A Flyover of Parked Airline Jets During the Pandemic is Unbelievable

As we face one of the strangest times in history, airlines are also encountering drastic changes amid this pandemic. Airport runways are shut down and a huge number of jets are left unused due to the need for social distancing and travel bans. In Victorville, California, an airport was even utilized to store hundreds of planes that are no longer used because of the reduction of flight demand. But this unfortunate event brings us a unique scene that no one has ever possibly seen before.

Thanks to an amateur pilot, Bryan Keith, we’re one of the millions of people to see unbelievable footage of hundreds of jets parked under a hot desert sun. Keith has put up a YouTube video wherein he was able to hover at a dramatic low approach over the huge airport in coordination with air traffic control (ATC).

YouTube

When asked how many planes are parked there, the tower controllers told him that they don’t have an exact number but there were approximately 400 hundred jets up and down the runway area.

“They want to be flying. They want to be taking us to visit our family, our friends, and far away destinations that we’ve always dreamed about,” Keith says in his video. “They were meant to bring the world together in a time when we need to stay apart.” But we all know this isn’t the case. In fact, according to United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby, there’s a 97 percent reduction in demand in the company! This might be very difficult to bounce back from but it’s something we’ll have to brace through along with the new normal.

400 planes parked side by side
YouTube

In the video below, you’ll experience a range of emotions as you look in awe with the amazing view and be a bit melancholic by what it entails.

There’s something eerily unnatural about seeing long lines of aircrafts parked closely together and abandoned in a remote location. As if it materializes the stillness of the world due to COVID-19 right before our eyes. But for now, it’s the best we can do just yet- to stay at home, and stay well and safe.