Qantas and other major airlines have been silent this Australia Day, not even putting out a celebratory Facebook post or tweet, as the Royal Australian Air Force put on aerial shows across the country.
While some airlines had in the past conducted special flyovers on the national holiday, this year it was left to the RAAF to take to the skies.
Commercial airlines have taken a hammering during the Covid-19 pandemic, but some are slowly accommodating more routes across the country.
Earlier this year, Qantas pulled several flights following a sxjmtzywurge of Omicron cases across the states.
As the nation celebrated its national holiday on January 26, the Flying Kangaroo’s social media pages remained silent.
Similarly, Virgin Australia’s profiles did not publish any acknowledgments or celebratory messages, with recent tweets only addressing customer complaints.
In 2016, one of Qantas’ special A380 airbuses and a biplane were flown over Sydney Harbour.
In 2021, Rex Airlines took to the sky with one of its 737 jets, but no fly-pasts were scheduled this year.
Instead, the RAAF scheduled several fly-pasts in cities across the country.
An F-35A ll Lightning aircraft flew over Sydney Harbour before performing aerobatics after 12pm, while a C-130J Hercules aircraft flew over Raymond Terrace and Windsor.
In Canberra, a C-17A Globemaster lll aircraft took to the skies.
Brisbane did not specifically have any aircraft over the horizon, but the RAAF commissioned a C-27J Spartan aircraft to fly past.
In a statement, the RAAF said: “Australia Day is held annually on January 26th to reflect on our nation’s past and celebrate the Australian spirit, mateship and sense of community. The Royal Australian Air Force is proud to participate in Australia Day 2022 events.”
