Airbus is still working out its strategy in the segment that the 767 and 787 occupies. The airframer is officially set on delivering the A350-800, but is also entertaining calls for a re-engined A330. The future of the 767 passenger variant is feasible only if Airbus remains locked on the A350-800 option, says Richard Aboulafia, vice-president of analysis at the Teal Group. “If Airbus doesn’t re-engine the A330, then maybe [the passenger 767 has a future],” he says. An A330neo would occupy shorter routes of 5,000nm (9,270km) or less in the passenger class – closer to the 767-300ER. “Then [the passenger 767] ends,” Aboulafia adds.

One analyst said defeating enemy air defenses involves a blend of technologies and tactics which the JSF is well-suited to perform. “The F-35 is low observable against enemy radar. It is also designed to emit a lot less. A big part of this is knowing where the threats are and how to avoid them. The objective is to try to fly between the cracks and gaps,” said Richard Aboulafia, Vice President of analysis at the Teal Group, a Virginia-based consultancy.

Aerospace analyst, Richard Aboulafia with the Virginia-based Teal Group said the F-35′s first overseas appearance marked the start of a more aggressive drive to lock in foreign orders at a time when the U.S. military has repeatedly delayed its own. “What they really need to do is transform the program’s economics by getting above that 30-something (annual production) plateau they’re on,” he said. “They need to get to a virtuous cycle where numbers go up and costs go down … the opposite of a death spiral.”

Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Spirit have been working for some time a new long-term agreement. The newly announced deal amends the current agreement, which was extended last year. Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst with Virgina-based Teal Group, says the agreement is good in that it removes short-term uncertainties. While a longer-term deal would be good, getting pricing set in the interim is a beneficial step, he says. “If you look at this like a war, a cease fire is always a good thing,” he says. As for the question of variant aircraft, Aboulafia says it may be more of a function of timing in terms of where those aircraft are in their development.

The Boeing 777, boasting two giant engines and a 19 year history is well sought after by airline companies because it has the capability of flying very long distances, clocking flight times of 16 hours. Though the 777 does have a great safety record, it has had some fatal incidents. In July 2013 an Asiana Airlines had a bad landing in San Francisco killing 2 passengers on board. Another incident occurred in 2008 when British Airways also had a harsh landing at London’s Heathrow Airport. Richard Aboulafia of Teal Group comments that the Boeing 777 has one of the safest flight records in jetliner history.