• Guests experience a two hour flight on Japan's "First Airlines" without ever taking off. All photos by Toru Hanai / Reuters
    Guests experience a two hour flight on Japan's "First Airlines" without ever taking off. All photos by Toru Hanai / Reuters
  • Staff dressed as flight attendants, greet guests at the 'First Airlines.
    Staff dressed as flight attendants, greet guests at the 'First Airlines.
  • Guests enjoy four-course meals and then put their virtual reality headsets on and take in the sights of their "destination"/
    Guests enjoy four-course meals and then put their virtual reality headsets on and take in the sights of their "destination"/
  • The airline is offering flights to Paris, Rome and New York.
    The airline is offering flights to Paris, Rome and New York.
  • At a fraction of the cost - a mere Dh227 for a trip to Paris - the airline targets the elderly who do not have time or means to tracel thousands of kilometres.
    At a fraction of the cost - a mere Dh227 for a trip to Paris - the airline targets the elderly who do not have time or means to tracel thousands of kilometres.
  • A guest eats a first class meal.
    A guest eats a first class meal.
  • Fight attendants perform a safety demonstration despite the plane never taking off.
    Fight attendants perform a safety demonstration despite the plane never taking off.
  • Once landed, staff help passengers put on their VR goggles.
    Once landed, staff help passengers put on their VR goggles.
  • On this flight, passengers took in the sights of Pars.
    On this flight, passengers took in the sights of Pars.

Flight to nowhere: Japan airline introduces VR trips without ever leaving the ground

In Japan, you can jump on a plane and take Virtual Reality trips to Paris, Rome and New York

Reuters

February 15, 2018

  • English
  • Arabic

Fasten your seatbelts for a flight departing to Paris, and never leave the ground.

That's exactly what 12 passengers did at First Airlines in central Tokyo this week, where they relaxed in first and business-class seats and were served a four-course meal, before immersing themselves in 360-degree virtual reality (VR) tours of the City of Light's sights.

"A real trip is a hassle to prepare for, and expensive, and takes time. So I think it is good that we can enjoy all this hassle-free", said Takashi Sakano, 39, who was on his first VR trip, adding that he wanted to 'travel' to Rome next time.

At 6,600 yen (Dh227), a fraction of the cost of an actual trip overseas, it's easy to see why First Airlines' two-hour "flights" to Paris, Rome, Hawaii and New York have been fully booked since the company opened in 2016.

"We have lots of elderly customers, who want to go overseas but are not able to easily, given their physical limitations", said a spokesman for the airline, explaining that the majority of First Airlines' visitors are older Japanese from around the country.

He said domestic flights around Japan will be added soon, with meals highlighting the region's cuisine.