Singaporean diners can enjoy the opportunity to have lunch on a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 that is parked at the city’s main airport.
Although each session can be priced as high as $496 (£380), the first two seating dates were sold out in less than an hour.
Additionally, the airline has added two more dates, and diners must sign up for a waiting list for lunch or dinner sessions.
The airline also plans to use another two Airbus A380 aircraft for each three-hour session.
Each must comply with social distancing regulations, so they will only be half full.
In every session, diners will be able to choose a cabin class with an economy seat starting at $39. Besides, they can watch a movie while they dine. However, planes will not take off from the ground.
The airline also offers home delivery services, delivering their meals with the airline’s crockery and amenity kits.
Previously, Singapore Airlines was considering to offer “flights to nowhere”, but then the company abandoned the idea.
Enjoy first-class meals now home delivered | SINGAPORE AIRLINES
It is a measure that the company has taken to deal with the crisis derived from the coronavirus pandemic.
In this way, Singapore Airlines joins the group of airlines seeking new business models to compensate for the loss of revenue they have suffered since governments began implementing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Other airlines such as Eva from Taiwan and Qantas from Australia allow passengers to participate in tourist flights that land at the same airport.
Singapore Airlines has been hit hard by the impact of the pandemic.
The company announced in September that it would lay off 4,300 employees, representing 20% of its workforce.
Many airlines expect to revive their businesses on domestic flights as authorities lift preventive measures. But this is not an option for those who are based in a city-state.
In the case of Singapore Airlines, many of its planes are stored in Alice Springs, Australia, waiting for industry activity to rebound.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) warns that many aviation jobs are at risk due to the impact of COVID-19.
This association represents 290 airlines and says this year’s traffic is expected to be 66% below the 2019 level.
