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Soekarno-Hatta Airport to facilitate ‘no-destination’ flights amid economic downturn
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oekarno-Hatta International Airport is set to accommodate no-destination flights as many airlines seek to recoup some of the major losses suffered as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Soekarno-Hatta executive general manager Agus Haryadi said the airport would be ready to facilitate airlines that planned to offer “flights to nowhere”.
“We will certainly support [the initiative]. At the very least, this program can inspire the public to fly again,” Agus said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.
However, as of the time of writing, no airlines operating from the airport were offering no-destination flights, he added.
A no-destination flight – the type of flight that departs from and arrives at the point of origin – is not a novel concept in the aviation industry, according to him. The program is typically reserved for non-commercial purposes, such as test flights for new types of aircraft, he said.
Agus added that the notion of flying for the sake of it was expected to appeal to those who missed the flying experience following months of stringent travel restrictions.
“I think flying with no specific destination during the pandemic is a good idea to warm up the plane engine,” he said.
The aviation industry has taken major financial blows as governments around the globe have imposed travel restrictions and bans to control the spread of COVID-19.
In a bid to devise an alternative revenue stream amid the coronavirus-induced economic downturn, a number of airlines in the Asia-Pacific region plan to start flights to nowhere.
A no-destination flight recently offered by Australia’s Qantas Airways sold out within 10 minutes, according to the airline, reflecting a public urge to fly to temporarily escape the pressure of the health crisis.
A different path, however, is taken by Singapore Airlines (SIA). The airline management has decided to drop its “flights to nowhere” plan after conducting a market study and a review that looked into factors such as environmental implications and financial viability, The Straits Times reported on Tuesday.
Previously, SIA planned to start offering its no-destination flights in late October, with the flights to depart from and land at Changi Airport.
The airline has now come up with three different initiatives for the public to able to enjoy its services that will be launched in the coming weeks. These are lunch on board an Airbus A380 jumbo jet, a tour of SIA's training facilities and home delivery of meals from its first class and business class menus.(rfa)
