News and notes from around the interweb:

• Photos of the new SAS Airbus A321LR It will reportedly fly transatlantic – Copenhagen to Washington Dulles – this week.

• Thailand eliminates ‘test and release’ in favor of mandatory quarantine in the face of Omicron – though they’ve already identified scores of Omicron cases in Thailand – it’s already there. People who already have a ‘Thailand Pass’ will be allowed to enter, and they’ll revisit the policy January 4. (HT: Drew J.)

• Why the mask mandate is good for the airline business. Early in the pandemic this was certainly true, I wrote that airline mask rules gave passengers confidence to fly – even to those for whom it was annoying to be required to wear a mask, they wanted everybody else to be wearing one. By summer 2021 this was no longer the case, when anyone who wanted a vaccine could get one, and the CEOs of American, United and Southwest all said they looked forward o the mandate being lifted. I think it’s unclear whether it’s helpful or harmful to the business today with Omicron.

• Qantas still plans non-stop Chicago, considers Seattle

  

• TIL: Sir Freddie Laker ventured into aircraft manufacturing. (HT: AirInsight)

  The Aviation Traders ATL.90 Accountant (1957).

  An attempt by Freddie Laker to break into aircraft manufacturing, & named for its supposed favourable economics.

  Airlines were not convinced and the project was abandoned in 1958, with the sole example scrapped in 1960. pic.twitter.com/Zd0G6NpkYy

  — Captain Brent 🇬🇧 (@Birdseed501) December 19, 2021

• Qatar Airways suing Airbus over A350 paint issues