The FAA, going beyond NTSB recommendations, is giving Boeing 757 and 767 operators five years to modify their aircraft to prevent inadvertent battery depletion when a particular backup power mode is activated.

Skyrocketing numbers of narrowbody aircraft orders have turned attention to Southeast Asia—and its burgeoning low-cost carriers (LCCs), in particular. Twenty-seven percent of the world’s narrowbody aircraft—half the global fleet—are operated in the Asia-Pacific region, estimated Lufthansa Technik Philippines in the first quarter of fiscal 2013. More than 37% of the total commercial fleet will soon be based there, many of them in service with low-cost carriers, it also projects.

Europe A U.K. Aviation Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) call to have Boeing 777 interior lighting crashworthiness improved has been rejected by the U.S. FAA, but Boeing addressed the matter well before an accident brought the issue to light, AAIB's latest annual safety report reveals.

The following companies' products and services in MRO Links garnered the most interest from the industry. To access more information about the following, go toAviationWeek.com/mrolinks and enter the link number. 1. Commercial Aerospace Solutions Company: AAR Corp. Services: AAR provides heavy maintenance checks, modifications, component repair, landing gear overhaul and engineering services to support airline and government fleets. www.aarcorp.com Link 600

The best MROs have contingency plans

A recent report from the U.S. Transportation Department's Inspector General sheds some light on the impact of sequestration on FAA's certification efforts and related delays. Top FAA executives have said a hiring freeze put in place late last year has forced the agency' s Aviation Safety (AVS) branch to allocate more of its limited resources to immediate safety issues. The loser has been certification projects that are either resource-intensive or simply new.

An FAA rulemaking advisory committee's recommendations on improving the consistency of rules interpretations is starting bear fruit in a much-needed area: the guidance behind regulations. Dorenda Baker, FAA's director of Aircraft Certification Services, says the agency is tackling the committee's most pressing recommendations: conducting a review of existing guidance to eliminate duplicative, conflicting or irrelevant guidance; and ensuring the rest is available in an electronic database.

The world 's best-selling jet is a winner for aftermarket suppliers