Sunday Reads: Our Most Notable Stories This Week

Simple Flying

By Jake Hardiman

Published Dec 19, 2021

Photo: Getty Images

Welcome to the 39th iteration of our Sunday reads weekly digest! As the year draws to a close, great stories from the world of commercial aviation continue to come thick and fast. Let's take a look back at some of our most notable articles from the past seven days.

When A 747 Flew Supersonic In A Dive

Earlier this week, we looked back at an incredible occurrence that took place three decades ago. In 1991, an Evergreen International Airlines Boeing 747-100 was reported to have broken the sound barrier during a rapid descent that it had to make due to a malfunction.

Eastern Begins Newquay-Gatwick PSO

Simple Flying had the chance to be onboard Eastern Airways' first flight on its Newquay-London Gatwick route this week. The UK regional carrier has been awarded a contract to operate the route on a PSO basis, and has reconnected Cornwall with the capital by air.

Eastern Airways Gatwick — Eastern Airways now has the PSO between Newquay and Gatwick. Photo: obtained via Emerald Media

Airbus To Deliver Its Last A321ceo To Delta

Airbus is preparing to reach the end of an era when it comes to delivering its first-generation A321s. The final A321ceo ('Current Engine Option') will go to Delta Air Lines, with the Atlanta-based US legacy carrier set to receive the twinjet in the coming weeks.

Delta Air Lines A321ceo — The final A321ceo will be delivered to Delta soon. Photo: Airbus

Airbus Secures Qantas A321XLR & A220 Commitments

Airbus has made a major breakthrough in its relationship with Australian flag carrier Qantas. On Thursday morning, the airline announced its intentions to purchase 20 A220s and 20 A321XLRs, with options for a further 94 narrowbodies from the European manufacturer.

Qantas-Airbus-Narrowbody-Aircraft-Order — Airbus has locked in an order from Qantas for 134 narrowbody planes. Photo: Qantas

Singapore Airlines Signs LOI For 7 Airbus A350 Freighters

In other good news for Airbus this week, the multi-national planemaker has also found another customer for its cargo-carrying A350F. This comes after Singapore Airlines signed a letter of intent to purchase seven examples of the next-generation freighter.

Singapore Airlines, Airbus A350 Freighter — Singapore Airlines has signed a letter of intent to purchase seven Airbus A350 freighters. Photo: Airbus

Pegasus Airlines On Its Fleet Strategy

As part of the recent Word Aviation Festival, Simple Flying had the chance to interview Güliz Öztürk, the Chief Commercial Officer at Pegasus Airlines. The Turkish low-cost carrier has interesting plans when it comes to its fleet strategy, which will see it transition towards an all-Airbus setup in the coming years. You can read more about its approach here.