Finnair will start selling business class airplane food in supermarkets. It says the idea is to keep its catering staff and showcase what the company offers during its flights, Associated Press reported.
See also: Singapore Airlines will convert an A380 into a restaurant and offer meals at delivery.
The state airline said the pilot plan’s “Taste of Finnair” meals will be offered initially at a single supermarket starting Thursday.
The dishes already come prepared and include options such as reindeer meatballs, arctic trout and Japanese-style teriyaki beef. He said they are suitable for both Nordic and Asian palates and will cost about 10 euros ($12), Finnair Kitchen said.
See also: The restaurant that only serves airplane food in Thailand.
Finnair is one of the main airlines flying between Europe and Asia.
This is happening as airlines around the world try to use resources that are inactive due to the coronavirus pandemic and take advantage of people’s desire to fly when most planes are on the ground. Some offer very short flights in which the plane takes off and lands in the same place, or even simulated travel – just the time to sit in the plane.
It is estimated that 60% of Finland’s workforce started working from home in the spring because of COVID-19.
Kimmo Sivonen, manager of the K-Citymarket Tammisto store that will sell Finnair’s meals, told the Ilta-Sanomat newspaper that the dishes will have less salt and spices than those offered in the air, where people’s sense of taste is dulled by the altitude.
Finnair and the supermarket hope that the meals will attract people’s desire to travel. “I think everyone has a little passion for travel these days and now we can satisfy that need a little bit,” said Sivonen of K-Citymarket.
Finnair Kitchen Vice President Marika Nieminen said the airline’s catering unit has sought to expand beyond traditional in-flight meal services since the spring, when the pandemic forced airlines in most parts of the world to stop most of their flights. Finnair temporarily laid off a large portion of its 7,000 workers and its air traffic was down 91% in September from the previous year.
By Jari Tanner
