Sunday Reads: Our Most Notable Stories This Week

Simple Flying

By Jake Hardiman

Published Dec 26, 2021

The carrier has introduced an enticing menu on its North American flights. Photo: Getty Images

Welcome to our final 'Sunday Reads' weekly digest of the year! We hope you've had a nice holiday period, and that you enjoy our selection of top stories from this week.

Qatar Airways Issues A350 Legal Proceedings Against Airbus At London High Court

The ongoing Qatar Airways Airbus A350 paint saga has features several interesting developments of late. Most recently, the Doha-based carrier announced legal action against the European manufacturer at the London High Court. You can read more about it here.

JetBlue Secures Extension Of New York To Heathrow Through Fall

JetBlue launched flights to London Heathrow earlier this year. Now, the US-based hybrid carrier has announced that it will continue to fly to the UK's busiest airport until at least October 2022. In the longer term, it hopes that this service will remain a permanent fixture.

JetBlue has secured an extension of its flights to Heathrow through October 2022. Photo: JetBlue

New SAS Airbus A321LR Completes First Long-Range Flight

This week, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) operated its first long-haul flight with the Airbus A321LR. The proving flight from Copenhagen to Washington DC marks a key milestone ahead of the type's wider rollout on US-bound service in March. You can find out more here.

SAS will need three A321LR for its summer schedule. It currently has two aircraft, with the third to be delivered soon.

Wizz Air Removes 84 Routes From Sale

Throughout the pandemic, Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air has pursued an impressive growth strategy despite the challenging climate. However, it has now been forced to take dozens of routes off sale. A third of these involve Italy, despite the country having become a key market for Wizz Air in recent months. You can find out more about the cuts here.

wizz-air-a321-2_603c8bdf — Some of the routes may have bookable flights in early January, but none thereafter. Photo: Wizz Air

Russia's First Widebody: 45 Years Of The Ilyushin Il-86

This week also marked a key anniversary in terms of Russian aviation. Specifically, on December 22nd, it was 45 years since the Soviet-era Ilyushin Il-86 made its first flight. This quadjet was the country's first widebody, and it remains in limited military service today.

The Il-86 was the USSR's first widebody aircraft. Photo: Dmitriy Pichugin via Wikimedia Commons

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The Airport Served By A Narrow Gauge Steam Railway

Many of us will have taken the train to the airport ahead of a flight. After all, the railway saves the hassle of driving, as well as the expense of parking. However, one airport in the British Isles has a particular special station, as it is served by narrow gauge steam trains!