One of the most common question is “Who is furthest ahead with modernization?”

Common wisdom has it that the larger an airline is, the easier it is to be profitable in an increasingly difficult environment. But as the cases of Iberia, part of the International Airlines Group (IAG), and the much smaller Aer Lingus show, that is not always true.

Biofuels will no doubt bring the next step-change in jet fuel reduction, and airlines have continued to push development forward since Virgin Atlantic operated the first commercial airline flight powered by a biofuel blend in February 2008. As Alaska Airlines CEO Bill Ayer has professed, “To the biofuels industry, we say: 'If you build it, we will buy it.' “

Venerable engine maker Pratt & Whitney is looking forward to a resurgent decade, with new engines like the innovative PW1000G geared turbofan series racing out of the gate and a solid business emerging for its Engine Alliance turbofan program with GE. But there's still a lot of business opportunity out there for the tried-and-true stalwarts, especially when it comes to overhauls and on-wing support—and that's especially true for Pratt & Whitney's PW4000 series large turbofan.

Suppliers that make aircraft composite components likely have a substantial amount of leftover composite fiber material, such as pre-impregnated scraps and laminates. Until recently, the only thing to do with this excess waste was to dispose it. Now, a handful of companies have developed highly specialized processes to transform this trash into recycled treasure, and aerospace companies are doing their part to give back to the environment by utilizing this capability.

When an Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER completed a Los Angeles-Auckland flight in December, it was the first time an airline operated under 240-minute extended operations (ETOPS). But the new 240-minute limit is no longer the edge of the envelope, as a 330 minute time is now poised to become the new ETOPS gold standard. That's because in November Boeing received type design authority from the FAA to offer a 330-minute ETOPS “option” on the GE90-powered 777 family.

The A380 has only been in service for five years, but it has clearly received much more coverage regarding technical failures than Airbus would have wished.

Airlines push old programs and new technologies to deliver big fuel savings.