Cargo traffic tumbles, some cargo conversion lines stumble, but cargo maintenance and conversion shops press on.

Airlines in the booming Asia-Pacific market, are becoming far more aware of life-cycle costs and are seeking more flight-hour-based, comprehensive solutions, extending to spares accessibility and obsolescence management. “The more mature carriers are starting to understand that back shops are not delivering a high-value proposition, and are moving toward outsourcing,” says Bob Still, general manager of operations for Rockwell Collins Melbourne (Australia) Service Center.

These Crystal Cabin Award finalists made waves at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg for innovations that enhance passenger experience. Here is a sampling. 1. Silver Lining

STS Component Solutions opened a new U.K. office to develop business in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Air Canada will consider an international maintenance, repair and overhaul provider as a permanent replacement for Aveos Fleet Performance.

Republic Airways Holdings says it needs to attain $40-60 million in annual cost savings and productivity improvements at its Chautauqua Airlines subsidiary to make its 50-seat regional jet (RJ) operations profitable.

Airbus has rolled out the first A320 fitted with sharklets. The aircraft, MSN5098, is one of seven line-fitted with the wingtips that are to be used in the flight-test campaign that is targeted to last 600 hr. The manufacturer, which has already performed initial testing using A320s retrofitted with sharklets, expects the devices to reduce fuel burn by up to 3.5%. The first sharklet-fitted aircraft to enter revenue service is scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2012.

JetBlue Airways is “aggressively scouring all other service providers on a part-by-part basis” to find flight hour maintenance agreements as favorable as the ones it had with Aveos Fleet Performance, which abruptly ceased its Canadian operations in March because of financial problems.