DELHI
Check out flying without checking in
Samuel Marsh books his seat on the suburban plane that’s taken off, despite standing still
Flying has developed its own routine, which, as passengers, we have become used to. But imagine you had never before dealt with check in, security and boarding.
Engineer Bahadur Chand Gupta has devised a novel way of introducing people to air travel without them having to leave the ground, utilising a decommissioned Airbus A300 parked beside New Delhi’s domestic airport.
Despite a boom in budget airlines in the country, Gupta’s Aeroplanet has proved a hit with impoverished locals who want a chance to experience the pre-flight safety demonstration and airline meals.
The former Indian Airlines employee bought the 20-year-old plane five years ago after it had met with a little accident on the ground. The cut-up hulk was transported to Dwarka and reassembled on large concrete blocks. The aircraft is missing some sections, but still accommodates 170 people.
During the week, it is used to train engineering students and flight attendants, but, at the weekend, it is a haven for flying novices, most notably schoolchildren. For US$4 (free for charities) “passengers” are shown how to buckle up, served snacks, allowed into the cockpit, given the chance to try on an oxygen mask – and even exit via the emergency slide. www.ccat.in/aeroplanet.htm
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