Picture a group of senior Boeing executives cutting the ribbon on a new 737 plant in France, surrounded by adoring local officials and lauded by the chamber of commerce. The flip side of that fanciful vision occurred July 2 in Mobile, Ala., when Airbus ceremoniously announced that it will invest more than $600 million to establish a U.S. final-assembly factory for A320s, starting in 2015. The new line, which will employ more than 1,000, will join A320 assembly plants in Hamburg, Toulouse and Tianjin.

All eyes are on Airbus as it prepares the A350 for first flight, but the aircraft maker is putting at least as much attention on ensuring it can handle the steep production ramp-up due shortly afterward.

GKN Aerospace has sought for years to join forces with Volvo Aero. With the contract finally signed, GKN is emerging as a stronger supplier for engine manufacturers.

Don't tell Hawaiian Airlines that a sputtering global economy will slow demand for air travel. While other U.S. carriers are putting the brakes on expansion, Hawaiian is expanding capacity at double-digit rates and adding to its fleet of widebody jets—primarily with Airbus A330s, and A350s to follow starting in 2017. Hawaiian estimated capacity would grow 15.5-17.5% in the quarter that just ended, compared with a year earlier. The consistently profitable Honolulu-based carrier expects an average load factor of 84% for the quarter and has no plans to slow its growth.

The June 7 initial bid deadline for bankrupt Canadian MRO provider Aveos's assets passed with mixed news, including indications that Air Canada is willing to help land work for the buyers of the engine and component businesses, while no bids were received for Aveos's airframe assets.

The economic life of the ATR 72 is 70,000 cycles, but based on innovation from the manufacturer and operators alike, ATR is “evaluating the possibility” of setting the limit even higher. Cycle ceilings are important, but it's the optimization of operations during that economic lifetime that matters most.

For U.S. Boeing 747-400 operators, going outside the country for heavy airframe maintenance may be the only choice, as North American MRO capacity for the huge aircraft becomes increasingly limited. It's easy to see why, given what has become a relatively small number of aircraft.

What started as routine maintenance for Transaero Airlines turned into an MRO acquisition. The Russian airline had chosen Shannon Repair Services (SRS) to refurbish its aircraft to make them Wifi-enabled, but subsequently decided to invest in the MRO and take it over. The move is giving Transaero access to another in-house maintenance base.