Taiwan travellers take sightseeing 'flight to nowhere'

Passengers dressed in traditional Korean Hanbok costumes are seen before boarding a Tigerair Taiwan flight that will circle over South Korea's Jeju Island and then return to Taoyuan, following the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan September 19, 2020. Chen Shu-Tzu/Handout via REUTERS

TAIPEI (Reuters) - A Taiwanese airline carried around 120 passengers on a "flight to nowhere" on Saturday to view the South Korean resort island of Jeju, before flying straight back home, the latest gimmick to give people a glimpse of normality during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tough border restrictions to keep the coronavirus under control have led to a 97.5% plunge in international travel in the region, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.