Last year's mergers and acquisitions in aerospace and defense reached $30.8 billion, highest since 2000, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. The average deal was for $280 million, nearly three times higher than in 2006. Transatlantic M&A activity set a record, but intra-European deals were hurt by a weak dollar. Of the top 10 deals of 2007, nine involved companies in the U.S. In six of them, the U.S. company was the buyer. But European companies invested $6.6 billion in the U.S., four times more than in 2006. Boeing reports it has passed the 8,000-order mark for the 737 family, the industry's longest-serving single-aisle family and best-selling jet. Higher fuel costs are boosting moves to newer versions with better engines. Recent order announcements include Air China (30), American Airlines (8) and Airk Air (7), all previously listed on the unidentified order list.
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