Taipei Songshan Airport in Taiwan is a hub of activity, unusual during the Covid-19 pandemic which halted travel for most of the world.
Passengers are all smiles as they enter the airport-proceeding to the check-in counter, obtaining their boarding pass, undergoing the necessary safety check required for flying during Covid-19 and boarding the aircraft.
Everyone cannot contain their excitement, snapping selfies at every opportunity. Some even display their passport in front of their camera to showcase to their followers on social media.
Travel these days is a big thing, especially since many travellers had to cancel their travel plans when the pandemic hit earlier this year. These travellers are "flying to nowhere", but the level of enthusiasm that one gets when they fly to a new destination remains intact.
The "flight" they have stepped on has been arranged by the Taipei Songshan Airport in a bid to showcase the upgrades made at the airport for post-Covid-19 travel.
And, judging by the huge demand, the "flight to nowhere" worked wonders for both parties. The airport posted about the initiative on social media in June, detailing that there would be three tours in July.
Passengers had to enter, and the lucky winners were allowed to win tickets to the "flight". Passengers were also given a fake itinerary to make the experience all more worthwhile. South China Morning Post posted a video of the experience on their YouTube page.
Deputy Chief of Songshan Airport Wang Chih-ching said the airport wanted to take the opportunity to hold the event when there were not many flights.
“It’s for people who have never flown abroad from Songshan Airport, or those who really want to fly somewhere, but because overseas flights are not back to normal they feel like they have been stuck at home for a long time,” he said in the video.
One of the passengers named Tsai revealed her experience.
“It is such a pity that this year, because of the coronavirus pandemic, I have not been able to go abroad. I feel very lucky to have had my name drawn from the hat, so I could enjoy the activity,” she said.