A320neo Launch Customer Lufthansa, Not Qatar. IndiGo Now Third.

Air Transport World is reporting that Airbus will deliver the first A320neo (new engine option) to German flag carrier Lufthansa and not Qatar Airways as originally planned. India’s IndiGo which was expected to be the second operator to receive deliveries will now be moved to third slot.

The last minute change has been necessitated due to the ongoing problems which require the the Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G Geared Turbo Fan (GTF) engine to be run for three minutes in idle condition after start-up before commencing taxi. Qatar is unwilling to accept the aircraft with these restrictions, and while Pratt is working on making the needed hardware and software changes, it will take a few weeks and would cause Airbus to miss its commitment of delivering the first A320neo in 2015.

Lufthansa will be financially compensated for the mandated three minute idle, but there are some regulatory issues that need to be sorted out. If all is settled, expect the first A320neo to be delivered from Hamburg on December 22, 2015.

India’s largest domestic airline, IndiGo, which has placed firm orders for 430 neos with options for 100 more, again powered by the Pratt engine will slip to third place. Either Airbus did afford the opportunity to IndiGo like it did Lufthansa, or the regulatory hurdles with India’s civil aviation regulator would cause an unacceptable delay, or the airline refused, just like Qatar did.

Whatever the reason, the arrival of the neos in India will be delayed by a few weeks.

ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines To Order 10 More Airbus As First A350-900 Takes Shape

Ethiopian Airlines, which ordered 14 Airbus A350-900 last year, has said it plans to order at least 10 more in the next two year as its first one takes shape on the final assembly line in Toulouse, France.

The airline’s Chief Executive, Tewolde Gebremariam, said the state-owned company expects to receive the first A350-900 in May next year. He said the delivery date for the first 14 Airbus could be fast tracked to 2016-17 from the initial target of 2016-18.

“We haven’t been able to quantify the right numbers but definitely we are going to order more. At least more than 10,” Gebremariam said.

The Africa’s most profitable airline will become the first African carrier to operate an Airbus A350.

According to Air Transport World, the first A350-900 of two that will be leased from AerCap, is quickly taking shape and will arrive at Addis Ababa’s Bole International airport on “November 11 as part of its Middle East- Ethiopia demonstration flight tour”.

“The Airbus A350 XWB MSN2 will be arriving at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport on Nov. 11 as part of its Middle East-Ethiopia demonstration flight tour,” Airbus said.

“The Ethiopia carrier will deploy the aircraft on its expanding route network linking the East African nation with Asia and America.”

currently has 77 planes, including 13 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners. It has placed orders for 50 planes altogether, including six more Dreamliners.