Finnair is launching labor talks to shed 280 positions as the airline moves to outsource engine and component services to SR Technics. The move is part of a wider Finnair group effort to realign the business and seek €140 million in cost savings to improve financial returns. In announcing the deal, airline COO Vile Iho says “this plan is based on a thorough analysis, where we first examined the costs and structures of our own operations, and then compared the results to tens of external service providers.”

Delta may benefit from financing from the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. (Ex-Im Bank), despite the carrier's being involved in a lawsuit objecting to the bank's financing foreign carriers purchase of Boeing aircraft. The Ex-Im Bank announced an $84.8 million loan guarantee for GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes for engine maintenance services in Atlanta by DeltaTechOps. The Ex-Im Bank's loan guarantee covers the first two years of a five-year contract. DeltaTechOps is to provide 253 engine removals and heavy maintenance on GOL's CFM56-7B engines at its Atlanta facility.

More MRO providers plan to enter the high-end completions business.

Today's airlines have identified a growing need for modular interiors that can easily conform to constantly changing seat configurations and layouts. Ancra International has created a special type of patented quick-release seat fitting called the AncraLock that does not require tools to remove it. According to Robert Rossato, Ancra's director of sales and marketing, this feature typically drives down the time to remove and reinstall a three-seat assembly to under five minutes, compared to the typical time of 15-20 minutes.

Commsoft's Oases software went live on nine widebody aircraft belonging to Portuguese operator Hi Fly.

Sabena Technics extended its collaboration with AirBaltic to provide the carrier with loans and repairs for CFMI CFM56-3 thrust reversers, which power its Boeing 737s.

Lufthansa Systems' BoardConnect won the Crystal Cabin Award in the “passenger comfort” category at the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2012 in Hamburg. BoardConnect's WiFi network enables passengers to use mobile devices to access entertainment stored on an onboard server.

Air Maintenance Estonia plans to open a three-bay hangar for narrowbody base maintenance. The facility will have three lines for base maintenance and two more for lighter checks and modifications. The MRO added base maintenance capabilities for the Airbus A320, which will complement existing base capabilities for the next generation and classic Boeing 737s.