Adam Smith’s invisible hand lately seems to be delighting in picking up relatively young aircraft—mostly regional jets—and dropping them into the desert. With rising fuel costs, relatively little offsetting revenue-generating passenger ­capacity, tangled labor-scope clauses and quickly eclipsed technology, 50-seaters appear to be headed over the horizon for good. But does that mean their bigger RJ cousins are next? The answer would seem to depend on whether you sit in Chicago, Washington or Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil.

Tough economic times force innovation and make airline and aftermarket businesses evaluate what is core to their strategy. At the same time, next-gen aircraft and engine technology is forcing major industry changes. What do you want your business to be doing in five years and what are you doing now to ensure you will get to that point? Here are a few market dynamics to think about:

1. Double Shades Manufacturer: Aerospace Technologies Group Applications: Aerospace Technologies Group introduced its electro-mechanical shade systems in 2002, but the company has since made specific versions for Airbus (the Powertech NG Shade System found on some A380s) and for Boeing (the Ambiance Shade System certified for the 777).

Regional jet retirements limit MRO opportunities.

New technology and methods forge a template for future training, but challenges and cost concerns remain.

Error reduction in a maintenance operation demands optimal performance from technicians. But in this era of downsized workforces, aggressive cost-cutting and constant time pressures, it's tougher than ever to extract peak performance from mechanics every day.

Software upgrades, for the most part, are now an on-wing proposition. But, as Mitch Klink of the Avionics Maintenance Conference explains, all software modifications—and the media/hardware to transfer them—should conform to the baseline version of the Arinc 615 protocol to allow the use of portable data-loaders for on-wing applications. He cautions that, often when these upgrades are performed on-wing, the LRUs containing the new software versions become non-interchangeable with the LRUs containing the previous software versions.

1. New Stability Manufacturer: Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Applications: Trelleborg's new material, Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer E8T89, is designed to be used for the aerospace range of O-rings in civilian aircraft hydraulic systems. It remains stable in Type IV and V phosphate ester fluids even at elevated temperatures. Specifications: The material is compliant with NAS 1613 Rev 5. The LRCCP in France accredited it to NFL17-241B8, and Boeing has approved it for use.