Bored travellers take flight on simulators set up at Mumbai’s T2

Two flight simulators — a Boeing 737 aircraft and a fighter jet — have been set up on Level 3 of the international terminal T2 for anybody interested in experiencing a cockpit

Killing time inside an airport is a challenge most fliers face, particularly those travelling with children on international flights scheduled at odd hours.

For passengers who had their fill of duty-free shopping and eating out, Mumbai airport, last week, opened other avenues of entertainment. Two flight simulators — a Boeing 737 aircraft and a fighter jet — have been set up on Level 3 of the international terminal T2 for anybody interested in experiencing a cockpit and getting a sense of what pilots do with an aircraft mid-air.

“The response has been good. Some passengers said they would come in early to try the experience,” said a Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) spokesperson.

The service, which was introduced at Delhi airport’s T3 terminal last year and is also available at a few shopping malls, is priced between Rs250 and Rs1,950 for time slots spanning 15 minutes to an hour, said airport officials.

The Boeing simulator has a replica of the plane’s actual cockpit with all the controls and the option to land at 20,000 airports in different weather conditions. The 4D fighter jet simulator is an award-winning design used by the Canadian Air Force for its entry level cadet training. It also comes with an added feature of an air combat battle with enemy aircraft, said officials.

Industry experts said the trend also enabled private airports to generate revenue from non-traditional channels.