Amid COVID-19, plane cafes launched in Thailand
What's the story
The novel coronavirus pandemic, which has killed nearly a million worldwide, has brought several aspects of the 'routine life' to a halt, including commercial air travel. Now, to give some of that experience back to people stuck in their homes, unique 'plane cafes' are being launched across Thailand. Here is all you need to know about them.
Plane cafes
Dine with the experience of air travel
As the name suggests, plane cafes revolve around the idea of offering a fine dining experience inside a plane. You can visit these places with your friends or family and enjoy delicious meals while sitting inside the first-class cabin of an aircraft. The food is served by the cabin crew and you can even take a tour of the cockpit of the aircraft.
Places
At least two cafes already running
According to an AFP report, at least two of these cafes are already operational in Thailand. One is onboard a retired commercial airplane in the coastal city of Pattaya while the other one is at the headquarters of national carrier Thai Airways in Bangkok. To note, India's capital also has an aeroplane restaurant named 'Runway1'; it uses an Airbus A320.
Response
Passengers are loving the theme
The Thai plane cafes are drawing major attention from the public due to the current COVID-19 crisis, which has closed international borders, preventing foreign travel. "Sitting right here in the first-class section really gives me the feeling of actually being on a plane, cruising through the air," one person who visited the cafe said. Meanwhile, another one noted, it "relieves what's [been] missing."
Impact
Aviation and hospitality sectors are the worst hit
Even though countries are opening up gradually, foreign travel restrictions still remain, leaving the hospitality and aviation sectors deeply affected. There have been massive layoffs across several prominent organizations, starting from India's OYO Rooms to travel giant Expedia. In light of this situation, many airlines have even started or are planning to start no-destination flights - which start and end at the same place.