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Magazine Issue

Aviation Week & Space Technology, Dec. 25, 2023

VOL. 185 NO. 50 December 25, 2023
Cover of Dec. 25, 2023, Digital Edition of AW&ST
Credit: Michael Seeley

AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE 2024

article

Aerospace And Defense Faces High Level Of Political Peril In 2024

Dec 21, 2023
From new fighters to launchers, airline production ramps to air taxi certifications, 2024 will be a busy year.
Delays have pushed first flights of important new launch vehicles into 2024, with United Launch Alliance’s first Vulcan expected to fly in January and Europe’s Ariane 6 in June-July. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency plans to make a second attempt to launch the H3 in March.

Aerospace And Defense In 2024: What To Watch For

Dec 22, 2023
A variety of new platforms emerging as well as progress on nascent technologies are just a few of the things to look for in the new year.

AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE 2024 | DEFENSE

Korea Aerospace KF-21
article

Asia’s Great Push Toward Defense Modernization

Dec 18, 2023
China’s own upgrades are driving other nations in the region toward change.
Boeing C-17 Globemaster
article

How Australia, The UK And U.S. Are Creating The Next Big Military Alliance

Dec 22, 2023
By streamlining defense collaboration in key emerging technologies, the AUKUS nations aim to develop “integrated deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific.
Lisa Atherton President and CEO, Bell

Key People To Watch In The Defense Sector In 2024

Dec 14, 2023
Potential defense headliners in the U.S. and abroad in 2024 feature lawmakers, C-suite executives and a bevy of military officers.

AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE 2024 | DEFENSE SYSTEMS

Future Combat Air System concept
article

Next-Generation Aircraft Grab Spotlight As F-35 Fights Latest Crisis

Dec 12, 2023
An ongoing software problem haunts Lockheed Martin’s production and modernization agenda for the F-35 as a raft of new competitors hit key milestones in 2024.
B-21 illustration
article

Defense Systems Data Center, 2024-28

Dec 20, 2023
Forecasts, snapshots and military aircraft to watch.
F-35C that landed on the USS Abraham Lincoln on Nov. 30.
article

Next-Gen Air Dominance Program Prompts Stealth Tech Expansion

Dec 13, 2023
Repeated sightings of a new form of low-observable features means infrared stealth technology is progressing out of military and industry laboratories.
The Space Development Agency Tranche 0 satellite launch 2023
article

U.S. Space Force Places Premium On Proliferation In 2024

Dec 18, 2023
The service is adding a new approach to launch contracting, as the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture takes shape.
balloon shoot-down

Defense Aviation Highlights Of 2023

Dec 21, 2023
From a Chinese spy balloon shoot-down to the first flight of the U.S. Air Force’s B-21 stealth bomber and more, 2023 was an eventful year in defense aviation.

AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE 2024 | AEROSPACE SYSTEMS

Orion spacecraft test flight around the Moon
article

NASA Banking On Commercial Services For Astronaut Missions To The Moon

Dec 25, 2023
NASA believes it can leverage commercial service industries for deep-space exploration.
article

SpaceX Flight Tests Are Steppingstones To NASA’s Crew Lunar Landing Service

Dec 22, 2023
An orbital propellant depot and fueling service are keys to the Starship lunar lander architecture.
SpaceX Starbase spaceport

Gallery: Behind The Scenes At SpaceX's Starbase Spaceport

Dec 22, 2023
There is a lot more going on at SpaceX’s southern Texas spaceport than launches.
Firefly Aerospace satellite
article

How Space Tugs Are Changing The Way Satellites Are Placed In Orbit

Dec 15, 2023
The U.S. military sees orbital transfer vehicles keeping adversaries guessing.
Sarah Al Amiri, Chair, UAE Space Agency

Key People To Watch In The Space Sector In 2024

Dec 21, 2023
Five space industry leaders poised to drive change during the new year.
consumer-grade antenna
article

Can Copycat LEO Operators Catch SpaceX’s Starlink?

Dec 19, 2023
As hardware prices come down, Amazon’s Project Kuiper aims to connect “tens of millions of customers.”
Boeing Starliner spacecraft in space
article

Three More Crew Space Transports To Join World Fleet

Dec 21, 2023
In 2024, India and Boeing aim for low Earth orbit, while NASA eyes an excursion around the Moon.
Relativity Space’s Terran 1 largely 3D-printed small-launch vehicle

Space Highlights Of 2023

Dec 21, 2023
A year of successes and failures, 2023 saw first flights of SpaceX’s Starship, the last of Arianespace Ariane 5, a responsive space launch and more.
Hypersonic sled-track test
article

U.S. Hypersonic Push Evolves With Capacity And Cost Drives

Dec 22, 2023
As the first U.S. hypersonic weapons enter service, defense officials are searching for new ideas for high-speed propulsion and to dramatically reduce prices.
Dornier 228

Propulsion Highlights of 2023

Dec 18, 2023
Alternative propulsion technologies made the headlines in 2023.
Leonardo AW09 light single-turbine helicopter

Rotorcraft Highlights Of 2023

Dec 20, 2023
Uncrewed helicopters, automated flight and alternative propulsion systems were major themes for the rotorcraft industry in 2023.

AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE 2024 | BUSINESS AVIATION

Cessna Citation Longitude
article

Private Aviation Industry Watchpoints For 2024

Dec 20, 2023
Fractional ownership providers, maintenance and sustainability efforts are things to watch in 2024.
flying aircraft
article

Business Aviation Order Backlogs Grow As Demand Continues

Dec 22, 2023
OEMs in business aviation have strong backlogs but supply chain pain challenges production.
Michael Amalfitano, President and CEO, Embraer Executive Jets

Key Business Aviation Executives To Watch In 2024

Dec 21, 2023
Profiles of leaders making an impact in sustainability, advanced air mobility, technology and company growth.
Dassault Falcon 10X graphic top view drawing
article

Business Aviation Data Center, 2024-28

Dec 21, 2023
Forecasts, snapshots and business aircraft to watch.
4AIR President Kennedy Ricci and four other business aviation leaders
article

Business Aviation Gains World Acceptance Of SAF Book-And-Claim

Dec 22, 2023
An International conference agreement aims to drive global development of sustainable aviation fuel.
business aviation pilots in Phenom 100E cockpit
article

How AI Is Shaping The Future Of Business Aviation

Dec 22, 2023
From bookings to the cockpit, aviation companies are exploring the realm of artificial intelligence.
aircraft hangar

Top 10 Business Aviation Predictions for 2024

Dec 20, 2023
What to look for in business aviation in 2024.
Aircraft flying below the sun
article

Business Aviation’s Used Aircraft Market Makes A Soft Landing In 2023

Dec 15, 2023
Why the market for used business aircraft is continuing to rebound after the pandemic.
Airbus Corporate Jets ACJ TwoTwenty

Business Aviation Highlights of 2023

Dec 22, 2023
Business aviation continued its upswing in 2023 while sustainability concerns tightened their grip on the industry.

AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE 2024 | ADVANCED AIR MOBLITY

Joby Aviation full-scale prototype
article

Tight Timelines For Air Taxi Startups Suggest Coming Delays

Dec 20, 2023
As Archer, Joby and Volocopter inch closer to certification, several obstacles still stand in the way.
graphic
article

AAM Infographic: Leading eVTOL Developers Make Progress, Burn Cash

Dec 21, 2023
Leaders of the electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing race know the steps in developing and certifying a new aircraft cannot be skipped.
Volant VE25 technology demonstrator

Advanced Air Mobility Highlights Of 2023

Dec 19, 2023
From California to China, activity in the nascent advanced air mobility industry ramped up in 2023.

AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE 2024 | COMMERCIAL AVIATION

aircraft on runway
article

Commercial Aviation’s 2024 Outlook: Scary And Promising

Dec 22, 2023
For the airline and aerospace industries, many questions about pandemic recovery remain unanswered.
Michael Whitaker, FAA Administrator

Key Commercial Aviation Executives To Watch In 2024

Dec 22, 2023
Figures to watch in the year ahead include airline and OEM executives as well as the new FAA administrator.
article

Data Center: Commercial Aviation Forecast 2024-28

Dec 18, 2023
Forecasts, snapshots and commercial aircraft programs to watch.
frontier aircraft
article

Commercial Aviation Adapts To Higher-for-Longer Interest Rates

Dec 21, 2023
Airlines and lessors have performed well in 2023, considering the high cost of capital.
Chris Kubasik and Bill Brown
article

Divestitures Big And Small Could Rule Aerospace M&A In 2024

Dec 21, 2023
Industry titans will continue to sell off businesses, and private equity will continue to play a central role.
manufacturing floor
article

Airing Of Grievances Likely To Dominate Aerospace Supply Chain In 2024

Dec 20, 2023
If 2023 is any indication, 2024 could be a yearlong Festivus in the supply chain.
A350F
article

Confidence Mixed With Caution For Cargo Industry In 2024

Dec 21, 2023
As 2024 gets underway, cargo industry executives are closely watching the macroeconomic factors that will affect demand.
Boeing 747-8 Freighter

Commercial Aviation Highlights of 2023

Dec 19, 2023
Commercial air travel bounced back from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2023, which saw the return of large airline orders.

AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE 2024 | MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND OVERHAUL

Lufthansa Technik worker
article

Expect To See MRO Investment In 2024

Dec 21, 2023
Aviation maintenance facilities are booked. Will the new facilities be enough?
IndiGo aircraft

MRO Trends To Look For In 2024

Dec 19, 2023
Predicting what could lie in store for the commercial aftermarket in 2024.
aircraft parts
article

Supply Chain Snafus Spawn MRO Opportunities And Challenges

Dec 20, 2023
Steady aftermarket growth is buoyed by both routine demand and acute issues requiring older aircraft to hang around.
Lloyd Barker, Senior Vice President for Leap program industrialization, StandardAero

Key MRO Executives To Watch In 2024

Dec 22, 2023
Here are potential MRO headliners in 2024.
MRO region Map
article

Global Engine MRO Demand By Category, 2024-33

Dec 22, 2023
Aviation Week forecasts Africa and the Middle East will have the most widebody engine MRO demand and Europe the most narrowbody engine demand in the period.
article

What’s In And What’s Out For MRO In 2024

Dec 22, 2023
A look at what’s trending—and what has lost popularity—in the aviation aftermarket.
Cessna Citation CJ3 Gen 2
article

Comparing 2024 MRO Forecasts For Civil, Business Aviation And Military

Dec 22, 2023
Fleets are set to grow in all sectors except military and year-over-year growth is projected to be highest for the commercial and business aviation aftermarket.

SECOND TAKE

JetZero
article

2023: Year In Review

Dec 22, 2023
Major events in aerospace and defense during 2023.

PROPULSION

GE silicon carbine wafer
article

Rotating Detonation Sparks GE Path To Hypersonic Future

Dec 19, 2023
General Electric has released new details of a plan to achieve reusable, air-breathing propulsion at hypersonic speeds by 2025.

BUSINESS

David L. Calhoun and Stephanie Pope
article

What Stephanie Pope’s COO Appointment Means For Boeing

Dec 18, 2023
Chief operating officers are returning to prominence across aerospace and defense companies as the industry labors to recover from the COVID-19 disruption.
Greg Hayes and Chris Calio
article

Greg Hayes Era At RTX Empire Begins To Sunset

Dec 19, 2023
Heir apparent Chris Calio to take over sprawling aerospace and defense giant.

COMMERCIAL AVIATION

Boeing 737-100
article

Lufthansa Buys Boeing 737s Again After 28 Years

Dec 21, 2023
The German airline group, launch customer for the 737-100 in 1968, is going full circle, hoping to create flexibility in its fleet.
Airbus A320neo on runway
article

France Funds Research Into Conventional A320neo Successor

Dec 20, 2023
Airbus announced plans for a new conventional narrowbody in June. Now the French government is making it clear that the project is its top funding priority.
Maeve M80
article

Maeve Aerospace Proposes M80 As Regional Jet Replacement

Dec 18, 2023
Dutch startup is the latest to move away from all-electric propulsion and toward a larger hybrid design that it hopes will better meet market requirements.
Patrick Ky and Florian Guillermet
article

New EASA Leader Steps Into Expanded Role With Broader Mandate

Dec 19, 2023
Florian Guillermet, CEO of French ATC organization DSNA, will have more responsibilities as head of the European Union Aviation Safety Association.

DEFENSE

BAE aircraft
article

‘Empowered’ Government Agency To Develop GCAP Into Sixth-Gen Fighter

Dec 22, 2023
An agency of Italy, Japan and the UK will run the Global Combat Air Program, supported by a yet-to-be formed industrial joint venture.

SPACE

axiom space snowcone data workers
article

Axiom To Build Laser Comms-Connected Data Center Within Space Station

Dec 19, 2023
Axiom Space plans to install a data center on Hab One to be linked to the ISS and use laser communications equipment to connect it to Earth-orbiting satellites.
USSF-67 launch from Kennedy Space Center
article

What The Space Force Wants For Future Domain Awareness

Dec 20, 2023
The head of the service says analysis is focusing on physical coverage gaps, along with ways to quickly analyze data.

COLUMNS AND OPINION

Hypersonic boost-glide vehicles
article

Opinion: U.S. Hypersonic Missile Investments Overlook Key Path

Dec 22, 2023
The Defense Department should consider proven, maneuvering reentry vehicle technology.

DEPARTMENTS

article

Letters From Our Readers, Dec. 25, 2023

Dec 22, 2023
Readers write about the Nov. 13 and Nov. 27 covers, U.S. Navy’s E-2 Hawkeyes and the need for better bladeout safety.
article

Aerospace Calendar And Aviation Week Events, Dec. 25, 2023

Dec 22, 2023
A roundup of upcoming conferences, exhibitions and summits.