The basic design phase for CFM International's all-new Leap engines is almost over. But soon the next challenge looms: turning the new design into a production reality. As the first test components take shape, CFM is seeking to complete most of the learning curve ahead of production ramp-up.

In 2001, the German telecommunications behemoth Deutsche Telekom purchased U.S.-based VoiceStream Communications and rebranded the domestic wireless provider as T-Mobile. Chrysler has had two foreign majority owners in the last 15 years: Germany's Daimler-Benz and now Italy's Fiat. Moreover, Venezuela's state-owned petroleum company has been the parent of U.S. oil company Citgo for more than two decades.

An order for 50 737s, its largest ever from Alaska Airlines, moves Boeing closer to surpassing the 1,000 mark this year for the new-engine MAX series and underscores the emphasis major carriers are placing on larger, more fuel-efficient single-aisle transports.

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration often finds itself in the news for all the wrong reasons. Congressional Republicans in particular have routinely subjected the agency to hearing after hearing that have put TSA officials on the defensive. And airline passengers cannot help but object to screening measures often decried as invasive. What goes unreported is the significant progress the TSA is making in assessing risks to more efficiently distribute resources.

As installed bases age, and the pressures to cut fuel burn mount, engine makers are mining ever deeper into their technology stockpiles to develop new upgrades and keep existing customers on their side. For Rolls-Royce, the process of developing one-off enhancement performance (EP) packages has gradually morphed into a broader initiative of continuous improvements across the family lineup, ranging from out-of-production RB211-524s to the latest Trent 900/1000 and yet-to-be-fielded Trent XWB.

A lightweight, high-performance composite fan could be crucial to Rolls-Royce's chances of meeting the thrust-to-weight ratio targets set by Boeing for its proposed 777X derivative development.

Aviation Week & Space Technology spotlights 40 rising stars under the age of 40, including several involved in the aftermarket.

It was certainly no coincidence that Etihad Airways announced its tie-up with Air France-KLM on the same day that Qatar Airways confirmed it will join the Oneworld alliance. But the two deals are about much more than just well-known rivalries.