The chances of ATR getting approval from both of its shareholders quickly for a new large turboprop are looking remote, judging from comments made by Airbus Group chief strategy officer Marwan Lahoud at the company’s annual press conference in Toulouse.

The A350 XWB flight test aircraft, MSN2 and MSN4, have both completed their first flights, bringing the total number of A350 XWBs now flying from two to four.

Aviation Corp. of China (AVIC) subsidiary Xi’an Aircraft Industry Co. plans to apply to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to ground MA60 operations as soon as possible for safety inspections following another incident on the Chinese-produced regional aircraft.

China Southern Airlines has taken delivery of its first of 10 Boeing 777-300ERs.

Aircraft News

When Air Transport World was launched 50 years ago, the airline industry was just five years into the “Civil Jet Age.” The first issue of ATW in May 1964 excitedly chronicled how the fast-growing business had used jet aircraft to increase worldwide annual revenue by 45% to $7 billion in 1963 compared to $4.8 billion in 1958. In 2013, worldwide airline revenue topped $700 billion—a more than 100 times increase in the 50 years this magazine has been publishing.

Will airliners always look the same as they do today? The answer is taking shape in research centers in Europe and the US, but will depend on when Airbus and Boeing begin designing their next generation of all-new aircraft.

The US Aerospace Industries Association projected that US civil aircraft sales reached $67 billion last year, which would be an increase of about 8% over 2012. This number reflects the current strength of the world’s commercial aircraft market.