By TAKEHIRO TOMODA/ Staff Writer
April 20, 2021 at 18:43 JST
An artist’s rendering of a wedding ceremony on a grounded plane used for international flights (Provided by All Nippon Airways Co.)
All Nippon Airways Co. will start offering wedding ceremonies in May aboard planes grounded due to the plunge in air travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the new service, couples can hold their wedding ceremonies aboard Boeing 777-300ER jets normally used for international flights that are not currently in operation. Up to 30 people can attend a ceremony. The usual in-flight meals are not part of the service.
ANA will provide live music performances, and cabin attendants will read out congratulatory messages as if they were making normal in-flight announcements. Couples can also hold wedding receptions at an airport venue.
The airline is offering the service for 1,555,000 yen ($14,300), including tax. When combined with a reception, the price tag soars to 3 million yen.
The new wedding service is also highly exclusive. It is currently only available for three days in May and six days in June. ANA will decide when to make the service available in the months to come based on its other flight schedules.
The airline is looking to bring in as much extra cash as possible amid the pandemic through services like domestic sightseeing flights and offering meals on grounded planes.
Airlines still need to cover the costs for aircraft maintenance even when the planes are not in operation.
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