airlines are dusting off planes that were grounded during the pandemic, checking they are clear of fungus, bugs and bird nests before sending them back in the air.
In Paris this week, a tow tractor grabbed an Air France plane that had been parked outside for a year at Orly Airport and brought it to a cavernous hangar where technicians quickly removed the tarpaulins.
Like most airlines, Air France took the overwhelming majority of its planes out of service during the pandemic as travel restrictions choked traffic to a trickle.
As much as 80 percent of its fleet was parked at the peak of the crisis. The Airbus A321 at the Orly hangar will soon have to make up to seven flights a day as the summer season kicks off in Europe and Covid-weary