Airbus denied widespread reports that CEO Christian Streiff tendered his resignation to EADS co-CEOs Tom Enders and Louis Gallois last week, and French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin yesterday backed Streiff in televised comments. European media reported that Streiff, who has been on the job just three months, clashed with Enders and Gallois over the Power8 restructuring plan announced earlier last week that aims to slash Airbus overhead costs by 30% (ATWOnline, Oct. 6).

Rolls-Royce Friday suspended work for a year on the Trent 900 engine that is slated to power more than 65 A380s on firm order by seven airlines. Meanwhile, the first monetary penalty resulting from the latest delay to the A380 program was revealed. The engine-maker said no immediate layoffs are planned. It said it will continue talks with Airbus to determine the full impact of the additional year's delay to the A380 program announced last week (ATWOnline, Oct.

Embraer will deliver fewer planes than predicted this year owing to an ongoing problem with its supply chain and suppliers. "We will deliver 135 aircraft rather than the 145 that we had foreseen," CEO Mauricio Botelho said during a conference call Friday. "We are postponing deliveries of 10 aircraft this year but we are getting the situation under control."

Boeing had another robust week, with orders for an additional 16 747s, four 767s and one 787 listed on its website. The customers are unidentified. ATWOnline understands that 14 of the 747s are dash 8Fs going to two customers while the remaining two are VIP aircraft listed as Boeing BBJs along with the order placed in June for one 747-8 Intercontinental (ATWOnline, June 12). The single 787 also is a BBJ, bringing VIP orders to four. Total orders for the year now stand at 723 net of cancellations.

Boeing said it delivered 100 commercial aircraft in the third quarter, a significant increase over the 62 delivered in the third quarter of 2005 when production was compromised by a 27-day assembly workers' strike. Deliveries comprised 81 737NGs, three 747s, three 767s and 13 777s. Year-to-date deliveries total 295 compared to 217 in the year-ago period. The vast majority (223) were 737NGs, followed by five 717s (including three under operating lease), 11 747s, nine 767s and 47 777s.