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Moody’s raises its ratings on UAL Corp.

Moody’s Investors Service raised its ratings on UAL Corp. a notch, finishing the review of the airline it begun when the parent of United unveiled its deal to merge with Continental Airlines Inc. Get the full story »

Boeing finalizes $5.3 billion Navy contract

Boeing Co. has finalized a $5.3 billion four-year agreement with the U.S. Navy to build 124 F/A-18 fighter jets and electronic attack planes, a deal that will generate savings of over $600 million. Get the full story »

United, Continental defeat effort to block merger‎

From BusinessWeek | UAL Corp.’s merger with Continental Airlines Inc. won’t create a monopoly and shouldn’t be blocked on antitrust grounds, a federal judge ruled, helping to clear the way for the deal’s completion.

JetBlue CEO: Southwest buy won’t affect growth

Southwest Airlines Co.’s plan to buy AirTran Holdings will not affect JetBlue Airways’ intent to grow organically, JetBlue’s chief executive said.

In a memo to employees obtained by Reuters, Dave Barger said JetBlue “would not be distracted” by the planned Southwest purchase of AirTran for $1.4 billion in cash and stock. Get the full story »

Boeing 787 to meet schedule despite engine blowout

Rolls-Royce Group’s plan to recover from the August blowout of a 787 Dreamliner engine should allow the plane to meet its schedule, said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Jim Albaugh. A Rolls-Royce team will brief Boeing today and tomorrow in Seattle, where Boeing builds its airliners, Albaugh said. The London-based engine-maker’s steps will let Boeing’s 787 enter service as planned early next year, he said. Get the full story »

How AirTran-Southwest merger affects customers

By Sara K. Clarke, Orlando Sentinel | Orlando-based AirTran Airways said today it has agreed to be bought by Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, which is the busiest carrier at Orlando International Airport. What does this mean for customers and shareholders? Read on to see: Get the full story »

Airlines fret over cost of seat safety inspections

Airlines appeared on a potential collision course with regulators on Friday over the cost of carrying out proposed checks on over 100,000 passenger seats in the wake of a row over questionable safety data.

U.S. and European safety agencies said on Thursday they were proposing mandatory checks on Koito-manufactured seats, estimated to affect 150,000 seats on 1,000 mainly Airbus and Boeing planes. Get the full story »

Durable goods orders fall, business spending up

New orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods fell more than expected in August to post their largest decline in a year as bookings for aircraft and motor vehicles tumbled, but business spending rebounded strongly, a government report showed on Friday. Get the full story »

India may sign $3.5B deal for Boeing planes

India may sign a $3.5 billion deal to buy 10 of Boeing Co’s BA.N C-17 Globemaster III aircraft for its air force, the Economic Times reported on Wednesday. Get the full story »

Russia signs $3.7B deal for 50 Boeing 737s

A Russian state-owned company says it will buy 50 new Boeing 737 Next Generation airliners in a deal worth $3.7 billion. Get the full story »

Boeing adds orders for 20 new planes

Boeing Co. says it booked orders for 20 new aircraft in the last week, although it lost a few, too. The new orders include 15 new 737s. That jet is a workhorse and it dominates Boeing’s order book. Customers also ordered five new 777s, a larger plane often used on longer flights. None of the customers were identified.

Engine problem halts Boeing 787 test plane

Boeing Co. said Wednesday that it had a serious problem with one of the Rolls-Royce engines on one of its 787 Dreamliner test aircraft, requiring it to be replaced.

The plane manufacturer, whose carbon-composite 787 is already almost three years behind schedule, said it was too early to tell if the setback would delay the plane’s testing phase and eventual delivery date. Get the full story »

Chicago headquarters cited in Boeing WTO loss

Boeing Co. received billions of dollars in illegal government subsidies, including $25 million in incentives that Illinois provided the plane maker to relocate its world headquarters to Chicago in 2001, a panel of the World Trade Organization determined.

The WTO report is confidential and was released to U.S. and European trade officials Wednesday. It is the first ruling in the second of dueling trade cases filed by the U.S. and European Union against each other last decade alleging that aircraft manufacturers had received unfair government support. Get the full story »

WTO expected to rule Boeing got illegal U.S. help

The World Trade Organization is likely to rule Wednesday that Boeing Co. received some illegal subsidies from the U.S. government, said people familiar with the case, fueling the debate with European rival Airbus and opening the door to negotiations on state support to plane makers.

The preliminary, confidential WTO finding will come more than one year after the WTO ruled in a similar case that Airbus had benefited from illegal European subsidies. Get the full story »

Boeing rejects bid to tie WTO case to Airbus’

The Boeing Co. rejected suggestions Tuesday that an imminent ruling by the world’s top trade court on allegations that the Chicago plane maker received billions in illegal subsidies should be tied to a similar case against its biggest rival Airbus.

The European company claims Boeing’s case before the World Trade Organization is key to resolving a wider dispute over government aid to aircraft manufacturers. Airbus was found by the Geneva tribunal to have gained an unfair advantage through billions in low-interest loans, infrastructure provisions and research and development grants. Get the full story »