FLIGHT ATTENDANT: I operated a flight yesterday, not knowing if it’s going to be my last flight. ✈
I flew on 1 of the 4% of the flights still going on during Covid-19.
Please do not take my wings away.
It’s 05:10 am, I woke up to the sound of my two alarms, one on my phone right beside me and the other sitting at the far side of my room. I hopped up, never been happier to be greeted with these screaming tones and blaring noise.
I reached out for my phone excitedly, checked-in for my flight, refreshing my browser twice, thrice, making sure the flight that I am rostered for is still going on. It has been 3 dry weeks without any flights, put on Stand-bys but never called up, day to day with more depressing news of the Covid-19 virus spreading, borders closure, Airlines collapsing and globally flight attendants being fired.
Shaking off all the negativity, I did my wake-up stretches, jumped in for a quick shower and went to my dressing table to get ready. Starting on the hair, I pulled my hair into a quick french twist, stabbing it secure with 4 bobby pins and loads of hairspray for the frays. Next, slapping on moisturizer for the face, body and not forgetting the neck — the air gets very dry at 31,000 feet. Moisturized and fresh, it is time for make-up — primer, foundation, concealer, contour, blusher, eye shadows, eyeliner, falsies, eyeliner and lipstick. (Yes, we still wear lipsticks under our masks.)
Reaching for my phone again to book a Grab to the airport, I quickly slipped on my stockings and then into my uniform.
“Yay, we found a driver for your trip!”
10 minutes till my car arrives, I checked myself in the mirror, took a selfie for memory. Grabbed my coffee, my luggage, my handbag, slipped on my working shoes and headed down to wait for my car.
“There are still flights going on?” the curious driver asked, as we zipped down the empty roads to the airport. “Yes, I am lucky to be the on one of the remaining 4% of the flights!”, I replied.
The conversation about Covid-19 turns solemn as we passed by the first airport terminal, which is packed full of aeroplanes, for the first time in history.
In the pre-flight empty briefing room, 2 sets of cabin crew greeted each other happily, excited and scared. Gone were the handshakes, just courteous safe distancing smiles as we recorded our temperature, donned our masks and prepared the documents.
At the departure gates, we were greeted by relieved and happy smiles of the security and temperature screening staffs. Equally happy to see another human being in the airport. In the airport, stores shutters were closed, gone were the busy chatter of human traffic, just quiet emptiness and parked planes.
Clamouring into our plane, we stashed our luggage away, donned on masks and gloves. Looked at each other, lost for a moment, preparation is different, our carts uplifted are empty, there are so few passengers. In less than 10 minutes we were ready for boarding.
“Good morning”, we excitedly greeted the passengers as they boarded. Settling them in, we are all ready for taking off.
I picked up the handset, I made the Welcome announcement, “Ladies and Gentleman, Welcome Onboard flight …”. Strapping in, and woosh up in the air we go. I looked out of the windows, the weather was good, skies were clear, the seas were empty and a glaring beautiful blue.
“This must be Mother Earth healing herself”, I thought.
Service starts, “fish or chicken, coffee or tea (or me)”, I never thought I would miss asking this questions, after having had to repeat them for at least a thousandth time in my life.
Onboard, there is no connection unless you pay a tonne for the WiFi, this pushes us to connect, be in the moment. We shared stories among ourselves, how the month has been a struggle with low flying hours, the whole global epidemic and cheering each other on.
Chatting with the passengers from a distance, exchanging stories, we found that they were so eager to be going home. They were curious too, for the first time, there were more cabin crew than passengers.
The flight came to an end, sooner than I wished.
My heart is shattered. To my fallen sisters and brothers of the aviation family, lives and livelihoods robbed, dreams slashed, stay strong. We are all in this together.
