Some airlines in Asia have started offering a unique kind of tour amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, where passengers will just enjoy the scenic spots from above without getting off the plane.
These ‘flight to nowhere’ tours bring passengers to some of the famous spots in Asia so they can enjoy it from above, before heading right back home.
One of the airlines offering this kind of tour is Royal Brunei Airlines, which has an 85-minute flight-to-nowhere scenic tour that now has a waitlist of 300 people.
In the launch of its ‘Dine & Fly’ sightseeing tour, the airline brought 99 passengers on August 16 over Brunei’s coast and the island of Borneo. The said tour included brunch as well as live commentary by the pilot.
Brunei Minister of Finance and Economy Dato Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah said that this is one of the solutions they thought of to attract more revenue for the aviation sector.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, all businesses have to be creative to attract revenue. For Royal Brunei, the airplanes are not flying to destinations as usual. This new concept will give the opportunity for the pilot to continue flying and also for the public who miss flying to be on board a plane,” said Brunei Minister of Finance and Economy Dato Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah, who was on the inaugural flight.
“We hope this Dine & Fly concept will create more interest among the public to fly and we may be looking at few other concepts in the future. People can also have special events on the flight,” he added.
EVA Air, meanwhile, launched its own flight-to-nowhere on August 8—where it took off from Taoyuan International Airport and flew over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands before heading home again.
Reports said that the cost of the sold-out tour has amounted to NT$5,288 (AED660+) for economy class and NT$6,288 (AED780+) for business class.
Qantas 787 Dreamliner also offers this kind of tour, wherein it will fly over Australia before heading back home—all in a span of 12 hours. The price for an economy seat currently from A$1,199 (AED4,404+) for an economy seat to A$7,999 (AED29,300+) for the most expensive business class seat—with in-flight meals and full bar access.
