The Boeing 737-7 and the Airbus A319NEO look almost obsolete years before first delivery.

While news reports typically point to the public's perception of excess and greed as the primary threat to corporate business jets, there are other forces equally insistent on robbing executives of their winged chariots—engineers.

After two years of rapid growth, Airbus's air traffic management unit is carving itself an increasingly prominent role in the global ATM industry. The Airbus ProSky subsidiary is already one of the few companies to be deeply involved in both the U.S. NextGen initiative and its European equivalent, Sesar. Now, with a new management team in place, it is aiming to more closely align its disparate pieces and bring more-integrated products to market.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is holding its annual general assembly in Cape Town, South Africa, this week. And, it is certainly time that the high-profile event is being staged in Africa. Economic growth is beginning to change some parts of the continent, and air transport is beginning to benefit. Africa will always be a small part of the global air transport market regardless of how much change is coming, but given new trade links and a willingless to loosen regulation, there will be growth potential.

Manufacturers face important questions at this year's Paris air show

Globally, aerospace and defense merger and acquisition activity has been slow for quite awhile, but Curtis Reusser and Mike Dumais have had plenty to do. They have been heading integration teams for the exception to that rule—the new business unit created by United Technologies' $18.4 billion purchase of Goodrich Aerospace last September.

Flybe used to be among the most innovative regional carriers in Europe. But a combination of market trends and regulatory measures is threatening its business model, yet again forcing the company to make deep cuts. The airline is selling its entire slot portfolio at London's Gatwick Airport and is deferring about half of its outstanding order for Embraer 175s for several years. These measures have been taken in order to fund an extensive restructuring plan which was launched last year.

Avionics makers seek to break the 'sight barrier.'