Pratt's geared turbofan is all fired up with somewhere to go.

In the wake of flight and certification testing of the PW1500G, Pratt & Whitney and Bombardier have made the surprise decision to build the CSeries without a novel propulsion feature known as the variable area nozzle (VAN).

Robert E. Rosati, who died on Oct. 24, was known as the “father” of the International Aero Engines (IAE) consortium, which brought together Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, MTU Aero Engines, Japanese Aero Engine Consortium and Fiat to develop the V2500. He was 88. Rosati flew 49 combat missions during World War II, forming an attachment to P&W engines as a top-turret gunner and radioman in Pratt-powered U.S. Navy aircraft. Rosati joined the company in June 1953 as a trainee test engineer on the J57.

Delivery of a run-out CRJ100 to an engineering college in Montreal is highlighting Bombardier's commitment to the recycling of its aerospace products, specifically the new CSeries narrowbody. According to Fassi Kafyeke, director of strategic technology for Bombardier, the goal of the CRJ100 end-of-life (EOL) project is to study the most efficient ways of recycling an aircraft, which will provide feedback for the airframer's engineers to find better ways to build recyclable components.

As Indian carriers race to form a strategic alliance with international airlines, grounded Kingfisher Airlines may emerge as the first to benefit from foreign direct investment. Debt-ridden Kingfisher, which has been grounded since Oct. 1 following labor unrest, is currently in talks with various investors, including Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, for a possible stake sale. Aerospace industry sources indicate that the Persian Gulf-area carrier is close to buying a 48% stake in the Indian airline for about 30 billion rupees ($553 million).

The Russian government recently announced two programs to further develop its transportation system and aircraft industry, but the support of local manufacturers will become less straightforward following the country's inclusion into the World Trade Organization this summer. The new transport development program, announced Nov. 23, covers all means of transportation and strives to increase the mobility of the population to 10,000 km (6,200 mi.) per person by 2020 from today's 7,000 km per person, according to the transport minister, Maxim Sokolov.

Patience is wearing thin on reforming air traffic control patchwork.

A distinctive feature of the Chinese economy is that most of its dominant companies, such as the main airlines, are effectively arms of the government but also compete with each other. That is part of the Communist Party's idea of “socialism with Chinese characteristics.”