Positioning itself to be a major player in the next generation of turbine engines, Pratt & Whitney Canada will invest $1.5 billion CAD ($1.3 billion) over the next five years to fund an ambitious research and development (R&D) program. Announced in December, the program includes $350 million CAD ($301 million) in Canadian government funding, repayable on a royalty basis, and $75 million CAD ($64 million) in funding to 20 Canadian universities for collaborative projects.

While electric braking systems are considered state-of-the-art technology, manufacturers also are making improvements to the carbon heat stacks that ultimately make airplanes stop. For Honeywell, those improvements are focusing on longer life spans, according to Henry Steele, director of marketing and product management for Honeywell's wheels and brakes product line.

When electronic flight bags (EFBs) were introduced a decade ago, they were little more than small, portable, cool tools that displayed navigation charts. But now that EFBs have evolved into multi-purpose, installed systems that can enhance safety of flight and operational efficiencies, they are a growing source of new retrofit business for MROs. Prompting this was an FAA initiative that encouraged more operators to consider EFBs for the first time.