The Qantas Group has selected the GEnx engine as the powerplant for its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet of up to 115 aircraft.

Artemis, the European Space Agency Advanced Relay and Technology Mission Satellite, successfully relayed optical laser links from an aircraft in early December. These airborne laser links, established over a distance of 40 000 km during two flights at altitudes of 6000 and 10 000 metres, represent a world first.

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its wholly owned subsidiary Raytheon Aircraft Company (RAC) to Hawker Beechcraft Corporation, a new company formed by GS Capital Partners, an affiliate of Goldman Sachs, and Onex Partners. The Company also announced that, subject to the closing of this transaction, its Board of Directors has approved further debt reduction and an increase in the Company's stock repurchase authorization.