Hello and welcome to Simple Flying's 77th 'Sunday Reads' weekly digest, and the first for the month of October 2022. The last seven days have been full of interesting aviation news stories, and here are some of our favorites.
Eviation's All-Electric Commuter Plane Takes To The Skies For The First Time
The all-electric commuter airplane known as Alice, developed by US firm Eviation, has taken its first-ever flight. Following successful high-speed taxi tests last week, the plane took off this week from Moses Lake, Washington. The event was live-streamed to invited guests, of which Simple Flying was one.
WestJet Increases Boeing Commitment With Order For 42 737 MAX 10s
Canadian airline WestJet strengthened its commitment to the Boeing 737 family this week, with an order for an additional 42 of its largest variant – the 737 MAX 10. The airline will also have options on a further 22 of the type, potentially giving it a total MAX fleet of 105 airplanes in the future. You can find out more here.
Ground Collision: Korean Air Aircraft Strikes Tail Of Icelandair Aircraft At London Heathrow Airport
A minor collision occurred on the ground at London Heathrow Airport this week between an Icelandair Boeing 757-200 and a Korean Air 777-300ER. Emergency services responded to the incident, and no injuries were reported.
End Of An Era: NASA's SOFIA Boeing 747 Has Taken Its Last Ever Flight
On Wednesday, September 28th, at around 20:45 local time, the Boeing 747SP, registration N747NA, owned by NASA and modified to carry a reflecting telescope for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), operated its last-ever flight. The flight lasted seven hours and 58 minutes, departing from Palmdale Airport (PMD), and flying around the North Pacific Ocean.
Azul Linhas Aéreas' Airbus A350 Inaugural Flight Will Be To Orlando
Early this week, Azul announced that its first Airbus A350, which it received a few weeks ago, would take flight on December 15th. The flight, AD8706, will depart Aeroporto Internacional de Viracopos (VCP) at 09:00 local time, and land at Orlando International Airport (MCO) at 16:10. You can find out more here.
Amsterdam Schiphol's Passenger Caps Expected To Remain For 6 More Months
Daily passenger limits at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport are expected to remain in place for at least six more months as the Dutch airport continues to struggle with capacity issues. You can learn more on the matter here.
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What was your favorite story this week? Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments!