Beechcraft has received the latest renewal for the U.S. Air Force/Navy Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) program, a $210 million contract for 35 T-6 trainers. The renewal, which is for the 19th production lot, will carry JPATS production at least through February 2015. The latest order, which comes in the face of sequestration cuts, includes 33 T-6 aircraft for the U.S. Navy and two more for the U.S. Army. Deliveries on Lot 19 will begin this month.

The used market has crawled out if its trough from 2009, when a high of about 17% of the business jet fleet was up for sale, but it has come at a cost as aircraft values continue to plummet, industry experts say. The used market hit an all-time high in 2012 with the number of transactions reaching 2,240. This bested the 2007 peak of 2,181 aircraft transactions, JetNet reports. And the number of aircraft for sale has declined over the past three years, reaching 13.4% by the end of 2012.

EasyJet has flown a ton of volcanic ash from Iceland to the U.K. to prepare for final tests to gain commercial certification of the Avoid (Airborne Volcanic Object Identifier and Detector) ash-detection technology by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The low-cost carrier is partnering with Airbus and Nicarnica Aviation, a spin-off company of the Norwegian Institute for Air Research, to test the Avoid system at high altitude and prepare for the industrialization of the technology.

Low-fare carrier Norwegian is entering the long-haul market

JetBlue ponders ways to push the boundaries of its model.

Cuba's national carrier Cubana has a serious problem: It needs more aircraft to respond to the growing tourist industry in its homeland, but the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba makes it impossible for the airline to buy aircraft that contain more than 10% U.S.-made components.

China appears to be lifting its six-year ban on new private airlines, provisionally approving the establishment of a carrier in the southwestern province of Yunnan that will have no direct government links.

Delta retrofit highlights cost benefits, concerns