Regulators need to look beyond strict adherence to functional blocks

Boeing is preparing to install a modified battery system for flight tests in a 787, hoping the FAA will approve its redesign plan by March 6 or earlier.

Bolstered by recent new product introductions and buoyant sales of its turboshaft engines, Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) says plans for a next-generation PT6 family replacement will not be firmed up until at least 2014.

Competitive demonstrations are providing valuable returns for modest outlays

Some civil aviation authorities in developing markets are imposing age limits on aircraft in a quest to force airlines to operate newer equipment.

Launch customer's cancellations move into high-demand weeks

The head of the U.K.'s air navigation service is urging government to take the country's busy airspace into consideration as it examines how to build future capacity. Richard Deakin, CEO of National Air Traffic Services (NATS), says several of the leading ideas to solve London's airport capacity problems have not taken into account the challenges of the airspace around them. Officials deciding on the future of London's airports must plan for more than just concrete and terminal buildings, he says.

The merger deal struck by American Airlines and US Airways has been widely characterized as the endgame for U.S. airline consolidation, a process begun in 1978 when the government deregulated the industry. After all, in just the last five years, the number of mainline carriers has shrunk from six to three, and low-cost behemoth Southwest Airlines gobbled up AirTran Airways. That leaves the nation with just four large airlines. With the “Big Four” collectively accounting for almost three-quarters of U.S.