The Middle East air transport market may be among the fastest-growing in the world, but whether that translates into an equally fast development of the region’s maintenance, repair and overhaul business remains to be seen.

Hopes to decide this year if it will launch its own program

MTU Maintenance Zhuhai finds way to cope with unpredictable workloads

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has sent an investigator to Japan to study the latest incident involving a Boeing 787.

An unusual split winglet design, strikingly similar to the “dual feather” wingtip feature revealed by Boeing in May 2012 for its upcoming 737 MAX derivative, has been launched by Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) for retrofit on up to eight versions of the current Next Generation 737. The winglet development, dubbed the Split Scimitar, has been officially launched with an order from United Airlines and initially will be certified for retrofit of 737-800s.

Aeronautical Engineers (AEI) expects to receive a supplemental certification from the FAA certification by the end of this week for its program to convert MD-80s to freighters, enabling the company to begin production on the first of 20 orders by the end of this month. Those 20 orders bolster AEI’s confidence in its expectation for orders for more than 200 converted MD-80s in the next 10-15 years, says Robert Convey, VP-sales and marketing for the Miami-based conversion specialist. AEI is the only company performing conversions on MD-80s.

Despite saying it has full confidence in the safety of Boeing’s new 787, the FAA has launched a technical investigation into the root causes of a series of electrical issues that have dogged the widebody since its entry into service with international and U.S. carriers.

An established aviation-maintenance college has been acquired by a private equity firm that sees opportunities to build partnerships with airlines, aircraft manufacturers and MRO providers, enhance the school’s Tulsa, Okla., campus and open new campuses. “We’re particularly excited about the opportunity to develop deeper partnerships with the industry,” says Jason Rosenberg, a principal with Chicago-based, private equity company Sterling Partners.