Jet aircraft

Strong positions on new programs have resulted in GE Aviation Systems finding itself busy across five continents. For instance, in its U.S. home, the systems and components group is ramping up for increased rates of production for its extensive contributions to Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner.

Reactions have been heavily mixed in the wake of Monday night’s announcement that Superior Aviation of Beijing, China, has agreed to acquire financially troubled Hawker Beechcraft, minus its Hawker Beechcraft Defense Company (HBDC) division, for $1.79 billion. The majority of business aviation analysts contacted by AIN believe the Chinese firm is overpaying for the Wichita, Kansas-based aircraft manufacturer, which is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

A new $11.5 million, 45,000-sq-ft. aircraft paint shop has entered service at Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln, Neb., facility. It can support aircraft as large as the Gulfstream G650, Bombardier Global Express, Dassault Falcon 7X and Embraer Legacy. The new facility follows on the heels of last year’s implementation of a chrome-free paint process.

The trend over the last few years in which customers have placed extremely large orders for airliners has raised questions about the underlying reasons and its potential effect on OEMs that continue to raise production rates in response. The practice seems most prevalent among customers for narrowbodies, prompting both Boeing and Airbus to project rate increases to well beyond 40 in the coming years and raising concerns within some circles of a so-called bubble in the sector.