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.
Financially troubled Air Berlin (AB) said it is in talks with Boeing and Airbus to delay aircraft deliveries as part of its Shape and Size cost-cutting program.
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) has taken delivery of its first Boeing 747-8 freighter, making it the first carrier in Asia/Pacific region to operate the aircraft.
Spirit AeroSystems said it shipped the Airbus A350's first production composite center fuselage panels from its Kinston, N.C., plant to Saint-Nazaire, France, where final upper shell assembly is planned.
1 Lufthansa Technik (LHT) said it will begin converting the first of three privately owned Boeing 747-8I aircraft in 2012 as part of its VIP cabin quick-change kit for Airbus and Boeing narrowbody aircraft.
Emirates took delivery of its 16th A380, on lease from Doric Asset Finance for 12 years. Boeing has surpassed 300 deliveries of the 777-300ER aircraft type, with an Oct. 21 delivery to Biman Bangladesh. It is the first direct Boeing order from the carrier. The 777-300ER has received 543 orders, as of Sept. 30.
Bombardier Aerospace announced an unidentified Chinese airline has signed a conditional purchase agreement for six CRJ900 aircraft, plus five options, in a deal worth approximately $264 million based on list prices.
Airbus confirmed Friday morning that Transaero Airlines (UN) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Airbus for four A380 aircraft, making UN the launch customer for the A380 in Russia, the CIS and Eastern Europe.
Russian carrier OrenAir (R2) recently took delivery of its first Boeing 777-200ER. The aircraft, VQ-BNU, was leased from International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC) and made its first flight in 1999.
Transaero Airlines (UN), Russia’s second-largest carrier, is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Airbus Friday for A380s, ATW learned from a well-placed source.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight 7871, the first Boeing 787 commercial passenger service, landed at Hong Kong Oct. 26 after a 4 hr. and 10 min. flight from Tokyo Narita.
Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras has ordered 11 Embraer 195 jets, in an order valued at $497.2 million at list prices, Embraer said. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2013.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) fully expects to take delivery of 20 Boeing 787s by the end of March 2013, the airline’s president and CEO said during inaugural 787 passenger service ceremonies Oct. 26.
Avolon completed a sale and leaseback transaction with Wizz Air for three new Airbus A320 aircraft to be delivered in the first half of 2012. Air Greenland acquired one Airbus A330-200, which it has operated on lease since 2002, advised by Skytech-AIC.
A LOT Polish Airlines spokesman told ATW that the carrier expects its first Boeing 787 delivery to be in 2012, not 2013, as reported by Polish Press Agency PAP earlier this week.
Brazil’s TAM Airlines has finalized a purchase agreement for 32 Airbus A320 aircraft, comprising 22 A320neo and 10 A320 family aircraft, Airbus said. The order follows an MOU signed in February.
