On a scale of one to flying to nowhere, how much do you miss flying in a plane? If your answer is the latter, then you'll probably be glad that Singapore Airlines is looking to launch no-destination flights from Changi Airport next month.
According to The Straits Times, these “flights to nowhere” are expected to be about three hours long, and sources reveal that there are plans for a partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board so that passengers may pay for a portion of flight tickets with SingapoRediscovers Vouchers – tourism credits given to Singaporeans in order to support the boost local tourism, which has been badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Stefan Wood, director at aircraft charter firm Singapore Air Charter, told ST that he had approached SIA about the possibility of setting up a joint venture to provide such flights to nowhere using the Airbus A-350 planes from SIA.
He had also envisioned the flight package to include partnerships with hotels to offer staycations, shopping vouchers for use at Jewel Changi Airport and a limousine service to ferry customers around.
Mr Wood is confident that there will be demand for such flights in Singapore should they eventually be launched. However, he said the talks stalled recently, with SIA indicating interest in going ahead with such plans on its own.
When asked by ST about the plans to launch flights to nowhere, a spokesman said: "SIA is considering several initiatives that would allow us to continue engaging both our customers and members of the public."
"We will make an announcement at the appropriate time if we go ahead with these plans."
A survey of 308 people conducted by Singapore Air Charter found that 75 per cent are willing to pay for flights to nowhere.
The most popular price that respondents are willing to pay for an economy class seat is $288, with 45 per cent of respondents saying they are willing to do so. Meanwhile, 40 per cent said they are willing to pay $588 for a business class seat.
These flights to nowhere, should they be launched, may just give our national carrier a little boost to power through the pandemic. The SIA Group has been struggling to cope, with an announcement made on September 10 that it would be cutting 4,300 positions across its airlines, with an estimated number of 2,400 staff in Singapore and overseas stations affected. The SIA Group, which also operates SilkAir and Scoot, is currently flying at just seven per cent of its pre-Covid-19 capacity.
In the meantime, Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Taiwan’s Eva Airways have already launched similar campaigns. ANA operated a 90-minute flight onboard its A380 Flying Honu aircraft in August, offering passengers a “Hawaiian resort experience at the airport and onboard”; while Eva operated an almost three-hour sightseeing flight from Taoyuan International Airport that circled Japan’s Ryukyu Islands.
While SIA remains mum on their plans, we're curious to know: will you be booking a ticket?