Has as a new jetliner ever been launched as reluctantly as the 777X? Boeing usually prefers to follow its competitors in new product development, waiting until it can create a “killer” for a given segment. The 777X, like the original 777, looks set to enter service several years after the competition, in this case the A350-1000. But while the 777 became a category killer, this time the late-adapter approach may have significant disadvantages.

The public debate surrounding the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles or systems (UAS) into the U.S. National Airspace System has failed to focus on key distinctions among the vastly different capabilities and potential uses of UAS. Not all of them can be used for real-time surveillance or, for that matter, as weapons. The assumption that all UAS are capable of real-time surveillance is incorrect, and it appears to be significantly delaying the FAA's integration of these innovative and cost-saving technologies into the National Airspace System.

East Africa is home to two of Africa's most successful carriers, Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways, but increasing competition from foreign airlines raises questions whether there is a future for two hub-and-spoke operators vying for the same market in the same region.

It does not even have a formal name, but a new aviation and travel industry coalition could have a big impact on those long lines and wait times at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that are dissuading travelers from coming to the U.S. It also could be setting the stage for an intense battle over a critical element for some of the improvements: How to pay for them.

Uncertainty hits defense contractors, but civil airframers take up the slack

The great strides that Africa's commercial aviation industry has made in recent years—with the emergence of strong scheduled carriers such as Egyptair, Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways—has not been beneficial for Africa's wet-lessors. “Wet-leasing is not as popular as before,” says Apandi Lakhiyalov, group CEO of Aerovista, a leasing company based in Dubai that provides wet leases in Africa and other emerging markets using its Georgian and Tanzanian air operator certificates (AOCs).

In the 1930s, large segments of France's economy—including the aviation industry—were acquired by a newly elected left-wing government. The final part of the nationalization program became reality shortly after World War II ended, when engine manufacturers Gnome & Rhone and Renault were consolidated to form state-owned Snecma.

Atlantic Aviation, which earlier this month filed a lawsuit to halt plans for a Signature Flight Support fixed-base operation at Mineta San Jose Airport citing environmental and safety concerns, is filing a second suit, this time claiming the city had broken its own rules on fair, competitive bidding. Atlantic asks the Santa Clara County Superior Court to order the city to reissue a request for proposals (RFP).