Adelaide’s YouTube sensation Dennis Bunnik’s latest video takes off

It started as a hobby to kill time on long-haul flights, but tour agent Dennis Bunnik is now a YouTube sensation with millions of views and a new behind-the-scenes video.

Dennis Bunnik, joint CEO of Bunnik Tours.

Tour agent Dennis Bunnik is Adelaide‘s accidental YouTube sensation, with a hobby to relieve boredom on flights turning into a side hustle amassing more than 23 million views.

His latest project alone has attracted almost 400,000 views with an extraordinary behind-the-scenes look into how Qatar Airways handles thousands of meals, dirty dishes, pillows, blankets, headsets and more, each day at its Doha headquarters, as some 220 flights swiftly turn around.

As joint chief executive of Adelaide‘s Bunnik Tours, Mr Bunnik escorts tour groups to places from South America and the Middle East, to the Dalmatian coast and much more.

Dennis Bunnik in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

This involves regular long haul flights as well as shorter connections on a variety of airlines, from the world’s most famous to some of the most obscure.

To fill in the time, Mr Bunnik started filming himself on his smartphone, giving reviews of flights from no-frills economy lines, through to the most luxurious first class experiences – complete with opulent lounges, gourmet meals, and more.

He has attracted such a following he has been recognised in the street while overseas.

His YouTube channel: Dennis Bunnik Travels https://www.youtube.com/@DennisBunnikTravels now has almost 125k subscribers and has had more than 23 million views.

“It really is the side hobby that has got out of hand,” he said.

“I focus mainly on airline flight reviews in the various classes from economy right through to first class however, I also have a number of travel related videos including a behind the scenes series at Qatar Airways.

“This was one of those once in a lifetime experiences where I got a sneak peek behind the operations of Qatar Airways – one of the world’s leading and fastest growing airlines.

“They had never provided this type of access to any YouTuber before, so it was pretty special.”

Mr Bunnik’s latest video covers an aircraft turn around after a 14-hour flight.

“Basically I wanted to know what happens after we all disembark,” he said.

“What happens to the aircraft? Who does the dishes? And how do they prepare for the next flight?

“With these questions in mind, Qatar gave me exclusive, and pretty much unlimited, access to a 777 that had just arrived in Doha from Seattle and would be flying on to Adelaide.

“Once we had filmed what happens on-board the aircraft I was taken to the Qatar Aircraft Catering Company facility at Hamad International Airport to see what happens to the dishes, and the blankets, and the pillows, and the thousands of dirty carts they receive off aircraft every day.

“What I saw was absolutely mind blowing.”

Mr Bunnik discovered the nuts and bolts of a typical aircraft turnaround.

“The standard turn around time they aim for is 75 minutes, from the time the cleaning crew get on board to the time the aircraft is dressed, loaded and ready for the next passengers to board,” he said.

The behind the scenes look into the Qatar Aircraft Catering Company – the world’s largest self-contained catering facility on 69,000 sqm at Doha’s Hamad Airport, reveals its extraordinary capacity including, per day:

• 1.5 million equipment units processed;

• 20,200 trolleys packed;

• 175,000 meals prepared by 1200 chefs;

• 40 tonnes of linen washed;

• 100,000 headsets packed;

• 100,000 blankets washed;

• 220-plus flights.