Investigators looking into the July 12 Boeing 787 fire are now focusing on what caused an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) device to combust, and devising modifications to prevent any recurrence.

Eight years ago, Southeast Asian-based airlines had just 29 turboprop airliners in the 70-seat class. Since then the fleet has more than tripled to 106, with ongoing orders making the region one of the most important for the turboprop sector. More remarkably, this growth has happened, and is continuing, amid powerful expansion by budget airlines, the classic enemy of the turboprop operator.

Walking through the Paris air show last month, I was struck by the large number of companies exhibiting under one regional or cluster umbrella. There were, to mention a few, Aerospace Valley, Rockford Area Aerospace Network, Monterrey Aerocluster Mexico, Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster, Aero Montreal, Skywin Wallonie and Northwest Aerospace Alliance. Such groupings have a basic economic rationale: They allow small suppliers to be present at a show without bearing the full costs of renting their own stands in an exhibit hall.

Despite the challenges faced in scaling up feedstock and fuel production to commercial volumes—at competitive prices—aviation may yet achieve the target of meeting 1% of jet-fuel needs from sustainable biofuels by 2015, as airlines step up with plans for large-scale purchases.

The suite of tools covers program management, product modeling and design engineering

Efforts to reshape and morph the avionics and air traffic management portfolios of Thales Aviation Solutions could put the U.S. arm of the French company in a better position to win work on upcoming FAA and Boeing platforms. The evolution is part of a broader company review launched by Thales Chairman and Chief Executive Jean-Bernard Levy after he stepped into the top position in December. Levy asked executives to come up with ways to increase growth and profitability, in part by creating value for customers.

A new publicly funded flag carrier has been launched in Europe. Air Lituanica commenced scheduled operations on June 30 with a six-times-per-week service from its base in Vilnius to Brussels. A second route, to Amsterdam, started one week later, and a four-times-per-week service to Berlin Tegel is to follow in August. The operator's business plan forecasts a fleet of five Embraer E-Jets and 13-16 destinations in 2015, by when it aims to break even and carry 600,000-700,000 passengers.

EU revises rules for state aid to regional airports and airlines