On the strength of last week's order for five units plus three options from Air France (ATWOnline, May 20), Boeing yesterday formally launched the 777 Freighter proposed last fall. It is based on the 777-200LR, which currently is undergoing certification testing for EIS next year. The first 777F will be delivered to AF in the fourth quarter of 2008. It "will fly farther than any other freighter and will provide more capacity than any other twin-engine freighter," said Lars Andersen, VP and program manager.

Island Air, which operates a fleet of eight Dash 8s, is replacing three of them with a 70-seat Q400. Delivery will take place in November. The carrier formerly known as Aloha IslandAir has been undergoing a restructuring over the past year, said President and CEO Robert Mauracher. Island Air operates as a codeshare partner with Hawaiian Airlines and recently added Continental Airlines (see above).

Cebu Pacific initiated its fleet renewal program by taking delivery of its first A320, which is on lease from CIT Aerospace. A second leased aircraft will arrive in June. The airline also will begin taking delivery of the 12 A319s it purchased in September. The new fleet will replace its existing 12 DC-9s and three 757s.

Boeing and Air France reached an agreement to turn three 747-400 Combis into full freighters as part of the 747-400 Special Freighter program. According to Boeing, AF is the first carrier to announce plans to convert its former Combi aircraft, which are currently in all-passenger configuration. For the conversions ordered by AF, Boeing said the aircraft will receive a strengthened main-cabin floor, a full main-deck lining and provisions for a new cargo handling system with an upgraded flightdeck. AF expects to receive its first modified aircraft in June 2007.

The lack of a successor for CEO Noel Forgeard, who is earmarked to move up to the position of co-CEO of parent company EADS, is starting to create a sense of unease at Airbus. "We need a compass," Executive VP-Operations Gerard Blanc said at the end of a two-day Technical Press Briefing held last week in Toulouse. "We need a new heading. We have a strong management team, we know that. We also know we're changing our heading; however, we don't know how."

"All-new" A350-800 could take to the skies in mid-2010 and the dash 900 at the end of 2010, head of A330/A340/A350 Program Olivier Andries said.

While Boeing's 787 does away with pneumatic bleed air as a power source for many aircraft functions, the technology of electromechanical actuation has not advanced sufficiently to take the place of hydraulic power on transport aircraft. This was the conclusion of several system experts speaking on ATW's "More Electric Aircraft" webcast earlier this week.

British Airways CEO Rod Eddington watered down Airbus Chief Commercial Officer John Leahy's suggestion that it is "not a matter of if but of when" BA will order the A380.