Boeing announced the delivery of two 777 freighters to Southern Air, which will operate them on an ACMI contract with Thai Airways. Southern also operates 16 747Fs. Aeronautical Engineers Inc. yesterday delivered its first completed 737-400 converted freighter to Istanbul-based MNG Airlines, which plans to use the aircraft on routes connecting Istanbul Ataturk to Paris Charles de Gaulle, London Luton and Cologne. The aircraft, converted at AEI's Miami facility, can carry a maximum payload of 47,100 lb.

Airbus will defend its presence in the under-150-seat market targeted by Bombardier with its CSeries, Head of Marketing Communications Alan Pardoe said yesterday. Speaking at the 24th Annual SpeedNews Commercial Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference in Beverly Hills, Calif., Pardoe noted that an aircraft seating 138 passengers, the configuration chosen by Republic Airways in its recent order for up to 80 CSeries 300s, directly impinges on the A319 market (ATWOnline, Feb. 26).

China Eastern Airlines subsidiary China Cargo Airlines took delivery of its first 777 freighter Sunday as it begins to upgrade its MD11 fleet in order to compete more effectively with Western carriers. The aircraft is scheduled to operate between Shanghai and Luxembourg beginning today. CCA noted that the new 777 will be used mainly on its European network as the city prepares for Expo 2010, which will take place in Shanghai from May to October. CCA plans to introduce three more 777s before August. It currently operates six MD11s, two 747s and three A300 freighters.

Turkish Airlines is considering both the 787 and A350, CEO Temel Kotil confirmed to ATWOnline, while declining to say whether the growing carrier will place an order. "We certainly want new-generation aircraft, but I'm not commenting further," he said, noting that promising to commit to either could be "taken to mean we might not order additional 777s." THY has orders for 12 777-300ERs on the books with delivery starting in September, one month earlier than initially planned.

2010 will be a pivotal year that will set widebody strategies and fortunes for decades to come. The stakes are sky high and the complexity of the aircraft being built is not for the faint hearted.