A town like Alice now filled with planes

In Nevil Shute's classic, A Town Like Alice, it was a DC-3 that re-united Joe Harman and Jean Paget in one of the great movie scenes but today there is no such teary embrace with dozens of unwanted aircraft landing at Alice Springs in central Australia to wait out COVID-19. Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage's (APAS), Tom Vincent has told the ABC "spots are definitely in demand" at the Asia Pacific regions only aircraft park. READ: Boeing celebrates 777X engine certification with around the US flight. "As soon as extra spots for storage come online, there are aircraft filling those spots." There are now about 80 aircraft stored at Alice Springs which boasts a bone dry climate - perfect for aircraft. By the end of October, there will be 100 aircraft stored. According to Mr Vincent, each aircraft is subject to more than 100 maintenance checks in a 12-month period and this involves 50 full-time employees.