Mubadala’s ambitions to build up its Strata aerostructures business into a Tier 1 supplier has received a boost under a new agreement with Boeing.

Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems have suspended operations in Wichita following tornadoes that hit production facilities as they swept through Kansas on Saturday night. The damage could hurt Boeing's production ramp-up. Spirit, which supplies 737 fuselages and 787 nose sections, says operations have been halted until Wednesday and told employees Sunday evening to “report to work only if contacted.” Boeing, which operates from adjacent facilities, says its site is shut down through at least yesterday while damage assessment takes place.

Airbus hopes to have a final fix for an A380 wing component cracking problem in hand in “a couple of weeks.” Progress is being made, and the goal is return the aircraft wing to the full projected life cycle, Airbus Executive VP-Programs Tom Williams tells Aviation Week on the sidelines of the Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Achieving the full 19,000 flight cycles is key to financiers. The fix will be installed on new aircraft, those already in service and those completed and still undergoing cabin furnishing.

Knocked out by the great tsunami on March 11 last year, the Sendai Maintenance Center of Japanese aerospace group Jamco is nearing full recovery.

SENDAI, Japan — Knocked out by the great tsunami on March 11 last year, the Sendai Maintenance Center of Japanese aerospace group Jamco is nearing full recovery.

A September 2011 report by a National Academy of Sciences panel called for major changes in Air Force management of sustainment.

India’s maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry could expand by 300% to $1.369 billion by 2020 from $440 million in 2010, boosted by a government plan to exempt aircraft spares and other equipment from customs duties, according to a civil aviation ministry report.

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes' maintenance facility in Belo Horizonte has been authorization by Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency to paint all types of commercial aircraft registered in Brazil, and not just GOL’s Boeing 737 fleet, as previously permitted. (Photo credit: Air Team Images)