Korean Air is taking steps to launch its own international sightseeing flights without landing, the airline said on Wednesday.

“We are taking necessary steps to operate chartered flights and the sales dates are under discussion,” one official at the airline said.

The airline’s first international “flight to nowhere” has been given the green-light by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to take off on Feb. 27, the official added. The travel route is yet to be decided, while the plausible “destination” is likely to be Japan.

The national carrier flag is set to become the latest to join the long list of airlines in the country to launch so called destination-less flights – a niche travel product born out of the coronavirus pandemic that has devastated the aviation industry.

Last month, Asiana Airlines resumed its Airbus A380 flights to nowhere leaving from Incheon and flying over Busan, Jeju and Japan after plans to fly such flights in December were canceled following a spike in the number of cases in the country.

Low cost carrier T‘way Air is also offering flights to nowhere this month. Despite not landing in another airport, passengers can also enjoy duty-free shopping after the government allowed airlines to provide duty-free shopping in hopes of salvaging the industry.

By Yim Hyun-su (hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)