=============================================================

New York July 10, 2006 - Hill & Knowlton, Inc., one of the world's premier communications consultancies, today announced that former US Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta will join the firm as vice chairman effective July 24. The firm says Secretary Mineta's diverse experience and his extensive knowledge of public policy and business will enable him to provide valuable counsel to Hill & Knowlton clients on a broad range of domestic and international issues.

Based in the firm's Washington, D.C. office, he will report to Paul Taaffe, chairman and CEO.

Mineta's distinguished career includes 20 years in the US House of Representatives representing the heart of California's Silicon Valley, the chair of the National Civil Aviation Review Commission and cabinet service under the last two United States presidents. Mineta joined the administration of President George W. Bush in January 2001, becoming the 14th Secretary of Transportation and was the longest serving Secretary in the history of that cabinet post. He was formerly US Secretary of Commerce under President Bill Clinton.

"Secretary Mineta is an invaluable addition to the Hill & Knowlton family," said Michael Coates, president and CEO, Hill & Knowlton Canada. "With the United States and Canada sharing the world's largest trading relationship, a North American resource the caliber of Secretary Mineta will bring exceptional insight to Hill & Knowlton's clients across Canada."

"We feel enormously privileged to have a leader with Secretary Mineta's reputation and track record join us," said Paul Taaffe. "His expertise in global infrastructure and trade issues, and knowledge of the public and private players worldwide, make him an unrivalled resource for clients seeking operational and policy solutions in the US or internationally."

"I was fortunate in my public-service career to participate in addressing some of the most complex domestic and global issues affecting trade and transportation, and to learn from some of the very best in developing programs and driving policies," said Secretary Mineta. "In our successes, I found that effective, straightforward communications played a key part. Now as part of the private sector, I look forward to working with Hill & Knowlton, a world-class consultancy, and engaging with its impressive clients on their complex issues. I hope to add value and perspective to their policy-making and communications, helping to drive business outcomes wherever I can."

In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Mineta oversaw the Coast Guard response that included developing the Sea Marshal Program, Maritime Safety and Security Teams, and expanding the number and mission of Coast Guard Port Security Units. Additionally, he guided the creation of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that is charged with protecting the nation's transportation systems by ensuring the freedom of movement for people and commerce.

Prior to joining President Bush's administration as Secretary of Transportation, Secretary Mineta served as US Secretary of Commerce under President Clinton. He was the first cabinet member to transition directly from a Democratic to a Republican cabinet. Prior to joining the Commerce Department, he was vice president of Lockheed Martin.

After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, Secretary Mineta joined the Army in 1953, and served as an intelligence officer in Japan and Korea. He entered politics serving on San Jose's City Council subsequently becoming the first Asian Pacific American mayor of a major US city.

Manama July 9, 2006 - Gulf Air announced today the planned departure of President and Chief Executive James Hogan in late 2006, following completion of the Project Falcon turnaround program and the implementation of the airline's new strategic plan, Smart Airline, Successful Business, which was endorsed by the Board earlier this year.

The airline also announced it expects to appoint a new president and chief executive before Mr Hogan's departure, allowing for a smooth leadership transition.

Abdul Aziz Jassim Kanoo, chairman of the Board of Directors of Gulf Air, said:

"Project Falcon re-established Gulf Air as one of the world's leading airline brands. The new plan, Smart Airline, Successful Business, will take us to the next level of development, with investment in new aircraft, new maintenance facilities and new route and service initiatives.

"Gulf Air continues to face the challenges of a competitive market environment and it will be another challenging year for the airline following losses in 2005.

"But both shareholders, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman, believe the right foundations have been set with the new plan and that is why they committed further funding of BD 100 million to the airline earlier this year. Each remains fully committed to Gulf Air into the future.

"Our new strategy is based on continued investment in the business. We recently announced major investment in a new maintenance facility. In addition to this, we are on track with our fleet renewal plans, which we expect to finalize over the summer.

"On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank James Hogan for the strong and decisive leadership he has shown over the last four years, helping Gulf Air to return to its rightful place as one of the world's leading airline brands. His vision and commitment have been exemplary."

James Hogan joined Gulf Air in May 2002, when he introduced the Project Falcon turnaround program. Over the following three years, this cut the airline's losses and returned it to profit, in 2004. In addition, Project Falcon saw a re-branding of the airline and the launch of unique services including Gulf Traveler, Sky Chefs and Sky Nannies.

The airline won many different awards over that period, including Most Improved Airline, Middle East Leading First Class Airline, MENA Platinum Best Airline and the prestigious Mercury Award for in-flight service.

Mr Hogan said:

"I am incredibly proud of the progress made by Gulf Air over the last four years. It has become one of the top airline brands in the world, with a service portfolio that is the envy of competitors in the region and across the globe.

"Now, with Project Falcon completed and all the major elements of the new strategy in place or under way, my work has been completed and it is on this basis that I made my decision to move on to new challenges.

"I would like to thank the leadership of each of the shareholding nations and the members of the Board for their support throughout the last four years."

"The future of Gulf Air is assured by the one key factor that has seen it develop so strongly over the last four years: its people. The staff and management, both in Bahrain and Oman, will take the business forward to even greater success in the future."

Sao Jose Dos Campos, Brazil July 10, 2006 - Embraer announced that Mandarin Airlines has chosen the EMBRAER 190 and EMBRAER 195 E-Jets as the core aircraft for their future fleet requirements. Mandarin has elected to initially acquire a fleet of eight aircraft under operating leases and has signed a contract with GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS) to lease three EMBRAER 190s and five EMBRAER 195s aircraft. These orders will come from the existing GECAS backlog.

Both E-Jet types will be configured in a single class configuration consisting of 104 seats at 31-inch (79 cm) pitch for the EMBRAER 190 and 116 seats at similar pitch for the EMBRAER 195s. Deliveries of these aircraft are scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2007. In addition to replacing their existing fleet of Fokker 100s and Fokker 50s on domestic routes, the Taipei-based carrier will use the new generation E-Jets to develop short-haul intra-regional markets throughout Asia.

"The selection of the right fleet is vitally important to the successful management of an airline. With this in mind, members of Mandarin Airlines' fleet project team have spent one and a half years assessing many different aircraft types, considering the strategic position of the company in a very competitive environment, the demand of the future market, the performance of the aircraft, as well as the maintenance and training support offered by the manufacturers, etc.," said Michael Lo, Chairman of Mandarin Airlines. "We finally made our decision to choose the EMBRAER 190/195 as the main component of our future fleet. We are pleased and feel proud to be the first carrier to use these technically advanced aircraft in this region. We believe that these aircraft, with their high-tech design and customer-comfort oriented cabin configuration, will surely enhance flight safety levels and customer satisfaction, and lead to the outstanding performance and successful operation of Mandarin Airlines."

"It is truly gratifying to have Mandarin, one of Asia's most prestigious and established airlines, select our E-Jets," said Frederico Fleury Curado, Executive Vice-President, Airline Market. "From the onset of their evaluation, it was evident that Mandarin Airlines was looking for an aircraft capable of meeting very challenging operational and economic requirements to support their future business strategy in the very dynamic and developing Asian marketplace. This decision is yet another confirmation of our market vision for the E-Jets family."

In conjunction with this transaction, Embraer will significantly expand its product support network in Asia Pacific by establishing a spare parts logistics center and placing a full flight simulator in the region. "We are in the final stages of selecting locations for this infrastructure which is targeted at enhancing our support for Mandarin and the existing E-Jets customer base in the region. These facilities will be operational before the start of the second half of 2007," added Curado.

Chicago July 10, 2006 - The Boeing Company will highlight its broad range of capabilities serving customers in commercial and defense markets at the Farnborough Air Show, which begins July 17 outside London.

"Boeing enters Farnborough with terrific momentum generated by tremendous customer support for our products and services," said Tom Downey, Boeing vice president, Corporate Communications. "Our comprehensive presence at the show will spotlight our strong commitment to our customers, partners and suppliers."

The company's military showcase will feature the first flying display in the UK by the revolutionary V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor. Also flying will be the F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet and the AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter. In addition Boeing and its customers will display the C-17 Globemaster III military transport; the ScanEagle and X-45 N-UCAS unmanned aerial vehicles; the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter; and SLAM-ER, JDAM and Harpoon missiles.

On the commercial side, EVA Air, the Taiwanese airline, will bring one of its new wide-body 777-300ER twinjets, which will be on display throughout the show. The Boeing exhibit will also feature the interior cabin of the passenger pleasing 787 Dreamliner, the aviation industry's best-selling new airplane, as well as the capabilities of the new 747-8.

The Boeing schedule begins on Mon., July 17 with a press conference at 0930 hosted by Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Alan Mulally. On the same day at 1100, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems President and CEO Jim Albaugh will discuss current business opportunities.

Boeing is sponsoring the Farnborough 2006 Media Center and will hold a series of briefings on key programs and issues. Each day, media should check the briefing schedule at the media center and the Boeing media chalet for updates

Note: All times listed below are local to Farnborough

MONDAY, JULY 17

0930 Commercial Airplanes Overview -- Air Show Media Center
Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally will discuss current market conditions, highlighting the market success of the 787 and capabilities of the new 747-8.

1100 Integrated Defense Systems -- Air Show Media Center
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Albaugh will provide an overview of Boeing's defense business and opportunities.

1200 V-22 Osprey -- Air Show Media Center
The United States Marine Corps will discuss the V-22 program.

1330 Global Strike -- Boeing Media Chalet
Chris Chadwick, vice president and general manager Boeing Global Strike Systems, will provide an overview of Boeing's global strike capabilities.

1430 Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare & Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Systems -- Boeing Media Chalet
Tony Parasida, vice president Boeing ASW & ISR, will discuss products and opportunities.

TUESDAY, JULY 18

1000 787 Dreamliner Program -- Air Show Media Center
Mike Bair, vice president and general manager, 787 program, will update progress on the 787 Dreamliner program.

1100 C-17 -- C-17 Aircraft in the Static Display
Ron Marcotte, vice president Global Mobility Systems, and Dave Bowman, C-17 program manager will share the latest developments on the airlifter program. The briefing will be held on the C-17 aircraft on the static line, and lunch will be provided.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

0900 P- 8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft -- Boeing Media Chalet
Tim Norgart, director business development, Airborne ASW & ISR Systems will conduct a joint briefing with Capt. Mike Moran, P-8A program manager, U.S. Navy.

1000 F/A-18E/F U.S. Navy Brief -- Boeing Media Chalet
Capt. Donald "BD" Gaddis, F/A-18 program manager, U.S. Navy, PMA-265, will discuss the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet program, including the significant capability enhancements inherent in the Block II Super Hornet. Representatives from Boeing and the Hornet Industry Team will also be present at the briefing.

1000 747-8 Program -- Air Show Media Center
Randy Tinseth, vice president, sales, marketing and in-service support, 747-8 program, will discuss the latest developments with the new 747-8.

1100 C-130 Total Life Extension Briefing -- Air Show Media Center
Mike Harris, vice president and general manager C-130 program, will brief media on the current status of the C-130 Avionics Modernization Program and the new Total Life Extension Program being offered to international defense customers.

1500 787 GoldCare Program Update -- Boeing Media Chalet
Bob Avery, vice president 787 Services and Support, will provide details of the company's revolutionary GoldCare service solution for 787 customers.

Seattle July 10, 2006 - The Boeing 787 program has made a subtle but important change to the airplane's livery to enhance airplane performance. By developing a method for maintaining a smooth flow of air -- called laminar flow -- over more area on the 787nacelle inlet, Boeing is able to reduce aircraft drag and fuel consumption.

The 787 nacelle has a tightly controlled smooth surface to preserve laminar flow over a greater distance than that on a standard design. "Aircraft drag is reduced because laminar flow has much lower skin friction drag than turbulent flow," said Ron Hinderberger, propulsion leader for the 787 program.

To achieve laminar flow over the inlet it is necessary to maintain a very smooth, continuous surface without paint edges, which can occur when paint transitions from one color to another, or as paint details are added. The design parameter for the nacelles is based on thickness of the paint formulation for a single color; Boeing has chosen gray to complement the metallic appearance of the nacelle's inlet.

"If you interrupt the laminar flow by adding paint layers, which are common with airline liveries, you could increase fuel burn by 30,000 gallons per year per airplane," Hinderberger added. "An improvement like this -- especially with rising fuel prices -- can contribute positively to the bottom line for an airline."

Appleton WI July 10, 2006 - Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation (AWAC) today announced that it has hired James P. Rankin as President and CEO. Rankin is currently President and CEO of Skyway Airlines, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Midwest Air Group, Inc.

"We are extremely pleased to have someone of Jim's caliber joining Air Wisconsin," said Patrick J. Thompson, the company's current CEO. "Jim is a strong leader with great operational and business acumen. When we join Jim with our CFO, Christine Deister, and the other officers of Air Wisconsin, we believe we have a leadership team that can take Air Wisconsin to new heights."

Rankin has been with Midwest Air Group since first joining Skyway as a pilot in 1990. Within a few years, he moved through the positions of Chief Pilot and Director of Operations at Skyway before moving to Midwest Express Airlines in 1995. In addition to his current position as President and CEO of Skyway, Rankin also holds the position of Senior Vice President and General Manager of Midwest Airlines Saver Service, Midwest's lower fare leisure product.

Rankin said, "I am very excited about joining Air Wisconsin Airlines, a company with a rich and distinguished heritage, and I look forward to working with AWAC's 2,300 plus employees to further position the company for growth in the highly-competitive airline industry."

Rankin holds a bachelor's degree from Carroll College as well as an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. He will assume his new position August 1.

Rankin will succeed Thompson, who took over as interim CEO in April after AWAC's long-time CEO, Geoffrey Crowley, left the position to head up an investment company owned by AWAC's shareholders. Thompson will rejoin William Jordan as the company's Vice Chairmen.

=============================================================