TUI over Afghanistan (1 minute read)
15 January 2018Over 300 British tourists that spent the holidays in Phuket, one of the most idyllic and beautiful tropical islands in the world, passing by on their way back home. White sandy beaches, palm trees and a cocktail in one hand enjoying the peaceful beauty of their tropical vacation.
Below them are the barren and war-torn mountains of central-Afghanistan for as far as the eye can see. The contrast couldn't have been any larger and most of them are probably completely ignorant of what part of the world they are overflying. Window blinds shut, crying children, watching movies or dozing off.
The tropical blue color of this TUI 767 illustrates the contrast with the brown country below even further.
Without any of them knowing it, a Boeing 747-8 freighter is passing over their heads in the opposite direction, roughly 1900km/h difference of speed and 300 meters higher. In that freighter, a copilot glued to his windows and enjoying the view over this unique country and immortalizing their passage.