Airline food sales to public show coronavirus isn't terminal for business

Airline food is really taking off.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A guest eats first-class meal at the "First Airlines", virtual first-class airline experience facility in Tokyo, Japan February 14, 2018 (photo credit: TORU HANAI / REUTERS)
A guest eats first-class meal at the "First Airlines", virtual first-class airline experience facility in Tokyo, Japan February 14, 2018
(photo credit: TORU HANAI / REUTERS)
Those missing their annual summer holiday now have a novel way to recreate the experience at home - or at least the inflight meal - as an Israeli airline catering company is now offering their meals on sale to the general public.
Before the coronavirus lockdown brought air travel to a virtual standstill, Tamam Kitchen produced up to 40,000 meals a day for parent company El Al, as well as other airlines and businesses, but in July the company was forced to place many of its 550 workers on unpaid leave.
But with air travel looking uncertain for the immediate future, the company has transferred its creativity skills from the kitchen to the marketing department and tapped into a new market: the Israeli public.
"In these days, when the aviation industry is in crisis, we invite you to enjoy the largest kosher kitchen in the world," Tamam CEO Amir Shutzman said in a Facebook post. "In this way, you will help Tamam bring more employees back to work at the factory.
"What are you waiting for?" he added. "Let your orders start flying. We would be happy if you ordered, and we would love for you to share this. This way, I will be able to bring more employees back to work. I thank you all in advance."
Initially the company, more used to dealing with business-to-business sales, was taking orders by phone, but they have now launched an online ordering system through which people can order a meal tray, sandwiches, salads and even fruit cups from their premises at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport. They even offer free delivery to surrounding areas.
"We have to rethink and reinvent ourselves," Nimrod Demajo, vice president of operations at Tamam told NPR. "We came up with this idea, and it was like, you know, like lightning strikes us."
Adverts running on Facebook play on flight theme, with the meals flying in a bright blue sky in some, and seen through airplane windows in another.
"I bought today chicken quarters with potatoes, peas and carrots in one tray. Now, that's a good lunch," senior citizen Angie Elfassi told NPR in a telephone interview.
Like Elfassi, many of the company's customers have been elderly citizens looking for cheap, easy meals that can simply be microwaved. A care home which had closed its dining room to abide by social distancing also turned to the company for meal solutions. Others enjoy the novelty, such as one major company who bought the meals as a way to enliven a video conference.
So far the company's efforts appear to be paying off as Israelis have warmed to the idea of helping the company's employees retain their jobs and sourcing low-cost meals at the same time. It even drew the support of celebrity illusionist Uri Geller, who posted a video of himself unpacking a box of vegetarian meals on his social media, asking "why not help a company in need?"


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