(CNN) – This was a great year for the aviation industry. Absolutely horrible, in fact.
But there were also some lighter, crazier, optimistic moments in the dark that captured our imaginations in the dark. Here is the wildest.
1. A small airport in Alaska became the busiest in the world
Alaska’s Anchorage International lacks Singapore’s Changi Falls and the eight runways of Rezmataz or Chicago O’Hare, but in April this helpless small airport soon became the world’s busiest airport.
It was in view of the combination of ferries of medical supplies destroyed by the global passenger traffic epidemic and contributing to the increase in cargo traffic – a feature of Anchorage. Area.
2. ‘Flights anywhere’ became a thing
Here’s a flight from Sydney, Australia to anywhere and back to Sydney. With ideas including Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef, die-hard passengers eager to board the plane were aboard a flight spread across the country. CNN’s Kim Brunhuber reports.
Tourists were starving to death as they squirmed above the ground in pressure tubes that sold out in ten minutes when Australian Australian Airlines Contas embarked on a seven-hour cruise to places like Byron Bay and the Gold Coast.
In Taiwan, these “flights nowhere” were also linked to on-board speed dating, such as Eva Air’s “Fly! Love is in the Air” campaign, while Thai Airways gave a spiritual edge to the “Flight to Nowhere” trend. Above some Buddhist places of worship in Thailand.
3. Naomi Campbell was Nostradamus of Aviation
In the summer of 2019, the world took a surprise look, as Naomi Campbell unveiled her elaborate flight ceremony, which included wearing disposable gloves, wiping the surface with anti-bacterial wipes, and wearing a face mask.
The following March, when the rest of us were starting to move with Campbell’s stay-safe message, the British supermodel had to move on to a better one. She shared photos of herself wearing a hazmat suit, goggles, mask and gloves at Los Angeles International Airport.
The. The longest flight in the world became even longer
From quiet cabins to special wings, find out what you need to know about the 19-hour flight from Singapore to NY.
Topical shuffling and re-routing by the epidemic threw away many surprising aviation records.
Reason: Singapore Airlines has rerouted US Airport from Newark, New Jersey to JFK, New York City, so the new SQ24 SIN-JFK route is now 2.5 miles longer than before – at 9,536.5 miles.
A. A one-man man accidentally pulled himself out of a fighter jet
A terrifying trip was arranged for the anonymous man to attend the retirement.
Bureau of Inquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety
A surprise exit at an airport caused the 64-year-old Frenchman so much stress that he jumped out of a fighter jet in panic and spread thunder in the sky over France before landing in a field.
Although the anonymous man had never expressed a desire to fly in a fighter jet and had no previous military aviation experience, his patrol staff still believed it would be a great idea to take him to Joyride.
Fortunately, the man survived a serious injury after parachuting 2500 feet into the ground below.
6. Passenger planes became cargo planes
The epidemic is known as “prefecture” flights – the portmen of “passenger” and “freighter” – “airlines, withdrawing passengers’ cabins to hold packages instead of passengers”.
Portuguese charter operator operator Hi Fly removed most of the seats from its sole A380 to make way for more cargo, making it the world’s first fare-changing A380.
A. The plane took off without an air pilot
Are we one step closer to a pilotless commercial jet?
Courtesy Airbus
According to Airbus, the A350-1000 achieved eight automatic takeoffs over a period of four and a half hours, with two pilots on standby.
8. An aircraft jet took off without fuel
Icarvan is the result of a collaboration between engine company Magnix and aerospace firm Aerotech.
Magnics
The world’s largest all-electric aircraft made its maiden flight in May, setting a new target in all-electric technology. The nine-passenger e-caravan plane and Moses went for a 30-minute journey over Lake Musa in Washington.
Then in September, Airbus unveiled the triple zero of its zero-emission concept aircraft. The European manufacturer says it plans to launch a zero-emission passenger aircraft by 2035.
9. Berlin’s ‘cursed’ airport finally opens
After nearly a decade of shock, complaints and incapacity, Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt has finally opened its doors.
With almost a decade behind schedule, 4 billion euros (about 5 5 billion) more than the budget and mid-term epidemic, Berlin’s fragile airport finally opened its doors in late October.
Berlin-Brandenburg Willy Brandt Airport (BER) has already approved 300 million euros to the state government 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 largest animals in the sky, entered full-time service in January.
A mysterious bullet-shaped aircraft first turned out to be the Celera 500L in August three years ago at Southern California Logistics Airport, a private craft of six individuals that promises to fly at jet speeds, but with eight times less fuel consumption.
The story of CNN Travel on a future Flying-V aircraft caught the eye of U.S. presidential candidate Kanye West in October.
And finally the Caspian Sea Monster – a formidable Soviet-era ground-effect vehicle, somewhere between a hovercraft and an airplane – was transported to the Russian coastal city of Derbent after 30 years of hibernation.
11. There were still a lot of fast fast planes
The XB-1 is the first independently developed supersonic aircraft.
Boom supersonic
In February, British Airways broke the record for the fastest subsonic flight from New York to London, reaching speeds in excess of 800 MPF (1,287km / h).
In September we received news that the U.S. Air Force was busy signing development agreements in early 2025 where there might be a supersonic Air Force One prototype aircraft.
California start-up Exosonic Low-Boom is working on the Supersonic Mach 1.8 twinjet, while Atlanta-based Hermes Corporation is working on a hypersonic 20-seater, which promises to deliver passengers from New York to London in 90 minutes.
The Denver-based start-up Boom, one of the hottest companies currently operating in the supersonic aviation sector, unveiled its XB1 demonstration aircraft in October. The XB-1 is the first independently developed supersonic aircraft.
12. Takeoffs were easy but touchdowns became difficult
Boeing, Boeing but not gone.
Getty Images Vincent Janick / ANP / AFP
A month later, the German low-cost carrier Eurowings became a little excited when Sardinia resumed service from Italy’s Düsseldorf – but was forced to return to its destination because the airport was still closed.
Then in the summer six Lufthansa 747s flew to the Dutch airport but were then stuck until Halloween due to safety certificate issues. Large jets were allowed to land at the airport – but not take off.
Similarly, when we all set ourselves up in early 2020, few people assumed that the pitted ride would be ahead and how far we would land from the year we expected.
The journey is far from over, and we can expect more instability. But on the horizon, there is still a clear sky ahead.
CNN’s Benjamin Barteu, Julia Buckley, Brake Fletcher, Your Hardingham-Gill, Jack Guy, Rob Pichetta, Rory Sullivan, Holly Silverman, Francesca Street, Ya Chun Wang and Amy Woodyat contributed to this report.
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