Check in but never leave: Taiwan offers fake flights for travel-starved tourists
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Cheque in but never exit: Taiwan offers faux flights for travel-starved tourists
People who desire to get out the island, but cannot due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, accept office in a "fake" travel feel for tourists simulating the experience of using an international drome at Songshan drome in Taipei, Taiwan Jul two, 2020. (REUTERS/Ann Wang)
TAIPEI: Starved of the travel experience during the coronavirus lockdown? One Taiwanese airport has the solution: a fake itinerary where yous check in, go through passport control and security and even board the aircraft. Yous just never leave.
Taipei'southward downtown Songshan airport on Thursday (Jul two) began offering travellers the chance to exercise just that, with some lx people eager to get going, admitting to nowhere.
Effectually vii,000 people applied to take function, the winners chosen by random. More fake flight experiences volition accept place in the coming weeks.
"I actually want to leave the state, but because of the epidemic lots of flights can't wing," said Hsiao Chun-wei, 38, who brought her young son.
The passengers got boarding passes, and proceeded through security and immigration before boarding an Airbus A330 of Taiwan'south largest carrier, China Airlines, where flight attendants chatted to them.
"I promise the epidemic ends soon and so we can actually wing away," said a 48-year-old woman who gave her family name as Tsai.
The airport is using the event to prove off renovations completed while passengers take stayed away, and show people what coronavirus-prevention steps they are taking.
Songshan usually has flights to Tokyo, Seoul and several Chinese cities, and is also an important domestic hub.
Taiwan has emerged relatively unscathed from the pandemic cheers to early and effective prevention steps, but has largely airtight its borders since mid-March. It has advised citizens against overseas travel unless absolutely necessary.
With fewer flights operating, passenger numbers have plummeted 64 per cent in the offset v months of 2022 compared with the same catamenia last year, according to the government.
However, in one bright spot, internal travel is booming.
Taiwan'south 2 principal domestic carriers - China Airlines unit Mandarin Airlines and Eva Air's Uni Air - take added extra capacity over the summer to Taiwan's sun-soaked offshore islands and rugged east coast.
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/asia/taiwan-fake-flights-for-covid-19-242511
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