In 2005, airframe manufacturers determined that passive radio frequency identification (RFID) technology presented an opportunity to get timely access to maintenance histories for parts. Through the efforts of the Air Transport Association (now A4A) and SAE International, testing standards and data specifications are in place to support passive RFID for storing parts' history directly on the parts.

The low-hanging fruit in fuel efficiency, of course, is to make aircraft lighter. A piece of trivia cited on American Airlines' website illustrates the bottom-line impact of trimming down: “Removing just one pound of weight from each aircraft in American's fleet would save more than 11,000 gallons of fuel annually.”

PPG Aerospace's chromate-free metal pretreatment and chromate-free exterior decorative primer are now standard on Boeing 737NG production aircraft. The Desogel EAP-9 metal pretreatment and Desoprime CF/CA 7502 epoxy primer can be used with any qualified topcoats on Boeing 737NG aircraft.

No longer relegated to supplying mere nuts and bolts, parts manufacturer approval (PMA) is providing more of the flight-critical constituents of some of the industry's most popular powerplants. Many carriers are not just accepting the non-OEM parts, they are actually pleading for more product. Still, persistent pushback to that product persists. For all the strides the industry has made, PMA market share is mired at about 5%–even in the face of robust growth.

ELG Carbon Fibre recycles carbon fibers with a patented process at its facility in West Midlands, U.K. Its commercial operation processes more than 2,000 tons of carbon composite waste per year from national and international companies. ELG Carbon Fiber will collect scrap from customers and from companies that wish to ship it. Suitable types of recyclable material include carbon composites reinforced with fabric or epoxy, vinylester and polyester. ELG can recycle dry fiber, pre-impregnated material that is cured or uncured and all monolithic CFRP laminates.

BAE Systems' Commercial Aircraft Solutions business has entered into a long term agreement (LTA) with Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) and SR Technics – both part of the Mubadala Aerospace MRO network – to provide repair, overhaul services and component support for its flight critical controls, cabin and cockpit systems portfolio.

The first VIP version of the 747-8I has been officially delivered by Boeing.

In 2009, Southwest Airlines unveiled an ambitious plan to switch out its original Boeing 737 cabin in favor of a sustainable one called the Green Plane. Two years later, the airline has finished rigorous tests of lighter, recyclable aircraft components and tallied survey results from passengers who commented on the new amenities. The project has culminated in Evolve, an interior design that includes newly engineered seats, carpets and bulkheads.