Airlines are trying to compensate for the losses from the coronavirus pandemic, which experts estimate may exceed $ 25 billion in total in 2020.
So, some have started selling branded on-Board meals for those who work and travel on the ground. Carriers that have lost their sources of income due to the coronavirus offer a sealed tray of takeaway food to people who are nostalgic for flights. The menu is varied. Thai airlines, for example, sell a variety of finished products, from fried tiger prawns to beef tenderloin with cumin sauce. In Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific sells food to airport staff, and Indonesia’s national airline, Garuda, offers takeaway meals on a tray through food delivery networks. Customers are eager to purchase various sets, especially popular are egg tofu and Chong Kong, a traditional Indonesian sticky rice pudding for dessert, the Guardian reports.
Falling passenger demand and continued border closures in many countries around the world have dealt a huge blow to airline suppliers. Even on the few flights that are still running, passengers are generally forbidden to eat, they can only take soft drinks, tea and coffee. In this regard, carriers were forced to abandon the services of food suppliers. GNS Nuts, which supplies products to American Airlines and Unite, claimed a surplus of about 22 tons of nuts after airlines banned their sale on their flights. The supplier now sells its popular nut mixes online. Australian airline Qantas, which has accumulated surplus kits offered to business class customers, such as blankets, tea bags and hand cream, now sells them for 25 Australian dollars (approximately 15 euros).
Some airlines have organized “flights leading to nowhere”. In Taiwan, Songshan airport in Taipei allowed hundreds of people to check in and Board a plane that did not take off, according to the South China South Post. Some airlines offer short tours returning to the same departure airport without landing on the ground. Tickets start at 5 288 Taiwan dollars (180 US dollars). The EVA Air A330 will take off from Taoyuan international airport, fly over the North-Eastern Cape, circle the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and then head back across the South-Eastern coast of Taiwan. The flight will last two hours and 45 minutes. The company has already signed an agreement with nine local travel agencies. The price includes a Wi-Fi card and standard on-Board meals. Passengers will also be able to buy duty-free goods, including branded jewelry and cosmetics, at favorable discounts of 25 percent or more.
