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.

Sandwiched between Malaysia and Indonesia, and a short hop from the Philippines, the city-state of Singapore has built itself into a transportation hub on the strength of its airport, the world's busiest shipping port and its renowned national carrier, Singapore Airlines. But now the island nation is seeing its regional dominance in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) challenged as first-world wages threaten to price it out of the market.

Interior modification is a hot segment of the maintenance, repair and overhaul market, and MRO and airframe companies are coming up with novel ways of dramatically reducing turnaround times for installation of interior components. At the MRO Middle East conference this month, ICF SH&E Vice President David Stewart said interior upgrades and modification and demand will be responsible for growing heavy maintenance at a compound annual growth rate of 3.3% through 2021, even in the midst of new aircraft platforms and deliveries to airlines.

The partnership between major airlines and regional carriers has long been based on the premise of “seamless service,” although the only thing seamless about it has been a common reservation system and a shared airline International Air Transport Association code. For passengers transferring to a regional airliner from an intercontinental jet, cabin comfort and amenities often defy comparison. But that could be changing, as global carriers vie for the lucrative first and business classes and some coach passengers show a willingness to pay more for greater room in economy.

IFE with fewer components and more entertainment value hits the market.

BBJ and ACJ owners will see weeks of downtime reduced during 12-year inspections thanks to a new investment from Jet Aviation in Basel, Switzerland where many aircraft from the region go to for this specialist MRO function.

William Greenwalt has joined the Aerospace Industries Association, Arlington, Va., as VP-acquisition policy. He was deputy director for surveys and investigations of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee.

Gene L. Stygles and Renee D. Palyo have been appointed chief and deputy chief, respectively, of the Facilities Div. at the NASAGlenn Research Center in Cleveland. Stygles worked on the advanced solid rocket motor program, and Palyo was head of the division's Program Management Office.