Flight attendants of newly established Zipair Tokyo have been training for in-flight services on cargo flights, as they have not been able to gain experience in dealing with passengers due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Zipair Tokyo Inc., which was set up as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan Airlines Co. in 2018, launched its first flight in June, but the airline has not yet carried a single passenger.
Its maiden flight carried only cargo on June 3, about half a month after the initially planned date for its passenger flight debut.
The low-cost carrier decided to make an unusual start as a cargo-only flight because of ongoing entry restrictions to Japan and Thailand. Currently, it's still unclear when the firm can launch a passenger flight.
The flight attendants, however, keep undergoing occupational training of in-flight services, such as serving meals, in the belief that someday they will get the chance to work for actual passengers.
"We are scheduled to pass through active clouds two hours after takeoff. Watch out for aircraft pitch," said one of the Zipair crew members during a meeting with pilots and flight attendants at an office at Narita Airport in Chiba Prefecture.
After the meeting, they were to board a flight from Narita Airport to Bangkok, though it was a cargo plane.
During onboard practices, flight attendants take turn playing the role of passengers, making announcements and serving drinks as they would for real passengers.
"There are many things we can only know in flight, such as when to heat up the food and when the plane is shaking. What we do is a very important practice," said a leader of the flight attendants, Yuka Kamayachi, 34.
Since last October, the company has hired about 110 experienced and inexperienced people for the position of flight attendant ahead of the launch of its first flight. Kamayachi is one of such flight attendants.
After working for a major Japanese airline, she temporarily left the airline industry. However, she decided to join Zipair to put her experience to good use, she said.
In-flight training is being held about once every 10 days. "It's not true if I say I'm not worried, but I'm just doing what I can do now," Kamayachi said.
Hagumi Nakamura, 28, who joined the company in April, is now receiving an online training before moving on to in-flight training. "I can't wait to put on the uniform of a flight attendant and work on the plane," Nakamura said.
Zipair Tokyo President Shingo Nishida said: "I told flight attendants that 'the time will certainly come for us to fulfill our role.'"
Adding, "It's a tough time right now, but I hope we'll work on improving our skills in our respective positions for when the passenger flights begin."
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