Grounded beef? Airlines sell in-flight meals to earthbound travellers

Carriers prevented from operating due to coronavirus have turned to offering trays of takeaway to nostalgic flyers

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Airlines are not known for their excellent cuisine. A tray of plastic-sealed plane food is, for some travellers, barely tolerable at 30,000 feet. Yet, as the coronavirus pandemic has halted flights around the world, a growing number of airlines are now flogging in-flight meals to grounded customers.

Thai Airways began advertising meal boxes in April, when the pandemic struck, selling anything from stir fried tiger prawn to beef cheek with cumin sauce. In Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific is selling meals to airport staff, while Indonesia's national airline Garuda is offering its food as takeaway dinners on a tray.