Welcome back to Simple Flying's weekly Sunday reads digest! Airlines and manufacturers have been busy preparing themselves for the Dubai Air Show over the past seven days. Still, the world of aviation has continued to produce a fascinating array of stories.

A350s Fly Across The Atlantic In Formation

One of the most striking pieces of news from the past seven days has been the fact that Airbus has begun testing the concept of formation flying. A trial run earlier this week saw two A350s depart its Toulouse headquarters and fly across the Atlantic in formation.

One Of A Kind: The Only Route Served By The A380 & B747-400

The A380 and 747-400 will likely go down in history as defining examples of four-engine aircraft. However, it is very rare for a route to see service from both of these types. Simple Flying explored the only instance in which this is the case, and you can read more here.

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Lufthansa flies the 747-400 to Dubai. Photo: Konstantin von Wedelstaedt via Wikimedia Commons

Boeing Flies The 777X Out To Dubai

Boeing is finally ready to display its new 777X series at an airshow. Having originally planned to do so in Paris and Dubai in 2019, a mixture of program delays and the coronavirus pandemic have prevented this from happening until now. You can read more here.

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Boeing has flown the 777X out to Dubai ahead of the upcoming airshow. Photo: Boeing

Preparing For Single Pilot Operations: Collins Aerospace's Perigon

The concept of single-pilot operations has become more and more of a topic in recent years. This will require more cockpit automation, and, for this purpose, Collins Aerospace launched a brand-new flight control computer known as Perigon earlier this year.

Airbus Cockpit
Photo: Airbus

TAP Excited To Showcase Portugal With Stopover Program

Portugal's location makes it an ideal location for connecting transatlantic journeys between Europe and the Americas. However, national airline TAP is now looking to showcase the country by offering passengers the chance to properly break their journey in Portugal.

TAP Air Portugal A330neo
While it understands that 2022 will still be a challenge, TAP is gearing up for brighter prospects in the new year. Photo: Airbus

How Interspace Provides Passenger Comfort In A High-Density Cabin

A common worry with high-density cabin configurations is that they might compromise passenger comfort levels. However, Universal Movement and Safran have teamed up to develop Interspace, a seating solution that solves this issue. You can find out more here.

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Universal Movement wants to solve problems with its technology. Photo: Sumit Singh | Simple Flying

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What was your favorite story this week? Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments!