Boeing expects to know over the “next few weeks” what impact a 787 Dreamliner electrical glitch will have on the plane’s production and delivery schedule, the company’s chief executive said on Wednesday.

Southwest Airlines said it will add 20 Boeing 737-800s to its fleet, enabling the discount carrier to fly to new destinations such as Mexico, Central America and Canada and carry more passengers.

The US government should review the feasibility of current taxes and fees on airlines and support “responsible” regulatory intervention to reduce fuel price volatility if necessary, a special committee on industry competitiveness said on Wednesday.

Bombardier rolled out its latest commercial jet and said it is well placed to win new business from airlines emerging from the downturn that need more efficient fleets to control costs.

British airline Virgin Atlantic on Wednesday said it had received several “lines of enquiry” about tie-ups with rival carriers after it hired Deutsche Bank to assess the aviation market.

US aviation regulators are drafting enhanced inspection mandates to step up their examinations of more than 600 Boeing 757s worldwide, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Boeing said it could not see a “compelling reason” to follow European rival Airbus in upgrading its best-selling 737 single-aisle passenger plane, its commercial aircraft chief told the Financial Times.

Boeing said it was still studying its delivery schedule for the 787 Dreamliner after a published report suggested deliveries of the carbon-composite plane could be put off until late June or July.

Special safety checks ordered by Australian authorities have led to the replacement of a Rolls-Royce engine on an Airbus A380 awaiting delivery to Qantas, an Airbus spokesman said.

Bombardier said on Thursday that low-fare Indian airline SpiceJet placed an order worth about USD$446 million for 15 short-haul turboprop planes and has taken options for another 15 aircraft.