procedures.

EVA Air took delivery of the first of 15 777-300ERs on order. The remaining aircraft will be delivered through 2009. Virgin Blue took delivery of its 50th 737NG, which is painted in a special "true blue" livery.

Former International Aero Engines head Barry Eccleston was appointed president and CEO of Airbus North America Holdings succeeding Henri Courpron, who earlier this month was named executive VP-procurement in Toulouse (ATWOnline, July 20). Eccleston, 58, comes to Airbus from Honeywell, where he spent nearly two years as VP and GM of the Propulsion Systems Enterprise. Prior to that he served as Honeywell's VP-commercial aerospace for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Boeing and Chorus Motors said that based on "successful tests" conducted with an Air Canada 767, electric motors "may be a viable way of powering airplanes" for ground movement in and around gate areas. This technology largely would eliminate "the use of airport tow tugs and jet engines, as well as reducing emissions," Boeing said. Next steps involve working to resolve successfully the technical issues that surfaced during the tests in order to define a path for commercial system installation.

Although parts manufacturing authority parts are a miniscule portion of today's total spares buy, many airlines are pursuing this avenue aggressively as an alternative to acquiring parts sourced directly from original equipment manufacturers or their licensed suppliers.