Embraer

JetBlue Airways [JBLU] on Sept. 13 took delivery of the first of 101 Embraer 190s. JetBlue, the launch customer for the new 100-seat jetliner, expects to begin flying the plane in November on routes that have not been disclosed. Embraer expects to deliver about 18 planes a year to JetBlue each year until 2011. The planes are quipped with live DirectTV and XM Satellite Radio just as JetBlue outfits its Airbus 320s.

Skyways Aviation

Nordic Solutions of Sweden recently purchased three Saab 340As to be used as freighters. Saab Aircraft will handle the conversions. Once the planes are placed with Nordic, the carrier will use them on routes in Lithuania. Skyways Aviation brokered the deal for its affiliated company, Skyways Express.

Cimber Aviation

Cimber Air Maintenance Center, part of the Cimber Aviation Group, recently completed the modification of an ATR 72 into a Class E freighter. Cimber has streamlined the conversion process so that the task was handled in three weeks instead of the six weeks needed for earlier conversions. This latest conversion for Air Contractors was the third it handled for the Irish carrier.

Jet Engineering

Jet Engineering Technical Support recently expanded its facilities with a new paint bay at the Southampton Airport in the United Kingdom. The paint bay can accommodate any aircraft up to the size of a Dornier 328. The company earlier in the month obtained certification to perform base and line maintenance work on the 328 turboprop and jet.

ARINC

GoJet Airlines has equipped its Bombardier [BBD] CRJ 700s with ARINC's GlobaLink VDL Mode data link service, the AviNet wide-area network, the Air-Ground Domestic radio voice service and OpCenter, its Web-based messaging service.

Wings Aviation

Wings Aviation, partly owned by ExpressJet [XJT], was recently the first aviation service center to install Blended Winglets on Gulfstream II and a Hawker 800XP. With both aircraft at Wings' hangar at the same time, Wings is now positioned to handle multiple installations of the custom-built wing tips simultaneously.

CAVOK

The CAVOK Group, based in Keller, Texas, has entered into an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operated as a FAA certification consultant. Carriers seek a Part 121 status can now retain CAVOK to develop their manual system. Functioning as the FAA consultant, the agency will be able to save time and shift its focus from completing an inspection to verifying compliance.