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The article reports that the planned acquisition of Aviall Inc. will extend Boeing Co.'s service business base by bringing a leading parts distributor and forecaster into the fold at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Boeing plans to acquire the Dallas-based company in an all-cash deal of $48 per share or $1.7 billion total. In its recognition of the importance of a strong distribution network, Boeing was an early supporter of the FAA's AC 00-56A distributor accreditation program.

This article reports that the U.S. Department of Defense is tackling lean again in a drive to improve the life-cycle readiness and costs of its weapon systems, but this time its vow is to keep its focus on the customer; the war fighter. The initiative is the inclusion of continuous process improvement as part of the Quadrennial Defense Review. It provides an opening for significant top-to-bottom involvement from original equipment manufacturers to help define the metrics for weapon system reliability, safety, cycle times and other criteria needed to assure that aircraft, helicopters, tanks and ships are ready for combat.

The article reports on the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry exhibiting healthy growth rates, particularly in outsourcing, in the United States. The mandate for MRO of faster turnaround times, on-time deliveries, and high quality and reliability remains strong as competition from third-party providers grows. Airline unit costs have declined substantially in this decade, from a peak of $15.90 per 1,000 assigned seat miles in 2002 to $12.50 last year. Total MRO activities grew by 1.4% last year, at cumulative annual growth rates, to $38.8 billion from $38.3 billion in 2004.

The article informs that Boeing Co. has opened a 24/7 Operations Center to respond to maintenance headaches. What used to be the night shift has turned into a round-the-clock operation for a team of Boeing engineers taking calls from customers dealing with that most dreaded of maintenance emergencies, an aircraft-on-ground. The center, located near Boeing Field, has another time-related feature. A large television display is quietly tuned to an all-news cable channel so the engineering staff can keep pace with the outside world.

The article presents information on the weight of the company Boeing's 787 airplane, which is a little heavy but not a cause of worry at the present stage. The weight of the 787 airplane is a couple of percent over Boeing's targets, according to the Vice President of the company, Mike Bair. No specific area, systems, engines, landing gear, composite wings or fuselage is producing the weight problem, which Bair characterized as the result of aggressive targets for the aircraft's operating empty weight of 239,200 lb. for the standard 787-8, which is to be delivered in mid-2008. With fuselage and wing factories in Japan, Italy and two spots in the U.S., Boeing estimates it has the world's largest industrialization project underway currently.

The article presents information on the change in design of Boeing's 787 aircrafts. Its decision to stretch its 787 aircrafts beyond 300 seats for long-haul operations, will move the mid-sized jet into an even more prominent role as the company's template for future aircraft designs. This twin-aisle sales strategy has been on a roll. Last week, 787 General Manager, Mike Bair said 28 airlines have made orders or commitments for 386 airplanes. Bair says Boeing's sales staff has identified another 30 airlines interested in more than 500 aircraft. The technology that's going into manufacturing and production of the 787 will be the baseline for future Boeing programs. Customers include American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in the U.S.

The article reports that Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd. (ST Aerospace) will establish an airframe and heavy maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in Panama, marking its first advance into Latin America. Latin America is drawing increasing attention for its potential for low-cost airframe overhauls, especially for narrow-body aircraft. Agencia del Area Economica Especial Panama-Pacifico, commissioned by the government to attract foreign investment, sought out ST Aerospace to take over four existing hangars at the former Howard AFB west of the Panama Canal.

The article informs that the growth of commercial aviation markets in the Asia-Pacific region will push revenues for flight and technical training simulators in the region. Boeing Co.'s Alteon Training subsidiary estimates 23,500 new pilots will be needed in the Asia-Pacific region over the next 20 years. To meet those demands in China, Alteon and Jeppesen, another Boeing subsidiary, are working with the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the Civil Aviation University of China and Singapore training specialist Mil-Com Aerospace Pte. Ltd. to establish a technical training center in the port city of Tianjin near Beijing.

The article reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin finally set into motion the creation of a single Russian aerospace company. The Unified Aircraft Co.--whose acronym in Russian is OAK--is intended to encompass both fighter and commercial manufacturers, private and state-owned. Putin issued a decree on February 21, 2006 formally launching the process of pulling together the remnants of the aerospace sector. Following the decision, a non-commercial partnership has been laying the groundwork for the creation of OAK.

The article reports that the co-organizers of the 26-year-old Asian Aerospace--Reed Exhibitions and Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd.--split up in October 2005. Reed, which owned rights to the Asian Aerospace name, began searching for a new venue. It announced that the renamed Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress has landed at the AsiaWorld-Expo complex adjacent to Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, China. After the split, Singapore's government moved quickly to lock up participation for its 2008 show, now renamed the Changi International Airshow. Making early commitments were Airfoil Technologies International, BAE Systems, Boeing, Eurocopter, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon International and Rolls-Royce International.

This article reports that Asia-Pacific region's interests have broadened in the aerospace industry. A decade ago, regional jets, turboprop commuters and business jet manufacturers were just beginning to test the Asian marketing waters. A gradual liberalization, greater access to the Chinese and Indian markets and shifts in national defense spending have changed all that. This year, regional and executive jets represent a third of the aircraft on display at this week's Asian Aerospace exhibition in Singapore. Only one of the eight aircraft scheduled to fly is civilian.

This article reports that Spirit Aerosystems is transforming a former Boeing 757 factory floor into the new home for assembly of the jet's nose. To get ready, the company has added 100,000 sq. ft., raising total floor space to 500,000 sq. ft. Foundations have been poured for three key pieces of equipment--automatic fiber placement, skin trim and drill, and automated fastening machines. But the site is still a construction zone. Nearby, construction of an assembly line for the 787 engine pylons is underway. In this case, Spirit is opting for flexibility, running parallel lines for the new aircraft with the 777 and using common assembly processes for each. Spirit delivers full-length fuselages for the 737 program, but they are hollow.

This article reports that the descent of the space shuttle Stardust's blazing-hot return capsule to a safe touchdown, and the quality of the cometary dust it delivered to waiting scientists, validates the aerodynamic modeling, designs and technology used by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, for future deep space and sample return missions. Launched in 1999, the $210-million Stardust mission was returning from a 2.88-million-million round trip to collect samples from the comet Wild 2. Although comets periodically sprinkle their dust into the Earth's atmosphere, the Wild 2 collection is the first chance scientists will have to study material collected in situ.

The article discusses the business services of the company Hong Kong Express Airways with Embraer 170. The carrier was quick to recognize that business travel would be enhanced by the 2004 Closer Economic Partnership Agreement that liberalized air services between China and Hong Kong. Although Hong Kong is part of China, the former British colony continues to run its own economic affairs, including its air service agreements. Hong Kong has become one of Asia's most competitive markets, with three carriers Cathay Pacific, Dragonair and Hong Kong Express serving the mainland.

The article informs that spacecraft Stardust's capsule will flash like a man-made meteor as it brings scientists their first sample of comet dust. The spectacular end to Stardust's seven-year mission will offer more than just a light show. Its 12.8-km.-per-sec. reentry on January 15 will mimic a meteor's, and as the capsule's carbon-based surface ablates, it may offer insight into how life's molecules first formed on Earth. Built by Lockheed Martin Corp., Stardust is to release the capsule on January 14 and then continue on to a low Earth afterlife orbit.

The article informs that with a 45-aircraft order from Qantas Airways Ltd. for 787s worth a theoretical $7.6 billion, Boeing Co. has added to an already enviable lead in this year's wide-body sales, sweeping past rival Airbus Industrie SA in every product category. Qantas has been facing a good-news, bad-news situation. Jetstar International is to have an initial route structure requiring 10 aircraft for point-to-point services from Australia into Asian and Pacific markets that are unprofitable for the higher-cost network that Qantas runs.

The article focuses on the significance of streamlined satellite systems as an effective tools for natural disaster relief. Earth-observing satellites have been such a common tool in tracking storms and assessing damage from natural disasters that their images are part of the world's political and economic landscape. As promising as such results are, the practical aspects of using satellite technology for disaster prediction and recovery is a work in progress. Although satellites can produce remarkable results for disaster planning and recovery, the ground- and sea-based systems, such as wave-monitoring buoys for tsunami warnings, are usually far less expensive.

The article focuses on the increasing demands for aircrafts and growing concerns of aircrafts' suppliers. With Boeing Co. planning to increase its commercial aircraft output by 36% next year, CEO W. James McNerney is dead set against turning up production another notch, fearing that his suppliers would not be able to keep up. Across the aerospace industry, there are growing jitters about whether suppliers are prepared to meet increased demand from a surge in aircraft orders that took hold this year and could intensify in 2006. One big problem in the current upcycle is a bottleneck in the process of converting raw materials into aerospace-grade metals such as aluminum and titanium

This article reports that the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has replaced faulty transistors and completed simulated tracking exercises in preparation for the H-IIA launch of its Advanced Land Observing Satellite by early next spring. Before Japan's fiscal year 2005 ends on Mar. 31, 2006, the JAXA also hopes to launch its multipurpose MTSat-II, its second combination meteorological and Wide Area Augmentation System satellite. The agency also has the Astro-F infrared astronomy spacecraft on its manifest, which is to be put into orbit by a solid-fuel M-5 rocket. Plans to launch an optical reconnaissance satellite on an H-IIA before the end of the fiscal year have slipped at least six months because of problems with the U.S.-supplied integrated circuits in the spacecraft and a radar version to be launched later, according to Kaoru Mamiya, JAXA vice president.

This article reports that Japan has further refined its concept for a heavy lift version of the Mitsubishi H-IIA launcher, fitting it with twinned first-stage LE-7A engines. Called the H-IIB, the vehicle remains under study, but the Japanese space agency Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has signed a basic agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. for its development. The current plan refines earlier proposals that included a cluster engine concept that would have increased the 29-meter-long first stage diameter to 5 from 4 meters. As with the earlier concepts, JAXA's goal is to develop a launch vehicle for the H-II Transfer Vehicle resupply vehicle for Japan's Kibo pressurized experiment module on the International Space Station.

This article reports that Japan's new Aerospace Exploration Agency, the two-year-old combination of three formerly separate organizations now known by the acronym JAXA, has an ambitious vision for the next 20 years. Abroad, Japan's near-term space program depends heavily on NASA's ability to launch all three components of the Japanese Experiment Module for the International Space Station. JAXA officials stress that the document is only a proposal, intended as a starting point for discussion within Japan and with its international partners. But the vision, and a related study headed by former NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin, mark a focused effort within Japan to strengthen its space and aviation activities for the long term.

This article focuses on current developments in the Indian aerospace industry. It is worth noting that competitive pressures are driving many aerospace companies to tap India's high-end engineering services. However, India's newest emerging offerings are aeronautical system design, testing services, cockpit equipment support software and composite structuring. With its highly skilled English-speaking labor pool, low costs and economic growth, India is quickly moving up the value chain as aircraft manufacturers look at less expensive options. Additionally, the country's experience in providing outsourcing of large-scale, process-centric information technology and its access to high technology through global alliances make it an attractive destination for engineering services.

The article reports that Boeing Co. has launched the 747-8 as its answer to Airbus Industrie SA's challenge to the 747-400. Boeing expected sales for the 747-400 to decline as customers shifted to its big intermediate twin-engine 777 family. The 747-8 launch comes with a list price value of $5 billion on orders for 10 aircraft from Luxembourg-based Cargolux Airlines International SA and eight airplanes from Tokyo-based Nippon Cargo Airlines Co. In contrast with Airbus's predicted market, Boeing foresees sales of only 900 aircraft carrying 450 passengers or more, and expects to capture half those sales with the 747-8.

The article reports that the production of Japan's largest indigenously developed defensive system, the F-2 close air support fighter, validates Japan's ability to produce source code for the aircraft's fly-by-wire control system. It also has given Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. hands-on experience in working through difficult composite design and production problems that will serve it well as it undertakes the commercial assignment of producing composite wingboxes for the Boeing 787. The F-2's planform closely resembles the Lockheed Martin F-16, but the Japanese aircraft was developed with a larger all-composite wing designed to increase its maneuverability.

The article reports that in a move that will tighten its already strong defense links to the U.S., the Japan Defense Agency is centralizing its command authority in response to a rise in regional threats, particularly North Korea's ballistic missile program, and in international terrorism. Scrutinized for two years and approved by the parliament in July, the restructuring means the chairmanship of the Joint Staff Council will shift from being a largely ceremonial role into one of command authority, meaning the Japanese joint chiefs will work more directly with their U.S. counterparts, just as the senior commands of the two nations do now at the individual service level.

This article informs that some 1,800 space scientists, engineers and other specialists gathered at the port city of Fukuoka, Japan, last week for the 56th International Astronautical Congress, an annual event that offers a snapshot on the status of space programs and would-be programs worldwide. NASA's International Space Station (ISS) partners are working with the U.S. agency to move their expensive ISS hardware forward in the dwindling space shuttle launch schedule, to give it a better chance of reaching orbit. Japanese Experiment Module, a $3-billion laboratory, storage unit and exposed research platform that has been at Kennedy Space Center is awaiting a shuttle launch since May 2003.

This article reports on downsizing in the aviation industry. There are reports of the industry downsizing as network carriers negotiate bankruptcy. Northwest Airlines Inc. is parking DC-9s, Delta Air Lines Inc. has begun disposing of wide-bodies and 737-200s, with more cuts to come. Probably not. It's an unfolding story, but annual passenger growth rates reached 11% last year and are at 5-7% this year. Despite hurricanes and terrorism, there are continued signals of expansion rather than retrenchment. International Lease Finance Corp. President John Plueger points to another indicator. For the last 18 months, lease rates across the board have been increasing, he says.

This article informs that Boeing Co.'s drive toward modularity in the Boeing 787 aircraft has arrived in the cabin with its selection of Thales as the first recommended supplier of an inflight entertainment system in a passenger cabin designed from scratch to be fully wireless. Boeing Vice President Mike Bair, general manager of the 787 program, says the wireless IFE network i-8000 will afford an appreciable savings in installation weight and cost, and cut the time it takes airlines to reconfigure aircraft "from hours to minutes."

This article reports that Boeing Co. has a $170-billion backlog in military/civil contracts, has taken 605 aircraft orders this year and saw second-quarter revenues rise 15% and earnings jump 30%. With $80 billion in new orders during the past two years, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is experiencing growth in excess of 11% and operating margins of about 10%. The company is seeking 7% net after-tax margins with greater than 10% operating cash flow as a percentage of sales and more than 20% return on net assets. Boeing's chief financial officer James Bell acknowledges that it's too early to predict how much defense spending might be cut to pay for the Hurricane Katrina rebuilding effort, nor how much the Pentagon's procurement budget may be reduced to pay for the continued fighting in Iraq.

This article reports that with 18,500 striking machinists having shut down their assembly lines and forced layoffs at suppliers, executives at Boeing Commercial Airplanes are about to face another headache: their engineers want a raise. The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, the union representing 11,600 engineers and 6,000 technical workers at Boeing's Seattle area plants, is planning to deliver a proposal to the company this week demanding hefty wage and benefit concessions.

The article focuses on Spirit Aerosystems. The Seattle-based manufacturer came here in 1929 when it bought the Stearman Aircraft Co., maker of 10,000 Kaydet Trainers. Its sprawling World War II-era factory, producer of 1,644 B-29 bombers, is now home to the 737 fuselage production line. But Boeing is getting out of the fabrication business, leaving it to suppliers spread from Taranto-Grottaglie, Italy, to Nagoya, Japan. In June, Boeing completed the sale of its historic factory and sister facilities in Tulsa and McAlester, Okla., to Canada's Onex Corp. Renamed Spirit Aerosystems, it makes part of every heritage Boeing aircraft produced.

This article reports that the technical investigators scrutinizing the crash of a Helios Airways Boeing 737-300 will have several leads to follow as they try to understand the cause of the possible oxygen-starvation problem that affected the flight crew. Helios Flight 522--which crashed August 14, 2005, killing all 121 on board--was on autopilot for more than an hour without radio contact with the air traffic controller. Controllers then scrambled two Greek air force F-16s to intercept the 737. The 737 crew had earlier reported problems with its air-conditioning pack.

This article reports that the Engine Alliance's GP7200 program for the Airbus A380 is two-thirds of the way through its certification effort and on schedule to complete icing/water ingestion, redline and 1,000hr, cycle endurance tests next month to stay on track for certification by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. As thrice-weekly flights continue from General Electric's Flight Test Operations center in California, Engine Alliance managers say they could score an upset against rival Rolls-Royce if Singapore Airlines Ltd. follows through on a second-phase order for the 555-seat airplane, following a recent request for proposals for new large aircraft. Engine Alliance and Rolls-Royce each have six of the 12 A380 customers that have made engine choices.

The article reports that Boeing Co. is filling a seating gap in its single-aisle lineup and renewing the challenge to the Airbus A321 airplane with the launch of the 737-900ER airplane, which offers airlines the choice of carrying 26 more passengers or flying another 500 nautical miles. The new airplane was launched with the formal signing of an order for 60 aircrafts from Lion Air. The aircraft will include a standard Type 2 door measuring 24 X 52 inches, located on the left side of the fuselage behind the wing.

This article reports that Boeing's reliance on Catia computer-aided design software was a much heralded part of the 777's development in the early 1990s. Now the airframe maker is betting that upgrades to the Dassault Systemes toolset will ease development, fielding and support of the 787. Boeing is the first to deploy updates to the Catia V5 digital suite that includes Enovia and the Delmia manufacturing definition tool. Enovia provides the data platform from which Boeing will manage the customer and supplier side of the 787's life cycle. Delmia should help the company define its assembly processes.

The article reports that Boeing Co. board of directors has a short list of candidate chief executives from within and outside the company, but is still some months away from making its decision. The board can afford to wait because James Bell, the acting CEO and full-time chief financial officer, has done a "great job" of calming the turmoil that followed the resignation four months ago of Harry Stonecipher, Chairman Lewis E. Platt said. Though his last days were marred, Platt said, Stonecipher "took hold of the reins" of Boeing's ethics issues with the Pentagon and the U.S. Congress, especially regarding an aborted effort to lease KC-767 tankers to the U.S. Air Force. One presumed finalist, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Alan Mulally, says he isn't speculating and deflected a question of whether he might leave the company should he not be chosen.

The article focuses on Airbus Industrie SA and Boeing Co. which agree that demand has improved so much that delivery rates may need to be ramped up across their product lines. Boeing has seen such strong demand for the 787, 266 orders or commitments from 21 customers, that production in the first three years, 2008 to 2010, is committed. In early 2006, production rates of single-aisles will be boosted to 30 aircraft per month and of A340s to eight aircraft per month, according to Airbus President Noel Forgeard. Heading into the frenzy of the Paris air show, Boeing held an 81-aircraft order lead over Airbus for the year, welcome news after losing its traditional order-and-delivery leadership to Airbus in 2003 and 2004.

The article reports that long-haul, twin-aisle aircraft will dominate commercial presentations by Airbus and Boeing during the Paris air show, but the focus will be on a few specific types. Airbus was expected to launch the A350 with 100 or more orders or commitments as a competitor to Boeing's 787. However, last week the European company indicated the launch will be delayed until about September, although it says it has the orders. For Boeing, the emphasis will be on its big twin-engine, long-haul aircraft, including the first air show presentation of the 777-200LR, which also is in flight testing.

The article reports that aviation companies Boeing Co. and Airbus SAS agree that the next 20 years of air travel will bring a huge demand for new aircraft and they agree on the general growth trends for air travel by region. But beyond that, they are describing two different beasts. Not surprisingly, the conclusions match the size airplanes they are building. Boeing Vice President of Marketing Randy Baseler got a jump on the Paris air show in a teleconference from London last week by delineating why Airbus' star of that show, the 555-seat A380, won't play a big role in aviation's future. Airbus doesn't include regional jets in its forecast, which contributes to a more conservative outlook.

The article reports that Airbus is overhauling many of its production processes to cut lead times, reduce waste and achieve savings as it tries to remain price competitive in the face of exchange rates that favor Boeing Co. in a weak-dollar-dominated industry. The European manufacturer wants to achieve 2% year-on-year unit cost savings per program plus gain an extraordinary cost-reduction mandate aimed at countering the currency imbalance. Meeting the first goal will actually require a 5% productivity gain with inflation factored in, says Airbus Executive Vice President Karl-Heinz Hartmann.

The article reports that in its own industrial backyard, Airbus SAS will make its first air show presentation in Paris this week of its double-deck A380 and try to build momentum for the launch later this year of the A350, its answer to the sales threat posed by Boeing's mid-sized 787. Ironically, the company that invented large, long-haul air travel with the four-engine 747 isn't ready yet to commit to a stretched and re-engined upgrade of that airplane, the 747 Advanced, to siphon sales from the 555-seat A380. Boeing's marketing presentations will focus on the complementary nature of its two midsize twin-engine aircraft, the 200-300-seat 787 that is now under development and the 300-368-seat 777 family, that just passed its 10th anniversary in service.

This article reports that launch of a freighter version of the 777 means Boeing will enter the Paris air show in two weeks having filled out the family, which has now accumulated 681 firm orders from 38 customers. As expected, Air France-KLM's May 19 order for five 777 freighters was enough to launch the freighter program. Boeing Vice President and 777 Program Manager Lars Andersen said the company has adjusted the freighter's range and performance slightly since its introduction to reflect airline comments that payload was preferred over range.

This article reports that pilots rely on old-fashioned navaids as they recreate 1919 Vickers Vimy transatlantic flight. The original flight was the ultimate in ETOPS, made long before regulators defined what constitutes acceptable risk when crossing open water. The attempt will be every bit the challenge in extended twin operations for pilot Steve Fossett and navigator Mark Rebholz when they lift off from St. John's, Newfoundland, early next month for Clifden, Ireland. Fossett and Rebholz are veterans of exotic aircraft operations, Rebholz as chief pilot for the Vimy Replica project and Fossett most recently for his solo, nonstop round-the-world flight in the Global Flyer.

The article reports that Boeing Co. expects defense and intelligence markets to remain strong through 2006 as airlines continue a gradual recovery leading to 7% revenue growth and 20% higher earnings per share next year over 2005. Boeing Commercial Airplanes secured 63 gross and 46 net orders during the quarter and held a contractual backlog of $68.7 billion, compared with $70.4 billion at the end of 2004. More than 250 order commitments were gained in the period. Interest in the 737, 777 and 787 will push the backlog up.

The article reports that as Airbus Industrie SA glows with the first flight success of its impressively big A380, the fuel-efficiency and technology campaigns Boeing Co. has mounted for its mid-sized jet families are scoring impressive sales. Most attention is paid to the differences in size between their new wide-body aircraft. Both are committed to pushing new passenger conveniences, greater use of electrical systems and advanced aerodynamics. But Boeing has spent the past year emphasizing that improved engines, a lighter composite fuselage and wing and more fuel-efficient electrical systems will make the 787 20% more fuel-efficient than current-generation aircraft. Airbus has taken a more cautious approach, especially on whether composite technology is mature enough for fuselage

The article informs that Boeing Commercial Airplanes Co. has, at the turn of the century, immersed itself in the Internet to accelerate delivery of spare parts and distribute service bulletins. The millennium's dawn was topsy-turvy for airlines. Asian carriers were emerging from a prolonged slump. European governments were losing their appetite for propping up money-losing carriers against low-cost competitors. Most American carriers were still in denial about the need to reduce operating costs drastically. But worldwide shocks of terrorism, war, health crises and high-cost fuel caught everyone's attention.

The article reports that airport expansions in Japan are making it easier for carriers to operate as they serve Asia's busiest national market. They also underscore how readily the Japanese adopt passenger-friendly security techniques and the latest in electronic gadgetry to improve airport operations. Two recent projects are outstanding in this regard: the new Central Japan International Airport in Nagoya, and Tokyo's busy Haneda airport. In 1951, historic Haneda was the first to open international commercial services following World War II.

The article reports that Dubai-based Emirates Airline is expanding it's pressing Boeing to make larger airplanes. The company's newest offering in the 777 family, the very long-range -200LR and the freighter that Boeing is proposing to build on its airframe, are under consideration for the Emirates fleet, Chairman HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Moktoum said. Boeing has heard this push for a bigger stretch 787 from other Middle East carriers, but is resisting on the grounds that its 300-seat aircraft belong to the 777 family.

The article reports on the reaction of India to the Pakistani F-16 deal with the United States. A U.S. announcement that it will supply Pakistan with Lockheed Martin F-16s met a pro-forma objection by India because of separate talks it has opened with the U.S. on acquiring key fighter and nuclear technology. The U.S. government's approval for American companies to compete in India's search for 126 combat aircraft has opened the door for the F/A-18. The fact that U.S. combat aircraft manufacturers are being included broadens the competition beyond India's more traditional Russian and French suppliers.

The article reports that Messier-Dowty's selection to provide the main and nose lading gear for the 787 is its first prime contract with Boeing for a commercial aircraft and is an example of how Boeing is using Life-Cycle Product Teams to work with its suppliers. Until now, Messier-Dowty's commercial landing gear have most often appeared on Airbus aircraft, although its integrated landing gear system customers include Bombardier for the Global Express and Challenger 300 and Sukhoi for the Russian Regional Jet.