Aircraft News.

Adria Airways, International Aero

International Aero Engines said Adria Airways, the launch customer for the V2500, signed on as the first European customer for the V2500Select aftermarket program, a combined engine upgrade and support initiative. The upgrades will be released in 2008 and retrofitted to Adria's three V2500-powered A320s. Mexicana Airlines also extended its V2500Select agreement to cover its 26 A320s and six spare engines. Mar 3, 2006

Airbus, Aegean Airlines

Aegean Airlines yesterday confirmed an order for eight A320s plus 12 options announced in December. Aircraft will be powered by IAE V2500s. No delivery schedule was announced. According to Airclaims' CASE database, the carrier currently operates seven 737-400s, four dash 300s and six BAE Systems RJ100s. The new aircraft will replace part of its fleet and also be used for expansion on domestic and international services. Mar 1, 2006

Boeing

Boeing is set to stop making its wide-bodied 767 next year, as the company admitted a loss of orders from the US military had hit viability. The production line at Everett in Seattle looks set to cease as orders from commercial operators dry up. The aircraft manufacturer said a decision on assembly of the 767 could be made later this year. http://www.boeing.com Mar 5, 2006

Boeing starts shift to moving assembly line. Boeing is introducing the first phase of its moving assembly line for the 777. Boeing believes shifting to the moving assembly line, modeled on the Toyota production system, will make production more efficient. Mar 3, 2006

Boeing names team to develop new jetliner. Boeing has created a planning team to develop the successor to the popular 737. Boeing executives have said the new plane will start flying between 2012 and 2015. Mar 2, 2006

Boeing delivered the first 777-200LR to Pakistan International Airlines over the weekend. The aircraft, which flew from Everett to Karachi via Manchester, will begin operating nonstop Karachi-Toronto services March 3. PIA will take a second dash 200LR in late March. Feb 28, 2006

Boeing's 737 passenger plane, which has seen deliveries top 5,000 since it entered service 38 years ago, has always been touted by its U.S. makers as the world's most popular commercial jet. But lately, the plane has been losing business to European rival Airbus' A320, the 737's direct competitor in terms of size, range and listed price. Both single-aisle planes are designed to fly a short-to-medium range and seat a maximum of about 200. Last year, Toulouse, France-based Airbus had a 62 percent market share of the single-aisle plane market with 918 orders for the A320. The 737 had 569 orders. Feb 27, 2006

China Southern Airlines 

B/E Aerospace was contracted by China Southern Airlines to convert six A300-600s from passenger aircraft to freighters. Deliveries will begin in the latter part of 2007. B/E's Flight Structures arm will develop the engineering and certification packages and manufacture required components while China Southern affiliate Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co. will perform the conversions. Mar 1, 2006

InterSky, Bawag Leasing

Bawag Leasing of Austria sold an ex-Augsburg Airways Dash 8-314Q to Austrian LCC InterSky. Meridian Jet Prop was the seller's exclusive worldwide agent. Feb 28, 2006

Sabena Flight Academy

Sabena Flight Academy will purchase a 737NG full-flight simulator, raising its FFSs to six. SFA offers training on A319s/A320s/A321s, A330s/340s, 737-200s, 737-300s/-400s/-500s and RJ85s/100s. A subsidiary of Arizona-based Sabena Airline Training Centre, SFA said revenue increased 300% in 2005 owing to contracts with KLM Flight Academy and Oxford Aviation Training. Feb 28, 2006