A Lufthansa A380 performed a flyover as it departed Auckland earlier today, delighting onlookers and serving as a fitting thanks to Kiwis for all their help.
Lufthansa, which prior to this point has never flown to New Zealand, has had a busy week. Acting on behalf of the German government, Lufthansa has sent to 10 aircraft to New Zealand alone to repatriate German, SWISS, and Austrian citizens.
So far away! Thousands of tourists are literally stranded on the other end of the world. This week alone, Lufthansa is sending 10 aircraft to New Zealand on behalf of @AuswaertigesAmt . A matter of honor for all volunteers. We bring you back home safely. #WeAreInThisTogether pic.twitter.com/JACw6Bl13k
— Lufthansa (@lufthansa) April 8, 2020
They are on their way home, nice touch with the fly over Auckland.. pic.twitter.com/ssdyFpLdUT
— sargagram (@Sargeoleary) April 9, 2020
Today was the last flight, which took off from Auckland this morning using an A380. As it departed, the aircraft performed a low pass, known as a flyover, over Waitemata Harbour. Auckalnders were delighted, with many taking to social media to praise the gesture from Lufthansa.
Wow, I feel privileged to have just witnessed @lufthansa’s fly-over #Auckland. An incredible gesture and emotional moment that restores my faith in humanity 🇩🇪🇳🇿
— Gabe Graham (@GabeGraham) April 9, 2020
Scott Tasker, Auckland Airport’s General Manager, called the flyover was a “wonderful tribute to the many Kiwis who had helped stranded German travellers trying to get home”.
CONCLUSION
Living near Pasadena in California, I experience flyovers every New Year’s Day during the Rose Parade. I mention that only to note how exhilarating they are…I can just picture that A380 doing a low pass over Auckland. The flight headed to Bangkok, where it refueled, and is now enroute to Frankfurt.
image: Patrick Feller / Flickr
Much nicer than the Delta flyover of East LA last year.
ROTFL!
But is it really a true flyover if you’re not dumping fuel? I feel like those Kiwi onlookers got shafted.
Now this is a comment! 😀
I’m a bit surprised there are that so many Germans/Swiss/Austrians in NZ at this time, that multiple A380 and B747 flights are needed. Any color as to why so many were down there and also why these evacuation flights aren’t open to other Europeans, like French and Swedish?
Everywhere I go in the world I see Germans. They tend, as a people, to be prolific travelers.
My partner and my older son with 4 had luck. They left NZ 2 weeks before lockdown in Germany. The governments didn’t warn about the virus and told that it’s not more dangerous like the influenza. So that it’s not surprising meeting a lot of German people in NZ. That’s a normal situation.
As I can speak for myself and my partner-we are world travelers and we’re hoping that someone will find a good weapon against that bad virus. It’s not only destroying the economies, also the relations between the people.