Finnair to sell airplane food in supermarkets

Finnair will start selling business class airplane food supermarkets

In order to keep its catering staff employed in the wake of the novel corona virus pandemic, Finnish carrier Finn-air has decided to start selling business class airplane food in supermarkets. The move comes are airlines around the world try to employ their idled resources during the pandemic and tap into people’s desire to fly when most planes are grounded. Some are offering simulated flights, fake trips where the aircraft takes off and lands in the same location, or even just time to sit in the airplane.

A large part of Finnair’s nearly 7,000 work force was also laid off amid the crisis as global pandemic forced all flights to halt. “So many of Kitchen’s employees are temporarily laid off and we can now create new work and employment for our people,” Marika Nieminen, Vice President, Finn-air kitchen said.

The state-controlled airline said that in a pilot scheme the handmade meals, called “Taste of Finn-air”, would initially be offered at one store as of Thursday. Kimmo Sivonen, store manager at the K-Citymarket Tammisto which will sell the Finnair meals, told the newspaper Ilta-Sanomat that the dishes have been modified to have less salt and spices than those offered in the air, where people’s sense of taste is dulled due to high altitude.

The ready-made dishes include options like reindeer meatballs, Artic Char and Japenese-style teriyaki beef and are suited for Nordic and Asian palates and would cost about 10 euros ($12), Finnair Kitchen said. Finnair is one of the main airlines flying between Europe and Asia.

Takeaway food sales have boomed in Finland since spring after an estimated 60% of local work started work from home due to coronavirus pandemic. For their part, Finnair and the supermarket hope the meals will appeal to people’s yearning for travel. “I think everyone has a bit of wanderlust these days and we can now satisfy that need a bit,” Kimmo Sivonen, store manager at the K-Citymarket Tammisto said.