Reading that someone will wait for a ticket to go - nowhere - may seem like a joke without salt. But in fact, it is true.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) is considering "flights to nowhere". Taiwanese EVA Airlines also offered something similar in August. "Flight to nowhere" means that passengers depart from a destination, fly to a certain place and return by the same plane to the destination where they departed.
According to the Times of India, it is said that Singapore Airlines is planning to launch such flights at the end of October and the flights will be around three hours. The Straits Times confirms the same, while the SIA said that it is considering such initiatives and stressed that "none of them has been confirmed".
However, this trend is facing criticism. Supporters of environmental campaigns say they understand air transport companies, but more environmentally friendly methods should be considered.
One of the reasons - certainly in addition to the profits - of these trips is the fact that, according to the Singapore Civil Aviation Authority, pilots have to take off and land aircraft every 90 days. Likewise, aircraft engines should be used at least once every few months.
According to ecological groups, at a time when the climate crisis is one of the most alarming issues on the planet, the use of aircraft simply aggravates the situation by unnecessarily generating carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases. Pilots can put engines to work through flight simulators.
On the other hand, supporters of the "flights to nowhere" campaign say: "Running a plane is not like driving a car. Pilots need to practice with schedules to meet international regulators. Or are you not afraid to travel with a pilot who has not flown an airplane? Therefore the planes will take off anyway. Getting passengers is simply a bonus. It's not going to generate a lot of revenue. "
Burimet: Straits Times, Times of India, Channel News Asia
