On January 1, 2024, Solaseed Air conducted a ‘First Sunrise and First Shrine Visit Flight’. Normally, first sunrise flights involve departing from an airport, watching the sunrise in the air, and then either returning to the originating airport or landing at another airport to conclude the trip. However, since 2028, Solaseed Air has been offering tours that include a shrine visit at the destination. The purpose is not just to tour the first sunrise but also to experience the allure of Miyazaki, where Solaseed Air is based, through the shrine visit.
This year, the sixth iteration, began with departure from Haneda Airport, enjoying views of the Boso Peninsula’s sunrise and Mount Fuji, and then landing at Miyazaki Airport. Subsequently, the tour participants joined one of three tour courses they had signed up for: the ‘Aoshima Course’ offering enjoyment of one of Miyazaki’s top resorts, the ‘Aoshima & Udo Shrine Course’ including a visit to Udo Shrine known for marital harmony and safe childbirth benefits, and the ‘Takachiho Course’ touring Takachiho, known for its connection to Japanese mythology.
The flight departed from Haneda Airport Terminal 2, Gate 54, as Flight 6J2024 (Boeing 737-800). A pre-departure ceremony was held at the boarding gate, featuring the captain, two co-pilots (one of whom was in charge of announcements), and six cabin attendants.
Captain Hiromichi Isaida, who spoke on behalf of the crew, said, ‘I am very happy to share this special moment of the first sunrise with all of you. I will endeavor to provide a flight suitable for the start of your New Year.’
At the boarding gate, in addition to the original boarding certificate, sets including a route map and omikuji (fortune slips) were distributed. The omikuji also served as a lottery ticket for a gift.
Flight 6J2024 left the gate around 6:00 a.m., heading toward the Boso Peninsula and then to the skies above Tateyama City.
After circling five times for the planned viewing of the first sunrise from the Pacific Ocean around 6:30 a.m., the route was altered around 7:00 a.m. to pass south of Mount Fuji, via the Atsumi Peninsula, en route to Miyazaki Airport.
In the in-flight lottery, six passengers won a model of Solaseed Air’s ‘Nassy Jet Miyazaki’.
Additionally, the cabin crew performed a puppet lion dance and one of the attendants, dressed in a kimono from Kitsuki City in Oita Prefecture, posed for commemorative photos, making the flight even more festive.
