A microcosm of the overall ``dot-com'' online business phenomenon, avia- tion e-commerce continues to evolve at light speed. Change is happening so fast, in fact, that you can't tell the players without a scorecard, or rather, a good search engine. A portent of the latest trend in aviation e-commerce, consolidation, was seen in summer 2000 when three-year-old Skyjet.com, one of the industry's self-styled ``pioneers'' was acquired by Bombardier Aerospace.

The evolution of the corporate jet into flying office and entertainment center continues, driven by the telecommunications revolution, new classes of extended-range aircraft, and the ongoing need for business to be more productive. Passengers are remaining on board for longer periods of time, and completion centers and cabin equipment manufacturers are responding by creating airborne environments to support both work and relaxation.

It was inevitable that the big OEMs would ultimately discover aftermarket service, and the only thing surprising about Boeing's announcement last fall that it was forming an MRO division was that it took the mega-manufacturer so long to do it.