National Air Services of Saudi Arabia said it will order 75 total aircraft from Airbus, Gulfstream and Raytheon in a $2 billion purchase. NAS, which launched operations in 1999 offering ownership stakes in business jets, will buy the aircraft before 2010 as part of a plan to create a 100-strong fleet, according to Reuters. The carrier won Saudi Arabia's first private airline passenger license this month and will launch low-cost domestic services next year. It can start international flights in 2009.

IAE International Aero Engines and China Southern Airlines announced that the carrier ordered V2500s to power 50 A320 family aircraft and signed a long-term V2500Select aftermarket agreement in a deal worth more than $1.35 billion. The aftercare program also will cover China Southern's 74 existing V2500-powered aircraft. The 50 aircraft are its allocation from China's 150-aircraft order placed one year ago (ATWOnline, July 10).

Air Seychelles selected the GEnx to power the two 787-8s it leased from ILFC in April for delivery in 2010 (ATWOnline, April 6). The deal includes a 10-year OnPoint Solutions agreement worth more than $25 million.

Airbus yesterday received EASA and FAA certification for the A380 powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 900, but festivities in Toulouse were clouded by a surprise morning raid by French police into parent EADS' Paris headquarters, part of an escalating insider trading investigation stemming from the A380 program's extensive delays. The certification keeps Airbus on track to deliver the first A380 to Singapore Airlines in October 2007, more than 18 months behind the original delivery schedule. The aircraft is the largest ever to be certified for passenger carriage.

Copa Airlines took delivery of its sixth E-190, which will seat 94 passengers in a two-class configuration.