The structure of the first Mitsubishi Regional Jet is complete and nearing the stage of final assembly, while program managers consider how fast they can build the type to make up for development delays. Mitsubishi Aircraft and its airframe builder and major shareholder, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, appear to be inclined towards the high end of a range of contemplated production rates, though they are wary of the ability of their supply chain to keep up.

Regulators should be assessing costs and benefits before imposing security regulations on the aviation industry, says the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines. With great success, regulators have improved passenger safety over many decades while weighing potential gains against the disadvantages of new rules, says Andrew Herdman, director general of the association. The calculation is not easy, especially since it implies putting a value on life, but it can be done and is done. According to Herdman, the same approach should apply to security, too.

Rockwell Collins wants to reproduce its joint-venture strategy in new business opportunities with Chinese industry, and views its new Tianjin flight-simulator partnership as a prototype. Opportunities should be created by new and upgraded Chinese civil aircraft, resulting in local development and production before turning to the international market, says Colin Mahoney, senior vice president of Rockwell Collins’s international business.