Sunday Reads: Our Most Notable Stories This Week

August has rolled around, and it’s time for our first Sunday Reads weekly digest of the month. Let’s take a look back at some of our top stories from the last seven days!

Air Chathams has operated its last Convair 580 passenger flight. Photo: Air Chathams

68-Year-Old New Zealand Passenger Plane Eyes Retirement

Today’s airline industry is one of great modernity, and airlines worldwide are working hard to bring their fleet up to current youthful standards. However, certain older aircraft have managed to beat this trend, with a Convair 580 in New Zealand having only recently retired after 68 years of service! You can read more about this classic airliner here.

ANA Launches Two-Night A380 Staycations

With the Airbus A380 fleet at All Nippon Airways having struggled to find regular usage since the start of the pandemic, ANA has had to get creative to keep them active. Having already operated various scenic ‘flights to nowhere,’ the Japanese carrier is now set to use the superjumbo to take passengers on a two-night staycation in Japan.

ANA will use its A380s for two staycation trips in September. Photo: Getty Images

Why Did United Airlines Fly A Brand New Boeing 737 MAX 8 To Oshkosh?

You may have seen recently that United Airlines flew to Oshkosh, Wisconsin with one of its new 737 MAX 8s, despite not serving the airport. As it happens, the reason for the trip was to highlight its continued commitment to pilot training at the EAA AirVenture show. You can read more about this rare and interesting journey here.

United Airlines flew a shiny new Boeing 737 MAX 8 to Oshkosh. Photo: Jay Singh | Simple Flying

Boeing 777s Retired: Delta Air Lines’ Widebody Development

Although Delta’s fleet no longer features any Boeing 777s, the Atlanta-based US legacy carrier still has a fair bit of variety when it comes to widebodies. Simple Flying took a closer look at the exact makeup and usage of its present twin-aisle fleet.

After the 777’s retirement, what widebodies does Delta have left? Photo: Alan Wilson via Flickr

Southwest Airlines Wants To Grow But One Constraint Remains

As a low-cost carrier, Southwest Airlines is well-positioned to make a recovery as leisure travel rebounds this summer. However, its CEO sees one particular obstacle for such an expansion. Take a look at what exactly this constraint is in the article here.

Southwest Airlines is no stranger to growth, but one factor – staffing – may constrain its trajectory. Photo: Southwest Airlines

Huge Fleet: Avolon Has 581 Planes With An Average Age Of 5.5 Years

Aircraft lessors play a key role in ensuring that airlines can operate the fleets they want even if buying aircraft outright is beyond their means. Avolon is one such leasing giant, and Simple Flying took a look at its 581-strong fleet of young aircraft here.

Avolon has an average fleet age of just 5.5 years. Image: Avolon

If you’d like us to send you the week’s top stories in a weekly e-newsletter, you can sign up to the mailing list here. See you next week!

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

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