Two years after it announced an intention to acquire AirTran Airways, Southwest Airlines remains on track to integrate the smaller carrier into its system by 2015. Dallas-headquartered Southwest closed on the AirTran purchase in May 2011 and was granted a single operating certificate for the two airlines in March.

Materials advancements promise next-gen engine energy efficiency

For North American widebody airframe MROs, the market dynamics are changing, as vendors' focus shifts to the midsize Boeing 767 and Airbus A330 families and away from the 747, whose maintenance has evolved into a niche business.