aviation industry

A scant few U.S. carriers took home honors from this year's "Best of Business Travel" awards from Business Traveler magazine. The apparent malaise affecting U.S. airlines may involve something more fundamental than the economy.

Boeing's plan to relocate two major defense programs from California to Oklahoma could signal the start of a major shift in the locations of defense contractors, and how they work. For the areas attracting the companies, it's about jobs. For the contractors, it's about remaining competitive.

With air travel restrictions still crippling most of Europe, national governments and businesses are starting to bridle under the unprecedented shut-downs. Losses are now reaching more than $200 million a day. A U.K. pilots group says: "A number of airlines are now staring bankruptcy in the face."

This week, President Obama unveiled his plan to develop a high-speed passenger rail (HSR) system in the United States. Although HSR has long been a talking point for the President, this is the first instance in which he has offered specifics. The new rail plan is three-fold: initially, it will...