EasyJet took delivery of its 50th new A319 in Hamburg. The LCC's first A319 was delivered to its Geneva base in October 2003. Since then it has converted seven of its 13 bases--Basel, Berlin, Dortmund, Gatwick, Geneva, Paris Orly and London Stansted--into all-Airbus operations. Nottingham East Midlands and Bristol will be converted later this year. With the latest delivery, the easyJet fleet numbers 105 aircraft with a further 70 Airbus jets still to be delivered. Average aircraft age will decrease from the current four years to 2.2 years by the end of 2007.

Guggenheim Aviation Partners, a US-based aviation investment firm acting on behalf of the Guggenheim Aviation Investment Fund, has placed an order for six 747-400ER freighters valued at approximately $1.37 billion at list prices, Boeing confirmed yesterday. The order had been added to Boeing's website but was attributed to an unidentified customer, as previously reported on this website (ATWOnline, July 4). Deliveries will begin in late 2006 and continue through the first half of 2008.

Momentum is building for a go-ahead for the 747-ADV program. Last week, Boeing posted a firm but unannounced order for six more 747s--thought to be 747-400Fs--on its website. Executives indicated at the recent Paris Air Show that the company had secured enough orders--30--to carry 747 production through to the first 747-ADV in 2009. Not surprisingly, sources suggest that the customers for the 30 are also launch customers for the 747-ADV. Boeing executives also said they have seen widespread interest in the 747-ADV for both the passenger and cargo version.

Boeing yesterday announced that former GE Aircraft Engines chief James McNerney Jr. was elected chairman, president and CEO. A member of the Boeing board since 2001, McNerney succeeds Harry Stonecipher as CEO. Stonecipher was sacked last March in the wake of a sex scandal, 18 months after he came out of retirement following the downfall of Chairman and CEO Phil Condit, who resigned in the wake of misdeeds in Boeing's space and defense activities (ATWOnline, March 8).

Styrian Spirit took delivery of its first 74-seat, CF34-8C5B1-powered CRJ700.

Japan Airlines has thrown the 767 program a lifeline to bridge production until a possible USAF tanker order is finalized, placing an order for six 767-300ERs consisting of three freighters and three passenger models. The order will take JAL's fleet of 767s to 46, of which nine are on order. They will be powered by CF6-80C2s and will be delivered in 2007-08.

After locking up orders and commitments for 280 aircraft worth around $33.5 billion at the Paris Air Show in June, it appears as if the Airbus order book is about to get even bigger with new commitments from LAN Airlines and GE Commercial Aviation Services for up to 80 new narrowbodies.

Ethiopian Airlines took delivery of its sixth 767-300ER last week. It currently operates an all-Boeing fleet that includes four 757s, three 737-700s and one 737-200.