Aircraft & Propulsion

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a proposed airworthiness directive (AD) Monday signaling approval of modifications for Airbus A380 wing rib feet aimed at solving the aircraft’s wing cracking issue.

Airbus parent EADS has confirmed it is in talks to acquire 1.56% of its shares, which are held by the French government.

Icelandair has bought two Boeing 757-200s, which it previously had on long-term lease, for an undisclosed sum.

International Aero Engines (IAE) president Jon Beatty believes the V2500 engine for the Airbus A320 has a lengthy life ahead of it even as the re-engined A320neo comes on line.

Latvian-based Air Baltic will grow its Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 NextGen fleet from eight to 12 this summer, to be phased in between May and July.

Embraer delivered 17 commercial aviation aircraft and 12 executive jets in the first quarter of 2013, for a total of 29 aircraft.

Pratt & Whitney this week completed more than 120 hours of ground testing on its first PW1100G geared turbofan test engine for the Airbus A320neo.

Hawaiian Airlines has selected Pratt & Whitney 1000G geared turbofan engines to power its new fleet of Airbus A321neo aircraft.

GE Aviation has begun assembling the high pressure compressor (HPC) rig that will be tested this summer as part of the GE9X engine study for Boeing’s 777X aircraft.

Boeing has agreed to invest another $1 billion and add 2,000 new jobs in South Carolina over next eight years in order to qualify for economic development incentives.

LOT Polish Airlines has signed a wet lease agreement with EuroAtlantic for a Boeing 767-300ER as an interim measure during the Boeing 787 grounding.

Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris has taken delivery of its first of 44 Airbus A320 with sharklets.

Kenya Airways has taken delivery of its first fully owned freighter—a new Boeing 737-300—for use in the growing African cargo market.

Canadian regional Porter Airlines has signed a conditional purchase order for 12 Bombardier CS100 aircraft, with 18 options.

The battle between the US and Europe for aerospace supremacy is an obsolete notion, Airbus president and CEO Fabrice Brégier told a Washington DC audience.

Aircraft News

Turkish Airlines has committed to order 40 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, 10 737 MAX 9s and 20 737-800s as it continues its growth plans for single-aisle aircraft.

French publishing house Lagardère has sold its entire stake in European aerospace giant EADS.

Austral Líneas Aéreas, a subsidiary of Aerolíneas Argentina Group, has agreed to purchase two Embraer E-190s.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines has signed a letter of intent to wet lease four new ATR 72-600 aircraft for 36 months from Danish carrier Jet Time.

Airbus is demonstrating a mock-up of its wider A320 economy aisle seats at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg in the hope of attracting a launch customer for the seating variant.

Airbus started construction Monday on an A320 family manufacturing facility in Mobile, Ala., where it plans to begin assembling narrowbodies in 2015 for delivery starting in 2016.

Boeing conducted a second 787 test flight related to the certification of its fix for the aircraft’s lithium ion batteries.

Oneworld member LAN Colombia is adding three new Boeing 767-300ERs on key international routes as part of a $360 million upgrade strategy.

Jeddah-based Saudi Airlines Cargo Co. (Saudia Cargo) has received its first Boeing 747-8F, which will begin commercial operations in May.