(CNN) – This has been a hideous year for the aviation industry. Absolutely horrible, actually.
But among the darkness there were some lighter, crazier and even hopeful moments that captured our imagination during dark times. Here are the wildest ones.
1. A tiny airport in Alaska has become the busiest in the world
Anchorage International, Alaska, lacks Singapore Changi’s waterfalls and razzmatazz or Chicago O’Hare’s eight runways, but in April this unpretentious little airport soon became the busiest airport in the world.
It was due to a combination of global passenger traffic being wiped out by the pandemic and the transport of medical supplies, contributing to an increase in cargo traffic – which is Anchorage’s specialty. area.
2. ‘Flights to nowhere’ has become one thing
A flight to nowhere took off from Sydney, Australia, and returned to Sydney. Stubborn travelers eager to get on a plane boarded the flight that took a tour around the country, with views including Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef. CNN’s Kim Brunhuber reports.
Aspiring travelers were so hungry for the pleasures of flying above the ground in a pressurized tube that when Australian airline Qantas launched a seven-hour sightseeing tour of landmarks like Byron Bay and the Gold Coast, tickets sold out in ten minutes.
In Taiwan, these “flights to nowhere” were also combined with quick meetings on board, such as EVA Air’s “Fly! Love Is in the Air” campaign, while Thai Airways gave the trend a spiritual touch with a “flight to nowhere “on some of Thailand’s Buddhist religious sites.
3. Naomi Campbell was Nostradamus of aviation
In the summer of 2019, the world was surprised when Naomi Campbell revealed her elaborate airplane ritual that involved wearing disposable gloves, cleaning surfaces with antibacterial wipes and wearing a face mask.
The following March, when the rest of us were beginning to accept Campbell’s message of safety, the British supermodel had to do a little better. She shared photos of herself at Los Angeles International Airport wearing an anti-danger suit, goggles, mask and gloves.
4. The longest flight in the world got even longer
From quieter staterooms to special wings, discover everything you need to know about the 19-hour flight from Singapore to NY.
The shuffling and redirection caused by the pandemic generated many surprise records in aviation.
The reason: Singapore Airlines switched US airports, from Newark, New Jersey to New York’s JFK, so the new SQ24 SIN-JFK route now reaches 9,536.5 miles – 2.5 miles more than before.
5. A 64-year-old man accidentally ejected himself from a jet fighter
The terrible trip was organized for the anonymous man as a retirement gift.
Civil Aviation Security Research and Analysis Office
A surprise excursion to an air base caused a 64-year-old Frenchman so much stress that he threw himself out of a jet fighter in the air, grabbing the ejector button in a panic and falling through the skies of France before landing in a field.
Although the unidentified man never expressed a desire to fly a jet fighter and had no previous experience in military aviation, his company employees thought it would be a great idea to give him a joy ride.
Fortunately, the man avoided serious injuries after parachuting at 2,500 feet above sea level.
6. Passenger planes have become cargo planes
The pandemic sparked an aviation trend known as “preighter” flights – a “passenger” and “cargo” suitcase – in which airlines adapt their passenger cabins to contain packages rather than passengers.
Portuguese charter operator Hi Fly removed most seats from its single A380 to make room for more cargo, making it the first A380 in the world to be converted to cargo.
7. An airplane took off without a responsible pilot
Are we one step closer to commercial pilotless jets?
Courtesy Airbus
According to Airbus, the A350-1000 achieved eight automatic takeoffs in a period of four and a half hours, with two pilots on standby.
8. A plane took off without jet fuel
The eCaravan is the result of a collaboration between the magniX engine company and the aerospace company AeroTEC.
magniX
The largest all-electric aircraft in the world made its maiden flight in May, marking a new milestone in all-electric technology. The nine-passenger eCaravan plane took a 30-minute ride over Moses Lake, Washington.
Then, in September, Airbus unveiled the ZEROe, its trio of zero-emission concept aircraft. The European manufacturer says it plans to launch a zero-emission passenger plane on the market by 2035.
9. Berlin’s ‘cursed’ airport has finally opened
Plagued by nearly a decade of setbacks, complaints and inefficiencies, Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt has finally opened its doors.
Almost a decade late, 4 billion euros (almost 5 billion dollars) over budget and in the midst of the pandemic, the new Berlin airport finally opened its doors in late October.
Berlin-Brandenburg Willy Brandt Airport (BER) has already received € 300 million in state aid before transporting a single passenger.
10. There were still a lot of funny looking new planes
The Whale-shaped Airbus Beluga XL, one of the biggest beasts in the skies, entered full-time service in January.
A mysterious bullet-shaped plane first spotted three years ago at Southern California Logistics Airport was revealed in August as the Celera 500L, a private six-person aircraft that promises to fly at jet speeds, but with fuel consumption. eight times less fuel.
CNN Travel’s story about the futuristic Flying-V plane caught the eye of US presidential candidate Kanye West in October.
And finally, the Caspian Sea Monster – a colossal Soviet-era ground-effect vehicle, somewhere between a hovercraft and an aircraft – was transported along the Russian coast to the city of Derbent, after 30 years in hibernation.
11. There were still many very fast planes
XB-1 is the first independently developed supersonic aircraft.
Supersonic Boom
In February, British Airways broke the record for the fastest subsonic flight from New York to London, reaching a top speed of over 800 mph (1,287 km / h).
In September, we received the news that there might be a prototype of a supersonic Air Force One aircraft as early as 2025, with the United States Air Force busy with the granting of development contracts.
Exosonic, a Californian start-up, is working on a low-powered Supersonic Mach 1.8 jet, while the Atlanta-based Hermeus Corporation is working on a 20-seat hypersonic that promises to deliver passengers from New York to London in 90 minutes
Denver-based startup Boom, one of the most important companies currently working in the field of supersonic aviation, unveiled its XB1 demonstration aircraft in October. The XB-1 is the first supersonic aircraft developed independently.
12. Takeoffs were easy, but touchdowns were difficult
Boeing, but Boeing was not.
VINCENT JANNINK / ANP / AFP via Getty Images
A month later, German low-cost carrier Eurowings was a little too anxious when it resumed services from Düsseldorf to Sardinia, Italy – but was forced to return at its destination because the airport was still closed.
Then, six Lufthansa 747 flew to a Dutch airport in the summer, but were stuck until Halloween because of a security certificate. Larger jets were allowed to land at Twente airport – but not to take off.
Likewise, when we all got ready in early 2020, few predicted the bumpy journey ahead and how far we would land from the year we expected.
The journey is far from over and we can expect much more turbulence. But over the horizon, the sky is still clearer ahead.
CNN’s Benjamin Berteau, Julia Buckley, Brekke Fletcher, Tamara Hardingham-Gill, Jack Guy, Rob Picheta, Rory Sullivan, Hollie Silverman, Francesca Street, Ya Chun Wang and Amy Woodyatt contributed to this report.
