Chinese airlines operate 47 flights a day between Beijing and Shanghai, half with widebody aircraft, mainly Airbus A330s. There can be little question of putting more narrowbodies on the route; its congestion and delays are already notorious. So the future must bring increased twin-aisle capacity.

The operating efficiencies that the Boeing 787 gains from carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) has made those materials—composites—the baseline for the product development team working on the 777X, despite a push by aluminum manufacturers that their lightweight alternatives are more aligned with Boeing's traditional manufacturing methods.

Interest is strong, but the program is already late.

Airbus A350 customers have been reassured by the sight of a Trent XWB engine strapped to the wing of an A380 flying testbed. However, to Rolls-Royce this outward display of progress is just the tip of the iceberg as it works on certification and ramping up production of the first flight-test engines for the new twin.

Despite leaning out its 777 final assembly line about seven years ago, Boeing considered its goal of producing 100 of the widebody jets per year unrealistic without a significant capital investment. But a combination of automation, process improvements from its mechanics and a push on hiring is making that goal possible.

Central Asia has the potential to be the next boom market for international air travel, but the European Union's blacklist is keeping a damper on the market.

The big names in commercial aircraft manufacturing no longer have Southern California addresses, but the area abounds with suppliers. Twice as many aerospace engineers, mechanics, technicians and assemblers work in California as in any other state, and the bulk of them are clustered from Los Angeles to San Diego.

Airbus and Rolls-Royce are keenly aware that Qatar Airways and Emirates, two of the most outspoken and demanding airline customers for the A350, are watching flight-tests of the Trent XWB engine like hawks—particularly as the engine endures the heat and dust of recent flight trials in the Middle East.