Bikin Terenyuh, Begini Sepinya Pesawat yang Tetap Terbang meski Penumpang Sedikit

KOMPAS.com – Seorang awak pesawat Alaska Airlines bernama Molly Choma mendokumentasikan sepinya kabin pesawat di tengah pandemi corona (Covid-19).

Choma merupakan salah satu dari awak kabin pesawat yang masih bekerja. Pesawat Choma yang hampir kosong tersebut hanya membawa para tenaga medis ke rumah sakit dan anggota keluarga ke orang yang mereka cintai.

Baca juga: Kisah Satu-satunya Penumpang di Pesawat yang Akhirnya Dipindahkan ke First Class

Mengutip Insider, Selasa (21/4/2020), virus corona secara drastis telah mengurangi penerbangan.

Di Amerika Serikat (AS), menurut APM Research Lab, pelancong yang disaring oleh Transportation Security Administration (TSA) telah menurun lebih dari 96 persen.

Sementara di seluruh dunia, diperkirakan terdapat 40 persen lebih sedikit penerbangan pada akhir Maret 2020 dibandingkan dengan tahun sebelumnya.

 

 

 

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PDX - SEA. Who is still flying? This is a story from my sweet friend, Deb. “You couldn’t help but notice them as they boarded the nearly empty aircraft. They both looked as though there was years of hard living under those skins, and they were carrying a heavy load between them. They were assigned two seats near the rear of the aircraft. One of them was carrying his acoustic guitar case, trying to navigate the aisle while he also juggled his backpack and other bags. I could see he was struggling a bit, so I offered to carry the guitar case for him, with the stipulation that, if we were delayed, he would serenade us with a live concert. “Only if you like Led Zeppelin!” was his quick response, which brought a smile to my face after his quick wink. They seemed grateful to be able to settle into their seats. These two genuinely likeable brothers were characters - one headed home to Seattle, the other one on his first leg before catching the redeye home to Florida. All of a sudden, they started praising Alaska Airlines and our flight crews. They both had flown into Portland on a moment’s notice to bid their final farewell to their mom, whose health was declining rapidly. With the burden of one of heaviest of deeds in life behind them, it was time for them to head back home. They were grateful to be able to fly.. and they praised our crew for all of our love and support. This is why we are still flying.” . . . . . ?? #theessentials #iamalaska #thesecretlifeofvirgins . . . . . . #aviation #stayhome #covid19 #selfportrait #portrait #flightattendant #crew #crewlife #avgeeks #photooftheday #instagood #safetyfirst #lulyyang #alaskaair #alaska #postthepeople #photographer #chasinglight #justgoshoot #coronavirus #sonyalpha #sonyalphafemale

A post shared by molly choma (@mollychoma) on Apr 9, 2020 at 4:55pm PDT

Choma membawa kamera Nikon milik ibunya ke bandara 11 tahun lalu. Kini, awak pesawat berusia 33 tahun tersebut juga bekerja sebagai fotografer. Dalam waktu senggangnya, Choma mengambil foto rekan kerjanya.

Awak pesawat Alaska Airlines tersebut percaya bahwa foto-foto yang dia ambil selama pandemi akan membantu menciptakan arsip mengenai seperti apa kehidupan yang dialami dirinya dan rekan kerjanya.

“Pola ketahanan manusia luar biasa. Namun sangat penting untuk memiliki waktu-waktu seperti ini dalam sebuah catatan,” kata Choma kepada Insider.

 

 

 

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LAS - SEA. 22 passengers. It wasn’t long ago that this was the only mask we were worried about. After this flight, @mallorymarie92 went on to work SEA-KTN with 7 passengers and wrote these beautiful words about her experience: “A lot of people have been wondering why we are still flying, and I would be lying if I were to say I haven’t questioned that a couple of times.. Last night I flew from Seattle to Ketchikan. We may have only transported 7 people, but in the cargo we had tons of supplies necessary for this small town to survive. Groceries, medical supplies and normal every day necessities. We are transporting nurses and doctors to where they need to be to help fight this virus. This is a weird time for everyone. The empty planes and airports are eerie. I worry every time I step onto a plane if this could possibly be my last flight before I am furloughed, but we are clinging on to every little bit of hope there is. I’m having more in depth and meaningful conversations with every crew I work with and I’m not taking for granted the fact that I am still able to come to work every day and do what I love to do. Even if that means doing the safety demo for one passenger ♥? Thanks @mollychoma for documenting this weird time so beautifully for all of us to remember. ♥? If you’re home, stay home, and wash your damn hands ♥?” . . . . . #theessentials #iamalaska #thesecretlifeofvirgins . . . . #alaskaairlines #aviation #alaskaair #avgeek #postthepeople #portrait #sonyalpha #sonyalphafemale #stayhome #photooftheday #instagood #postthepeople #flight #flightattendant #crew #crewlife #travelgram #id90 #emptyplane #stayingsafe @lulyyangcouture

A post shared by molly choma (@mollychoma) on Apr 1, 2020 at 12:59am PDT

“Dan sangat penting untuk menjadi lebih menghargai saat pada akhirnya ekonomi kembali pulih,” imbuhnya.

Saat Choma menggambarkan penerbangannya baru-baru ini, kata-kata seperti “berat”, “surealis”, dan “terbebani” kerap diucapkan.