It may seem incredible but it is not: there are those who miss the most boring part of flying
The RAE defines a geek as a "person who excessively and obsessively practices a hobby", something possibly attributable to the 7,000 people who requested to participate in the 'aerial' experience that we are talking about today . Can you imagine going to the airport, checking in, passing the security check , putting you at queue to board a plane, sit in your seat and even fasten your seat belt but never take off ? Well, this is the experience, as fake as it is curious, that has been carried out at the Taiwanese airport in Songshan in Taipei , where around 7,000 people applied to participate in this kind of aerial Truman Show which had 60 randomly chosen winners whose prize was a ticket to board a China Airlines Airbus A330 which, oh surprise, never flew away. He didn't even move from the finger.
And what for many could be a great frustration, for others it is a fun activity to alleviate the 'monkey' of traveling . The fake flight experiences they seem to have come to stay, at least in Taipei, where they are already thinking of more flight proposals that do not exist. This is how he publishes it Reuters, which also collects statements from the lucky? passengers, who obtained their boarding passes and even went through security and immigration before boarding the Airbus A330 of Taiwan's largest airline, China Airlines, where they even chatted with the flight crew. “ I hope the epidemic ends soon so we can really fly ”, commented a 48-year-old woman who gave her last name as Tsai, and that she participated in this experience.
This original action, which surprisingly has exceeded the expectations of the organizers, has served to enable Songshan airport to show the renovations that have been carried out in the facilities , in addition to being able to show what prevention measures against the Coronavirus have been taken while the population has been confined to her house. “People who did not have the opportunity to take international flights in Songshan before the pandemic can take this opportunity to experience and learn more about the boarding process and the relevant service facilities ", said Chih-ching Wang , deputy director of the airport, in a statement.
And it is that after the blockade imposed in Taiwan by the Covid-19 crisis, the action has also been an opportunity for china airlines reveal the new hygiene practices they are carrying out in flight, as the fake travelers are invited to a live demonstration of how the cabin crew disinfects the interior of the plane while the passengers are inside.
Taiwan has emerged relatively unscathed from the pandemic thanks to effective early prevention steps, but has remained largely closed to its borders since mid-March. Like the rest of the countries, Taiwan has also advised its citizens not to travel abroad unless absolutely necessary. although at least 60 lucky ones can pretend they do.
With fewer flights operating, the number of passengers has plummeted 64% in the first five months of 2020 compared to the same period last year, according to the government. Taiwan's two major domestic airlines, the unit of China Airlines Mandarin Airlines and Uni Air of Eva Air , have added additional capacity during the summer to sun-kissed offshore islands and Taiwan's rugged east coast.
Imagine going through the whole process to not take off