A solar powered plane has landed in Abu Dhabi, completing a historic round-the-world trip with stops in India, Asia, Europe and North America.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for 15 years,” said Solar Impulse chairman and pilot, Bertrand Piccard, in an impromptu speech on the tarmac shortly after landing.
“We should never accept the world to be polluted only because people are scared to think another way,” Piccard said.
The pre-dawn landing Tuesday by pilot Bertrand Piccard marks the end of an epic 25,000-mile (40,000-kilometer) journey. The plane made 16 stops, including in India, China, the U.S., Italy, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates — where it first took off.