Briefs

Saarbrucken, Germany-based Cirrus Airlines and its partners have ordered one Embraer [NYSE: ERJ] 170, with an option for another. Delivery is expected in December 2004. Cirrus Airlines connects to major German economic centers in a code-share agreement with Lufthansa [OTC: DLAKY]. With its current fleet of 13 regional aircraft, one of which is an ERJ 145, Cirrus carried about 200,000 passengers over its route network in 2002.
The Embraer 170 certification campaign is on course, expected to be completed in November. The Embraer 175 successfully performed its maiden flight on June 14 and certification is due in the second quarter of 2004. The Embraer 190 certification program is scheduled for the third quarter of 2005, followed by the Embraer 195 certification in the second quarter of 2006.

As of June 30, the Embraer 170/190 family had 244 firm orders and 309 purchase options from SWISS, Air Caraibes, Alitalia, General Electric Capital Aviation Services, LOT Polish Airlines, US Airways [OTC:BB: USALA.OB], and JetBlue [Nasdaq: JBLU].

Satena, the Colombian state airline that operates a number of regional aircraft types, has agreed to buy two new Embraer ERJ 145 50-seat regional jets. A memorandum of understanding was signed in a ceremony attended by presidents �lvaro Uribe of Colombia and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, where Embraer is based. The agreement calls for the aircraft to be delivered by the end of this year. Satena's fleet already includes one ERJ 145, and the two additional airplanes immediately will go into regular service, increasing the number of destinations served by the company. "The ERJ 145 regional jet, renowned worldwide, has become one of the main support elements to Satena's guidelines and missions," said Mauricio Novis Botelho, president and CEO of Embraer. Contact: Doug Oliver, Embraer, 954-359-3414.

US Airways' [OTC: USALA] regional partner, Shuttle America, could soon be grounded after its 150 pilots rejected a concession package. The airline, based in Fort Wayne, Ind., flies five daily flights between Fort Wayne and Pittsburgh. While not operating in bankruptcy, the airline had restructured its debts but those agreements were tied to a new wage package with the pilots. US Airways is Shuttle America's only code-share partner. Shuttle America is the 25^th largest regional airline as ranked by the Regional Airline Association, having flown 407,049 passengers in 2002.

Delta Connection carrier Comair will begin an additional daily nonstop flight between West Palm Beach, Fla., and Delta Air Lines' [NYSE: DAL] hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, using a Bombardier [Toronto: BBDb.TO] CRJ. The flight will operate from Dec. 1 through April 30.
"Expanded seasonal jet service between Cincinnati and this popular Florida destination allows Delta Connection to meet increased customer demand for flights to and from West Palm Beach," said Fred Buttrell, president and chief executive officer of Delta Connection.

The seasonal service will complement two daily roundtrip flights currently operated by Delta between West Palm Beach and Cincinnati and seven daily flights to Delta's hub in Atlanta. Comair is the nation's largest regional air carrier, having flown 8.6 million passengers in 2002, according to the Regional Airline Association.

American Eagle Airlines will launch flights each Saturday and Sunday beginning Nov. 1 between Raleigh/Durham and Orlando. The airline also plans to resume service between Raleigh/Durham and Ft. Lauderdale Dec. 6 with two flights each Saturday and Sunday. Starting Jan. 31, the airline will begin weekend service between Raleigh/Durham and Nassau, Bahamas, with two flights each Saturday and Sunday. All flights will use a combination of 37-seat ERJ 135s and 44-seat ERJ 140s. American Eagle is the nation's second-largest regional airline carrier, having flown 12.7 million passengers in 2002, according to the Regional Airline Association.

Horizon Air will launch a nonstop daily flight from Oakland to Hailey, Idaho, using a 70-seat Bombardier [Toronto: BBDb.TO] Q400 turboprop. The service coincides with the ski season from Dec. 17 through March 28, 2004. Horizon Air is the nation's ninth largest regional airline, serving nearly 5 million passengers last year, according to the Regional Airline Association. Horizon Air is a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group [NYSE: ALK], as is Alaska Airlines.

The Swiss Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA) will implement a proposed six-degree steep approach angle rule change into Lugano Agno airport, effectively ending Saab 2000 service into the airport until the aircraft can be re-certified to the higher approach angle.
"We are disappointed in the decision made by FOCA," John Belanger of Saab Aircraft said. "Implementation of the new steep approach rule in this manner will most certainly have a negative impact on Lugano Agno airport, our Saab 2000 operators, and the traveling public in general with little corresponding increase in safety levels."

Saab had drafted an alternate flight profile containing a final approach angle of 5.5 degrees but FOCA did not accept the alternative. Saab is talking to its customers to determine whether a re-certification of the aircraft will or will not occur.

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