Almost three months after India relaxed its foreign investment rules in the aviation sector, international airlines are eying, albeit cautiously, minority stakes in the country's local carriers. Cash-strapped private airlines Jet Airways and SpiceJet are considering selling stakes to foreign companies, says a civil aviation ministry official. While Jet Airways is in talks with Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad Airways, low-cost local airline SpiceJet is said to be trying to interest Qatar Airways and Malaysia's AirAsia into taking part ownership.

Boeing still sees a long-term boost for the 747-8.

Fiscal 2014—not 2013—will be the worst year for federal contractors, including defense companies, if the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration take effect in January 2013, says Alan Chvotkin, executive vice president and counsel at the Professional Services Council. That is because sequestration will not cause a sharp drop-off in contracting opportunities until then. Federal contract spending will return to growth thereafter, but under lower top-line budgets outlined by the 2011 law known as the Budget Control Act.

Airbus has moved the A350-900 static test airframe from its final assembly hall at Toulouse across the airport to the L34 static test building. The airframe will be put into a rig in advance of about one year of static testing, which will include ultimate-load evaluations and margin research. The static test airframe is for the first A350 to have undergone final assembly. One other airframe, MSN001, is in the final assembly jigs in the Roger Beteille hall. MSN001 will be the first A350 to fly. Airbus says first flight will take place next summer.

Volga-Dnepr builds a hangar in the UAE to service passenger and cargo airlines.

Taiwan carrier China Airlines (CAL) is hoping for another round of liberalization between China and Taiwan so it can further expand its services to mainland China as well as cater to transit traffic.

Royal Brunei Airlines is hoping the opening of a new airport terminal at its home base of Bandar Seri Begawan, and the introduction of Boeing 787-8s, will transform its business. The Sultanate of Brunei's flag carrier will be the first in Southeast Asia to operate the 787, says Deputy Chairman Dermot Mannion, who joined Royal Brunei in 2010. He has served as CEO of Aer Lingus and president of group services for Emirates.

Limiting congressional terms brings in fresh blood, but that also means a change in direction. House Republicans are capping leadership terms at six years, which means that Rep. John Mica (Fla.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, will hand over his gavel next year. Mica may have rubbed colleagues the wrong way with his continued war against the Transportation Security Administration. But he was a strong advocate for the FAA's NextGen air traffic modernization system who came up through the aviation subcommittee.