Bombardier’s CSeries family is still on Qatar Airways' (QR) radar, according to CEO Akbar Al Baker. Addressing media at the Dubai Airshow, Al Baker said the CSeries was “still of great interest” to the airline but that it had finite resources to work through a variety of projects. “We will get to the CSeries,” Al Baker said.
Emirates (EK) president Tim Clark confirmed to ATW that its order for up to 70 Boeing777-300ERs was an insurance against late deliveries of the Airbus A350 ( ATW Daily News, Nov. 15). “We do not want to be caught out with a capacity shortfall,” he said.
Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris (Y4) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Airbus for 44 A320 aircraft, comprising 30 A320neos and 14 A320 family aircraft.
Russian manufacturer Irkut told reporters at the Dubai Airshow that its short- to mid-range MC-21 has reached a backlog of 235 orders. The aircraft, Irkut claimed, will provide 10% more fuel burn reduction than the A320neo, without the use of winglets, which it dismissed as a detriment to the aerodynamics of the plane.
Qatar Airways (QR) ordered 50 Airbus A320neos and five A380s, worth a reported $6.5 billion at the Dubai Airshow—alongside a Boeing order for two 777 freighters worth $560 million—but the Airbus order was only secured after some high drama.
Russia's NordStar Airlines signed a contract with ATR for the purchase of three more firm ATR 42-600s, adding to an agreement inked in September for two firm ATR 42-600s and two options.
Allegiant Travel Co. has inked a purchase agreement with Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) for up to 13 MD-80 aircraft and 12 JT8D-219 spare engines in 2012 and 2013.
Aeroflot (SU) plans to modernize the fleet of its subsidiaries with Airbus A320s and Russian regional aircraft Sukhoi Superjet 100s (SSJ100s), SU CEO Vitaly Savelyev said.
Airbus has confirmed to ATW that it has pushed back entry into service (EIS) of its A350-900 aircraft by six months to the “first half of 2014” owing to the “late availability of some key parts.”
Embraer is dropping plans to enter the 130-160 seat narrowbody market and instead focusing on developing a re-engined variant of its E-jet family that could be ready in 2018, the company announced Thursday.
International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC) entered into a sale-leaseback arrangement with American Airlines (AA) to finance 15 previously ordered Boeing 737-800NextGen aircraft. Two aircraft have been delivered; the rest are scheduled for delivery in 2012.
Caribbean Airlines (BW) took delivery of its first of nine ATR 72-600s, becoming the first operator of the new -600 series in a $200 million contract ( ATW Daily News, Feb. 2). The aircraft are configured with 68 seats and will be equipped with inflight entertainment.
Transaero Airlines (UN) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Boeing for four 747-8 Intercontinental aircraft, making it the first customer in Russia, the CIS and Eastern Europe for the passenger version of 747-8.
WheelTug and EL AL Israel Airlines (LY) on Monday announced a Letter of Intent (LOI) under which LY will “obtain a substantial part of the initial production of WheelTug Aircraft Drive Systems for Boeing 737NG aircraft for installation on their own aircraft subject to financial and operational feasibility checks and regulatory approvals.” LY is the launch customer for the system.
LOT Polish Airlines’ (LO) first 787 delivery has again been postponed, according to LO CEO Marcin Pirog. "We have recently received new delivery dates. The first 787 will arrive in the fourth quarter of 2012 instead of April 2012,” Pirog told the Polish News Agency PAP last week ( ATW Daily News, Oct. 21). “The next two aircraft are to reach Poland within two months after the delivery of the first one,” PAP reported.
CIT Aerospace, the aircraft leasing unit of CIT Group, signed an agreement with Embraer for up to 30 Embraer 190 and/or 195 jets, with 10 firm orders. Deliveries are scheduled through 2015, the manufacturer said.
