A new “international airport” opened in December in the middle of the crowded Ikebukuro district in Toshima Ward, Tokyo.

First Airlines is an entertainment facility that mimics overseas travel using virtual reality (VR) equipment in a room that re-creates the inside of an airplane cabin.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this plane is about to depart for Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris,” announced a staff member dressed as a cabin attendant. The lights in the room dimmed, and the noise of a huge engine echoed through it. The realistic atmosphere almost made me forget that I was in a room in a building.

After “takeoff,” customers use goggles to view cityscapes of the place they are heading to. Airline meals cooked by a professional chef are served to the delight of the “passengers,” who are mainly women who love traveling.

“We started the business hoping to give people extraordinary experiences,” said Hiroaki Abe, 33, who represents the company that runs First Airlines.

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The airline operates twice a day on weekdays, except Monday, and three times a day on weekends and national holidays. The “plane” is equipped with 12 seats — eight first-class seats and four business-class seats — and flies to New York, Paris and Rome. A total of more than 1,000 passengers have boarded flights so far, and the seats are almost fully booked until April, according to the company.

Sayoko Hashimotodani, 67, came from Matsubara, Osaka Prefecture, as she wanted to sit in a first-class seat.

“It was my first experience of VR and it was much better than I expected. I felt like I had gone abroad,” she said.

Some passengers strike up conversations with their fellow travelers and find they have things in common. This is another aspect of the experience that First Airlines aims to offer.

“Travel becomes a more memorable experience when you connect with your travel companions,” Abe said.

First Airlines has the potential to fly high as a new experience-based facility offering something different from cinemas and restaurants.