Ireland-based LCC Ryanair is bidding to buy around 90 aircraft from cash-strapped Italian carrier Alitalia. Speaking in London on Aug. 31, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said his company would be submitting a bid for Alitalia’s aircraft, their crews and engineering staff to the Italian flag carrier’s administrators.

Aircraft News-Aug. 30, 2017

French Polynesian carrier Air Tahiti Nui is preparing for a major upgrade of its long-haul international fleet in 2018, when it will begin the replacement of its Airbus A340s with Boeing 787-9s.

Southwest Airlines has become the first US airline to take delivery of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, an aircraft in which the Dallas-based carrier played a key role in developing.

Alaska Airlines will keep the Airbus A320 fleet it got through its acquisition of Virgin America for at least 10 more years, an executive with the carrier told ATW’s sister publication Aviation Daily.