For the second time in a year, Airbus is expanding its airframe design and engineering center in Wichita's historic downtown to accommodate the staff it has been hiring to keep up with its A320, A350 and A380 programs.

Avionics makers strive for user-friendly and connected flight decks

Extends commercial franchise from domestic to global

No Fault Founds (NFFs) occur when parts appear faulty on an aircraft or in a line check, but test as fault-free in the shop. They are a frustrating waste of money and effort because although they appear to be benign, they still must be vetted. Reducing NFFs remains tough to accomplish. As old causes are discovered and resolved, new challenges arise, for example in increasingly complex avionics software.

The recent announcement of a merger between US Airways and American Airlines does far more than create the largest airline in the U.S. (see page MRO28). It may be releasing vast amounts of cortisol into the brains of workers who are unsure what this combination may mean for their jobs and future.

Leaning the line with outsourcing

Lease returns have a tendency to generate a lot of angst. There are myriad things to check, including big objects like airframes and powerplants, and less obvious items such as lowly seat covers and cushions.

The global civil aircraft fleet should increase 3.9% over the next 10 years to 32,500 aircraft, and the value of the aftermarket supporting that fleet likely will grow at a 3.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to $69 billion by 2022, according to an Aviation Week forecast. While the growth percentages look small and could indicate a constrained airline capacity increase for the next few years, while keeping maintenance costs in check, a look at the underlying numbers make this a much more dynamic story.