More than half of A&D professionals under 30 mention student loans as a key factor in career planning.

Aviation Week's 2012 Workforce Study data come from respondents that collectively employ 80% of the A&D industry's workforce of 624,000. Newcomers to this year's study include Alenia Aermacchi North America and Acutec Precision Machining.

Alaska Air Group’s regional division Horizon Air late this month will start equipping its fleet of Bombardier Q400 turboprops with Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) technology and expects the retrofit to be completed by the end of the year.

Etihad Airways is continuing to build its presence in the Australia market with new flight

A new study estimates that potential across-the-board budget cuts to the FAA could amount to an $18.4 billion blow to the economy, including the loss of up to 73 million passenger enplanements and 2 billion lb. of airfreight. Former Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta called the study, released Aug. 13 by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), “very significant” and urged Congress to take action. “Let’s not let the FAA be victimized by budget politics,” he said.

Pemco expects little to change when its completes its sale to Avion

Parts manufacturing and distribution specialist Wencor Group expanded its repair capabilities, purchasing Part 145 repair stations Absolute Aviation Services and Soundair Aviation Services, Wencor reports. Absolute, which also holds a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certificate, specializes in electronics and avionics. Soundair, which also has EASA and Civil Aviation Administration of China approvals, focuses on aircraft interior parts, ranging from cockpit lighting to ovens. Like Wencor, Soundair also develops PMA parts.

Two Trent 900 operators turned up no findings on the engines of their A380 fleets