Dallas-based Southwest Airlines is reporting successful trials with an innovative ozone-based aircraft water system sanitization unit, according to Cory Howe, an aircraft systems engineer in the carrier’s maintenance and engineering department. “The EPA has issued some recent rulings which prompted us to look into new technologies that can remove potential hazards and allow for aircraft potable water system quality verification on our entire 737 fleet,” he explains.

Engine OEMs and the airframe industry are once again giving open rotor architecture a serious look. Essentially an unducted fan, the technology promises the ultimate in high bypass with huge savings in fuel and emissions. At CFM International, LEAP is, in fact, focusing some of its resources on open rotor engine development, according to LEAP Program Director Ron Klapproth.

While today’s business aircraft owners may be more budget conscious with the back of the airplane, they appear to be a little more generous with the cockpit. “We are getting more requests now for ADVIZ, a digital flightdeck retrofit with application to all of our legacy [out of production] Citations,” reports Cessna’s Stan Younger. Developed in cooperation with Innovative Solutions and Support of Exton, Penn., ADVIZ will replace the older Citations’ analog avionics under a just-completed Cessna-owned STC on a Citation V.