Boeing yesterday reported "solid" first-quarter net income of $519 million, down 15% from a $610 million profit in the year-ago quarter, and touted "clear progress" on the 787 and 747-8F flight test programs including securing expanded Type Inspection Authorization late Tuesday on the Dreamliner from FAA.

Ship it AOG, the Addison, Tex.-based aircraft parts distributor, was named factory-authorized south-central US distributor of Lektro electric towbarless aircraft tugs. Under the terms, Ship it AOG assumes responsibility for sales of Lektro tugs and parts in Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

AerCap Holdings subsidiary AeroTurbine reached a 10-year deal with Chromalloy Gas Turbine to provide supply chain management services for Chromalloy-owned surplus engine/APU material. Initial inventory selected includes more than 50,000 line items of CFM56, CF6, PW4000, PW2000, V2500, JT8D, various whole APUs/APU piece parts and ground power engine piece parts.

Boeing flew its second 747-8F test aircraft to Palmdale, heralding the transition of testing to Southern California. The 747-8F will be stationed in Palmdale for the majority of its scheduled flight test program. Flight crews will conduct several test flights with fuel mileage and engine performance as key focus areas. In coming weeks two additional 747-8s will arrive in Palmdale.

Cebu Pacific Air ordered seven more A320s, bringing its outstanding orders for the type to 22, which will be delivered beginning in October and continue through late 2014. "This will enable us to have the largest fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft in the Philippines and the second-largest in Southeast Asia, allowing us to offer our trademark low fares to even more Filipinos," President and CEO Lance Gokongwei said. The additional aircraft will bring the carrier's A320 fleet to 43 by 2014.