A travel vlogger has captured eerily beautiful scenes of rows of planes sitting in a large aircraft graveyard in the centre of Australia during a $500 flight tour.
Dennis Bunnik posted a video of his tour of the nation’s largest aircraft storage facility in Alice Springs on Monday and discussed his experience of seeing the aircraft, that were all grounded when the Covid pandemic ruined international travel.
The travel enthusiast took off with another passenger as well as pilot Kat in a Robinson R44 helicopter with large windows and no doors.
As they began the tour, the footage from the helicopter showed an array of planes all perfectly lined up in rows surrounded by fields of red sand and shrubs.
However, as he continued on the tour, Mr Bunnik said he began to visualise hope and positivity for the future as the nation began to rebuild itself after the disruptions caused by Covid
As the helicopter hovered in the sky, there was a stark contrast between the grounded aircraft in the middle of the desert and mountainous tops and greenery seen in the background.
The video captured fleets of Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific planes as well as several other airlines.
Both airlines saw a significant drop in international trips during the pandemic, with the likes of Qantas and Virgin Australia having stopped flying overseas altogether.
Australia has had its international borders shut to tourists since March 2020, with holidaymakers unlikely to be flocking back to the country until early next year, at the earliest.
The video captured fleets of Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific planes as well as several other airlines
Dennis Bunnik (pictured left) posted a video of the nation’s largest aircraft storage facility in Alice Springs on Monday and discussed his experience of seeing the aircraft that are grounded due to Covid-19
As the flight rotated around the aircraft, the myriad of colours of the aircraft’s tails popped out in the field.
Mr Bunnik said he had seen photos and videos of the aircraft parking lot in the centre of Australia, but seeing it in person truly opened his eyes to the site’s significant size and haunting beauty.
‘I love the colours in the light, the lines, the shapes and the patterns they created, and I was blown away from how up here these giant A380s and 777 aircraft just look like kids toys sitting in a sandpit,’ Mr Bunnik said.
The travel vlogger said the aircraft in the parking lot weren’t there because they were at the end of their lives, but instead, they were at the peak of their working life and were grounded due to Covid.
Mr Bunnik explained the desert site helped to slow the corrosion of the aircraft until they could set off in the sky again.
Mr Bunnik said the desert site helped to slow the corrosion of the grounded aircraft until they could set off in the sky again
‘It was a very sobering experience to see these aircraft just parked there,’ he said.
As the helicopter flew around the site, Mr Bunnik said the rows of grounded aircraft created a visual image of tombstones.
Mr Bunnik further added as he worked in the travel industry, the parked aircraft were reminders of jobs that had been lost, careers that had been cut short, businesses that had to close and families that were separated.
However, as he continued on the 20-minute flight tour, Mr Bunnik said he began to visualise hope and positivity for the future as the nation began to rebuild itself after the disruptions caused by Covid.
‘These aircraft are not just a reminder of what we’ve lost. Rather, they’re the building blocks of recovery,’ Mr Bunnik said.
Mr Bunnik said the rows of grounded aircraft created a visual image of tombstones and were reminders of jobs that had been lost, careers that ended and businesses that had to close
As they began the tour, the footage from the helicopter showed an array of planes all perfectly lined up in rows surrounded by fields of red sand and shrubs.
‘As vaccination rates increase, our world is finally starting to open up and it is these aircraft that will help reunite families and restore jobs, hope and dignity to millions around the world.’
The traveller further added that the aircraft depicts thousands of jobs that will soon be available and a step towards being reunited with the world again.
After the flight around the large desert site, Mr Bunnik expressed how magical and incredible the experience was and hopes that the aircraft will soon take off again
‘The challenge for all of us now is how do we rebuild in a better and more sustainable way,’ he said.
The ABS reported in October that travel during August 2021 had decreased 99.2% when compared with pre-Covid levels in August 2019.
There were only 37,180 departures from Australia, which was a monthly decrease of 49,840 trips.
The ABS reported in October that travel during August 2021 had decreased 99.2% when compared with pre-Covid levels in August 2019
Australia also only recorded 26,980 arrivals during August – a monthly decrease of 47,880 trips.
In September, Australia had currently fallen behind other countries in flight levels, with only 26 per cent of flights returned to the level seen before the pandemic, compared to 70 per cent seen globally.
Since November 1, vaccinated Australians have been able to travel overseas with their immediate family from any state.
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