Air Seychelles has confirmed plans to take its first Airbus A320, to be wet leased from 40% equity partner Etihad Airways, as reported by ATW in July.

Etihad Airways’ introduction of the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 will mean major changes for its Australian network when the aircraft are delivered at the end of the year.

Lion Air subsidiary Batik Air has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737-800 as part of its plan to offer international services later this year.

Airbus A350-900 flight test aircraft, MSN005, has completed a series of route proving trials at 14 cities over the past three weeks and is on track toward type certification in the third quarter of 2014.

Boeing is escalating the war of words between it and Delta Air Lines over the role of the Export-Import Bank of the US (Ex-Im) with a letter to the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee that refutes, point-by-point, a letter the Atlanta-based carrier sent last week.