Aircraft orders from China are often political decisions, and that is also the case with the C919, for which the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) received a flurry of orders at the Zhuhai air show Nov. 13-18. The numbers look less impressive, though, if one examines who the buyers are and why they ordered the aircraft: Hebei Airlines and Joy Air each signed for 20, and GE Capital Aviation Services (Gecas) for 10.

Tough economic times force innovation and make airline and aftermarket businesses evaluate what is core to their strategy. At the same time, next-gen aircraft and engine technology is forcing major industry changes. What do you want your business to be doing in five years and what are you doing now to ensure you will get to that point? Here are a few market dynamics to think about:

Regional jet retirements limit MRO opportunities.

New technology and methods forge a template for future training, but challenges and cost concerns remain.

Washington FAA will not change the cargo flight deck security requirements that give operators a choice between a reinforced barrier or a clearly defined security procedure to keep intruders and explosives off of their aircraft.

Russian-Kazakh free-trade agreement gives EADS incentive

The Arab Air Carrier Organization has summoned its members to Algiers this week to attend the annual general meeting. This marks a distinct change from the group's usual choice of venue. In times past Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates or Qatar hosted the upscale parties and showcased their strength. Algeria, in contrast, is a part of the Arab world that has not experienced much liberalization in air travel, nor has it demonstrated the same growth as the Persian Gulf countries.

Airlines in the next decade will face what might be an unprecedented direct or indirect requirement for equipping their aircraft with communications, navigation, surveillance and safety kits in order to gain access to the NextGen system's most efficient routing and operations.