NORTH CHARLESTON, SC—TIGHITCO has opened a new, 100,000-square-foot assembly plant here to make wingtips for business jets. The facility is expected to employ 350 people.

PARIS—Airbus has won a record order worth $23.8 billion from Indonesia’s Lion Air for 234 medium-haul A320 jets.

Several respondents to my original blog say the 787's battery problems are a minor blip that Boeing will correct quickly. My impression is that the battery is becoming aviation’s equivalent of the Ford Pinto.

SEATTLE—Boeing achieved a major milestone on Tuesday as the Federal Aviation Administration approved its plan to test fixes for the battery problems that have grounded its 787 jets since mid-January.

RALEIGH, NC—Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for creating stronger, lightweight magnesium alloys that have potential structural applications in the automobile and aerospace industries.

For example, according to the Precision Metalforming Association, 69 percent of U.S. metalworking companies have job openings. However, 91 percent of those companies are experiencing challenges finding qualified employees, and 42 percent describe that difficulty as “severe.”

PARIS—Airbus may add another assembly line for the new A350 wide-body jet to meet rising demand. With more than 600 orders placed for the jet, Airbus is considering adding capacity.

WASHINGTON—NASA contributed approximately $5 billion to U.S. manufacturing in 2012, according to a new study.

SEATTLE—Boeing has developed possible fixes for the battery problems in its grounded 787 jets and could have them back in the air within two months, industry and federal officials said Wednesday.

Did cost-cutting strategy jeopardize the production of what should have been an engineering triumph?