The Sunday Five (January 25th- 31st)

1. Maiden Flight for the Boeing 737 MAX: Boeing's newest iteration of its famed 737 family of aircraft took off under cloudy skies from Boeing's 737 manufacturing plant in Renton, Washington. The aircraft was in the air for over 3 hours before landing at nearby Boeing Field. The 737 MAX, which features improved aerodynamics and new LEAP – 1B engines, is Boeing's best selling aircraft ever with over 3,000 orders.

2. Iran Places Massive Order for 118 Airbus Aircraft: Iran has officially placed an order for 118 Airbus aircraft in a deal worth $25 billion dollars at list prices. The order consists of 12 A380s, 16 A350-100s, 18 A330neo-900s, 27 A330ceos, 24 A320neos, and 21 A320ceos. The order, a result of the reduction of international sanctions on Iran, is a big boost for Airbus, especially for its struggling A380 program.

3. Alaska Rebrands its Livery: Alaska Air unveiled a new livery this past week. The new livery features a bolded and streamlined Alaska logo, a cleaner take on the iconic eskimo, and blue and green undertones sweeping from the bottom of the aircraft upwards to the eskimo. By the end of 2016, Alaska hopes to have 40 of its aircraft painted in the new livery.

4. Dragonair Rebranded as Cathay Dragon: Cathay Pacific has rebranded its regional subsidiary, Dragonair, as Cathay Dragon. Cathay Dragon's livery is a red take on the elegant green hue of the Cathay Pacific color scheme. Cathay hopes the rebranded airline will bolster its standing in the Asia-Pacific region.

5. United announces Dreamliner Service from San Francisco to Singapore: United will soon be the holder of the longest Dreamliner flight in the world and the longest flight operated by a U.S. airline. This past week, United announced service from San Francisco to Singapore, operated by its new 787-9 aircraft. The 8,446 mile long flight barely beats out Delta's 8,439 mile long service from Atlanta to Johannesburg for longest flight operated by a U.S. carrier. Service begins June 1st.

The "What the Heck?" Story of the Week

Two American Airlines flights this past week had to divert after a mysterious illness swept through the two flights, taking down passengers and crew. Earlier this week, an American Airlines flight from London to Los Angeles was had to turn back over Iceland after 7 of 13 flight attendants on board fell sick or passed out along with many passengers. Reportedly, one flight attendant passed out in the middle of the cabin. The 3 hour flight back to London was filled with fear as passengers worried that they might be next, or worse, the pilots may fall ill. Then, later this week, another American Airlines 777, this time on a flight from Sao Paulo to Miami, had to divert after 3 crew members along with an unidentified number of passengers passed out or fell sick from the mysterious illness. There has still been no indication of what the mysterious illness could be.

Video of the Week