Bombardier continues to build up its business jet backlog, closing out 2013 with 30 more orders for its Challenger line and 28 more for its Global business jets, pushing the manufacturer’s total to at least 310 announced business jet orders for the year. Bombardier has not detailed its fourth-quarter orders, so the total yearly number is likely to grow. While it will probably be shy of 2012’s record number of gross orders of close to 400 business aircraft, Bombardier’s total is still well above 2011’s 223 aircraft.

Lawmakers are returning from the holiday break this month with more budget certainty than in the past several years. But for the general aviation industry, it is only a temporary reprieve, and many questions remain about decisions that lie ahead. Congressional passage of the so-called Ryan-Murray two-year budget deal is designed to avert another costly government shutdown through a framework of smaller cuts and tax increases. The deal came as welcome news to a general aviation industry that suffered under the October shutdown.

Initial plan appears to maintain brand separate from Cessna

Africa •Engine MRO expenditures are projected to be more than $800 million. •The continent's total fleet will decrease by six aircraft. Asia-Pacific •The region—excluding China and India—will generate $1 billion of spending on modifications, about one-fourth of the global modification market. •Excluding China and India, the region's fleet will increase 13%. China •Chinese operators will spend $1 billion on component MRO.

The digital revolution first put maintenance data online, saving paper and major hassles. Then laptops brought data to techs, saving walking time to desktops and kiosks. Smartphones, handhelds and tablets are starting to cut weight from techs' bags and shoulders. What's next?

China Eastern Airlines, already the major Chinese airline with the greatest focus on low-cost operations, is planning to operate a mainland budget subsidiary from Beijing. At the same time, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is stepping up its campaign to promote low-cost airlines, setting aside its long-standing disdain for the potentially destabilizing model.

Consumers may be buying the latest electronic goods, but they are certainly not spending as much as they were 10 years ago. That means the air cargo industry, which is being swamped with belly capacity, is being left with a lot of empty space and nothing to fill it.

If the rise of the Persian Gulf carriers has been frightening so far for the rest of the industry, competitors should not even look at what is going to happen in 2014. The three big Middle Eastern airlines will have access to significantly improved infrastructure as they continue to grow their fleets.