So far, not so bad. The Comac C919, the single most important program in the great array of China's civil aircraft plans, has used up all of the slack in its schedule. The manufacturer is, by numerous accounts, suffering from at least as much bureaucratic caution as would be expected of a Chinese Communist organization executing a high-priority political project. And the aircraft, according to some industry executives, is likely to miss its target for a first flight in late 2014.

As efforts to integrate unmanned aircraft into civil airspace intensify, industry pundits are eying legal and safety challenges that could be posed by the introduction of autonomous technology into commercial air transport.

While the fight over Australia's international airline market has been capturing headlines lately, major takeover moves by Virgin Australia are set to turn up the heat in an increasingly fierce competition on the domestic front.

Chinese airlines operate 47 flights a day between Beijing and Shanghai, half with widebody aircraft, mainly Airbus A330s. There can be little question of putting more narrowbodies on the route; its congestion and delays are already notorious. So the future must bring increased twin-aisle capacity.

The operating efficiencies that the Boeing 787 gains from carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) has made those materials—composites—the baseline for the product development team working on the 777X, despite a push by aluminum manufacturers that their lightweight alternatives are more aligned with Boeing's traditional manufacturing methods.

Interest is strong, but the program is already late.

Airbus A350 customers have been reassured by the sight of a Trent XWB engine strapped to the wing of an A380 flying testbed. However, to Rolls-Royce this outward display of progress is just the tip of the iceberg as it works on certification and ramping up production of the first flight-test engines for the new twin.

Despite leaning out its 777 final assembly line about seven years ago, Boeing considered its goal of producing 100 of the widebody jets per year unrealistic without a significant capital investment. But a combination of automation, process improvements from its mechanics and a push on hiring is making that goal possible.