Standardizing air traffic management systems may be a crucial goal for Europe, but it will not be cheap—particularly for smaller nations. To help address this problem, a coalition of ATM providers is embracing a new way of upgrading their systems that will not only save money but also help advance harmonization.

Consider this the next time you grab a cup of coffee at the airport: The market capitalization of Starbucks exceeds that of the 12 largest U.S. airlines—combined. Soaring fuel costs pushed the average profit margin of those carriers down to 0.3% in 2011, or a still-meager 2% if you factor out American Airlines, which has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since late November.

The International Civil Aviation Organization obligates nations to undertake their lawmaking role in aviation and ensure that air navigation services are provided. A state can achieve this with a number of different management models, ranging from a service organization within its transport ministry, to outsourcing air traffic management functions to a commercial provider.

One of the most common question is “Who is furthest ahead with modernization?”

Common wisdom has it that the larger an airline is, the easier it is to be profitable in an increasingly difficult environment. But as the cases of Iberia, part of the International Airlines Group (IAG), and the much smaller Aer Lingus show, that is not always true.

Biofuels will no doubt bring the next step-change in jet fuel reduction, and airlines have continued to push development forward since Virgin Atlantic operated the first commercial airline flight powered by a biofuel blend in February 2008. As Alaska Airlines CEO Bill Ayer has professed, “To the biofuels industry, we say: 'If you build it, we will buy it.' “

Venerable engine maker Pratt & Whitney is looking forward to a resurgent decade, with new engines like the innovative PW1000G geared turbofan series racing out of the gate and a solid business emerging for its Engine Alliance turbofan program with GE. But there's still a lot of business opportunity out there for the tried-and-true stalwarts, especially when it comes to overhauls and on-wing support—and that's especially true for Pratt & Whitney's PW4000 series large turbofan.

Suppliers that make aircraft composite components likely have a substantial amount of leftover composite fiber material, such as pre-impregnated scraps and laminates. Until recently, the only thing to do with this excess waste was to dispose it. Now, a handful of companies have developed highly specialized processes to transform this trash into recycled treasure, and aerospace companies are doing their part to give back to the environment by utilizing this capability.