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By popular request from yesterday's Image of the Day comparing the A380 cabins of Singapore Airlines, Qantas, and Emirates, here is the cabin layout for Air France.

Two years on from its service debut, operators have told Flight International that the Airbus A380 has proved itself to be a crowd pleaser from a passenger point of view but suffers some frustrating technical problems.

In our exclusive in-service report, launch customers Emirates, Qantas and Singapore Airlines provide no-holds-barred overviews of the double-decker's performance, while Airbus, Engine Alliance and Rolls-Royce give feedback on their experiences. Read more...

Here, we compare the cabin layouts the three operators have chosen.

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador is to replace part of its aerial firefighting fleet with four new Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft, to be delivered from the second quarter of 2010 through 2011. Read more...

An era ended at United Airlines on 28 October as the carrier operated its last Boeing 737 passenger flight, more than 40 years after introducing the twinjet.

Flight 737, operated by 737-300 N331UA, took off from Washington Dulles and made what amounted to a farewell tour with stops at all the carrier's hubs - Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles, with the final touchdown at its San Francisco maintenance base. (Pictured) Read more...

(United Airlines)

Although pressure has been mounting on Airbus and Boeing to move forward with their plans for single-aisle replacement designs, the rivals have been more concerned with developing their current programmes.

Airbus continues to make incremental improvements to the A320 family, addressing weight reductions and operating weight increases amid ongoing studies of a winglet programme. Read more...

Airbus is evaluating a re-engined A320, which could like something like this:

Lockheed Martin has updated plans for rapidly escalating C-130J Hercules production output, while F-16 deliveries are set to contract for two years before possibly doubling again after 2012.

Chief financial officer Bruce Tanner, discussing third-quarter earnings on 20 October, revealed that C-130J deliveries will grow from 12 aircraft in 2008 to 16 this year and 26 next year. Read more...

(USAF/Mstr Sgt Kevin Gruenwald)

Dornier Seaplane announced that it will launch production of its Seastar amphibian having exceeded the requisite order tally needed to give the 10-seat aircraft a second lease of life.

The Seastar - whose six-month demonstration tour of North America culminates here in Orlando - first flew in 1984. Three were built in Germany before production was halted in 1991 due to a lack of funding. Read more...

(Billypix)

Earlier this week Continental Airlines joined Star Alliance, becoming the group's 25th airline. Continental had an 18 month transition from its previous alliance with SkyTeam.

The impetus for Continental's move was the merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines that was unveiled in April 2008. Delta and Continental have considerable overlap in the New York market and geographically close hubs in Atlanta and Houston.

Recently Continental president Jeff Smisek told ATI sister publication Airline Business that the carrier fills a very valuable spot for Star. Prior to Continental joining the alliance Star had virtually no presence in the key New York market. Read more of our interview here...

At an event celebrating Continental's ascension to Star Alliance, the carrier unveiled a Star Alliance themed livery on a 757.


In other Star Alliance news, Continental and Asiana recently signed a codeshare agreement. Continental also signed such an agreement with ANA, and the entire group expects to launch a transatlantic JV in early 2010.

In the first installment of Flight International's restyled annual survey of the world's airliner programmes, we examine the mainline jet market by sector. Leading data for each type includes specifications, prices, performance and order/delivery information at 30 September

• Single-aisles: Airbus and Boeing face pressure with the A320 and 737
• In-production widebodies: Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 remain popular
• Next generation widebodies: Dreams of tomorrow
• Emerging narrowbodies: China and Russia take on Airbus and Boeing in the single-aisle market
• Russian airliners: Russian jet airliner projects face an uncertain future
• Ultra-large airliners: Gigantic problems
• Cargo conversions: Hope springs eternal

One sector of the recession-hit business aviation industry is bucking the trend by declaring 2009 to be shaping up as one of the best ever.

Demand for head-of-state "VVIP" widebody airliners continues to grow unabated, and suppliers to the top end of the completions market were in buoyant mood at the show. The head-of-state market is almost completely insulated from the aircraft-financing squeeze that has had such a detrimental impact on the spending power of high net-worth individuals. Most government-backed VVIP projects were budgeted for several years ago and are proceeding as planned. Read more...