Airbus has delivered 35 A320neo aircraft so far this year, industry sources said on Tuesday, bringing to 103 the number of upgraded medium-haul jets placed in service since deliveries began in January last year. The widely watched deliveries, which as of Monday totalled 9 so far in April, include the first aircraft for Icelandic budget carrier WOW air, which said on Tuesday it had taken the jet, powered by new LEAP engines from CFM International, under a leasing deal with Air Lease Corp. Airbus aims to deliver some 200 of the A320neo jets, the latest version of Airbus's best-selling jet programme, this year. It is equipped with new fuel-saving engines from either CFM, jointly owned by General Electric and France's Safran, or U.S. rival Pratt & Whitney. But deliveries have been hampered partly by problems with Pratt & Whitney's new Geared Turbofan engines.<br/>
general
Chinese and European aviation regulators said Thursday they will forge closer ties over aircraft manufacturing and certification as the global industry turns its eyes to China ahead of the maiden flight of the Chinese-built C919 jet. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) are holding a landmark meeting on aviation in Shanghai as China's government pushes for a bigger role in the global aviation market. The first flight in May of the C919 jet, built by Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC), will mark a major step for Beijing. The government hopes the jet will compete with Boeing Co and Airbus SE for a slice of global jet sales worth $2t over the next 20 years. A big hurdle, though, is that Europe and the United States have yet to certify a domestically built Chinese passenger plane and do not currently recognise Chinese certification procedures, limiting the countries to which China can sell its planes. "The ever closer ties between the Chinese and European aviation industries have created good conditions and a solid foundation to deepen cooperation on aircraft manufacturing and certification," CAAC administrator Feng Zhenglin said. Another CAAC official said closer ties would "increase the global influence and competitiveness of Chinese aviation".<br/>
The union representing Chicago aviation police officers is accusing the city of violating its contract—and jeopardizing the traveling public’s safety—by stripping the word “police” from the force’s uniforms and vehicles in response to the dragging of Dr David Dao off a United Express flight at O’Hare Airport. The rebranding of the Department of Aviation police department began in full force last week, with its SUVs being repainted so they say “security” instead of “police.” In January, aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans ordered the department to remove the word “police” from its uniforms—but the order was never enforced. Dao’s April 9 dragging off United Express Flight 3411 by three aviation cops—an international black eye for both the city and the airline—appears to have prompted the changes. Trustees of Service Employees International Union Local 73, which represents the aviation officers, filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the Illinois Labor Relations Board on Wednesday. “These changes undermine the actual authority held by Aviation Officers and place everyone using Chicago Airports at unnecessary risk,” the complaint states.<br/>