Jose Montero, director of planning of Copa Airlines, has become CFO of Panama-based Copa Holdings, succeeding Victor Vial, who will become an adviser to the board of directors.

In 2012, deliveries of large commercial jets manufactured by Airbus and Boeing exceeded $88 billion in value, at estimated prices, up 57% since 2008. During that same four-year period, the global economy had its worst years since World War II. The macroeconomic recovery has been anemic, and demand for air travel only marginally better. While airline revenue passenger kilometers grew 6.9% in 2010 following a 3.5% decline in 2009, growth eased to just 5.3% in 2011.

Air Canada's Alan Butterfield leads M&E through unprecedented circumstances.

Ken Aso (see photo) has been named senior VP-corporate strategy and customer development for Tempe, Ariz.-based StandardAero. He was a partner at Oliver Wyman.

Scott E. Kuechle has been named to the board of Bloomfield, Conn.-based Kaman Corp. He was executive VP and CFO of Goodrich Corp.

In a budget environment where it is hard to find money for experimental aircraft, the 2013 Laureate for Aeronautics and Propulsion goes to a program that used a modest but sustained investment in ground demonstrations to mature technology, culminating in wind-tunnel tests of a model larger and more complex than many X-planes.

Brian K. Reid (see photo) has joined Grand Prairie, Texas-based American Eurocopter as director of support and service sales. He has held business development, sales, marketing and management positions with a helicopter manufacturer and aviation aftermarket companies.

Keith Littlefield (see photo) has been named chief technology officer at Chantilly, Va.-based TASC. He was chief information officer at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.