[Report] Longed-for In-flight Meal, Capturing Vivid Scenery... A380 Takes Off After 7 Months

Asiana's 'Sightseeing Flight Without Destination' First Flight on 24th
Passengers with Children and Even Elderly Couples "More Than Expected Satisfaction"

Passengers on the Asiana Airlines 'A380 Korean Peninsula Circumnavigation Flight' departing from Incheon Airport on the 24th are looking at the outside scenery. Photo by Airport Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Je-hoon] "Because of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), it's difficult to travel abroad, but when I heard about this flight, I drove all the way from Daegu early in the morning. It's my first time seeing Hallasan from the sky like this. Just getting to ride the A380, which is usually hard to board, was a great experience. I'm more satisfied than I expected." - Hong Seong-min (42) and Jo Hyang-mi (40), a married couple

At around 12 PM on the 24th, Asiana Airlines flight OZ8999 was flying over the skies near Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. Passengers throughout the cabin continuously expressed amazement as they admired Hallasan and Udo Island outside the windows. Some passengers even moved to seats with better views to show clearer scenery to their children. When Baengnokdam Crater of Hallasan came into view, exclamations were heard from many places.

Asiana Airlines' "flight without a destination" has taken its first step. Although it is a 'last resort' measure found due to the sharp decline in air travel demand caused by COVID-19, passengers evaluated it as a satisfying trip, as they could enjoy various landscapes across the Korean Peninsula including Jeju Island, and were provided with in-flight meals that gave a feeling of overseas travel.

◆ Picturesque scenery at 3,000 meters above = Flight OZ8999 departed from Incheon Airport at 11:16 AM that day, with Incheon Airport as its destination. As a sightseeing flight circling domestic airspace without a destination, OZ8999 flew counterclockwise over Incheon, Gangneung, Pohang, Busan, Jeju, and Gwangju. Captain Jang Doo-ho announced over the PA system, "This was planned to revive beautiful memories of travel and to energize passengers' tired and dry hearts during the prolonged COVID-19 situation that has exhausted us all. We will do our best with thorough quarantine measures to ensure a safe and meaningful journey."

Despite initial curiosity about whether the scenery would be visible from such a high altitude, passengers clearly saw tall mountains, the sea, and bustling cities outside the windows. Over Jeju airspace, passengers could not take their eyes off major tourist spots such as Seongsan Ilchulbong, Udo Island, Hallasan, and Baengnokdam.

This was because the flight altitude was adjusted to around 3,000 meters, unlike usual flights, to allow passengers to enjoy the scenery. An Asiana Airlines official explained, "The usual cruising altitude is 30,000 to 40,000 feet (9,000 to 12,000 meters), but this time, the altitude was adjusted to around 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) for sightseeing."

In particular, flight OZ8999 obtained permission from Jeju air traffic control to circle over Jeju airspace additionally so that passengers seated on both sides of the aircraft could enjoy views of Hallasan. This was a consideration for the sightseeing passengers. Perhaps because of this, very few passengers watched movies or dramas on the in-flight video on demand (AVOD).

◆ Long-missed in-flight meal taste... Service fully equipped with protective suits and goggles = About 20 minutes after the aircraft reached cruising altitude, appetizing smells began to waft from the galley. It was time for the highlight of the sightseeing flight: the in-flight meal service. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, cabin crew served meals fully equipped with goggles and protective suits. All tableware provided was replaced with disposable items, unlike usual.

Economy class passengers were served chicken breast steak and tomato pasta, while business class passengers received salmon steak and mashed potatoes. Since it was a domestic flight, alcoholic beverages were excluded, and to minimize contact, only bottled water was provided as a beverage. However, the taste of the food was no different from before COVID-19.

On this day, Asiana Airlines also prepared various programs and souvenirs in addition to the in-flight meal. Through a withdrawal event, prizes such as ▲round-trip tickets to Southeast Asia (1 winner) ▲picnic mats (2 winners) ▲soap sets (2 winners) were offered. Additionally, all passengers received travel kits, 50% discount coupons for domestic flights, and in-flight duty-free discount coupons.

Asiana Airlines cabin crew member Lee Hye-rin said, "Seeing passengers smile after a long time stirred many emotions," and added, "As one passenger said while eating, 'You don't know how much I missed this in-flight meal.' I hope COVID-19 ends as soon as possible."

Passengers are waiting to board the Asiana Airlines ‘A380 Korean Peninsula Tour Flight’ that departed from Incheon Airport on the 24th. The Asiana Airlines ‘A380 Korean Peninsula Tour Flight,’ carrying 298 passengers, took off from Incheon International Airport at 11 a.m. that day, flew over Gangneung with views of the East Sea, passed Jeju Island with views of Hallasan Baengnokdam, and returned to Incheon at 1:20 p.m. This is a special sightseeing product. Photo by Airport Photojournalists Group, Incheon Airport

◆ A380 takes off with passengers after 7 months = It has been about seven months since the Asiana Airlines A380 last took off with passengers. Since the Sydney flight landed in Incheon on March 30, the A380 had only been used for training flights to maintain pilot qualifications and was not deployed for regular service. Although it is a "hotel in the sky" with 495 seats, the sharp decline in air travel demand due to COVID-19 forced it to give way to smaller aircraft.

One cabin crew member said, "I don't even remember the last time I boarded the A380," adding, "Since COVID-19, the number of international flights operated has dropped to about ten, and the aircraft types are mostly medium and small-sized, so boarding the A380 is a rare opportunity even for cabin crew."

Accordingly, many passengers boarded this sightseeing flight specifically to experience the A380. Passenger Han Eun-hyung, whom we met that day, said, "My elementary school son really wanted to ride the two-story large aircraft A380," and added, "Last year, we planned a trip to Hong Kong to board the A380, but it was canceled due to protests. I'm happy to be able to ride it this time."

Asiana Airlines deployed the A380 for this sightseeing flight as a multi-purpose strategy. It aimed both to maintain pilot qualifications (requiring at least three takeoffs and landings within 90 days) and to meet passenger demand for boarding a large aircraft. An Asiana Airlines official said, "After internal review of the 'Korean Peninsula round-trip flight' using the A380, which was proposed as an in-house idea, we judged it to have sufficient marketability and planned this special sightseeing product," adding, "It will be a win-win opportunity for both the airline and travelers in terms of efficient aircraft utilization and relieving travel cravings."

Meanwhile, during this flight, Asiana Airlines also focused on quarantine measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Temperature checks were conducted upon boarding, and passengers were transported to the aircraft in groups of 30 via remote buses to minimize contact. Disembarking was also done in groups of 30. Only about 298 of the 495 seats were booked, and the middle seats were left empty during the flight.

Asiana Airlines plans to operate a second A380 sightseeing flight next week (October 31 and November 1), following the flights on the 24th and 25th.