All Nippon Airways to offer grounded planes as wedding venues

All Nippon Airways Co. (ANA) will start offering wedding ceremonies aboard grounded Boeing 777-300ER jets normally used for international flights and wedding receptions at an airport venue in May.

Up to 30 people can attend a wedding ceremony.

While ANA will not provide the usual in-flight meals as part of the wedding service, it would offer live music performances. Cabin attendants would also be reading out congratulatory messages as if they in-flight announcements.

The wedding service will cost 1,555,000 yen, including tax. When combined with a reception, the price would be 3 million yen.

The new wedding service would be available for only three days in May and six days in June but may be offered in the months based on its other flight schedules.

The airline, needing to cover aircraft maintenance costs even when the planes are not in operation, is looking to bring in as much extra cash as possible amid the pandemic.

It also offers services like domestic sightseeing flights and offering meals on grounded planes.

The planes were grounded due to the plunge in air travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic.