ANA Hopes Sales of In-flight Meals Take off Online

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:07 JST, January 21, 2021

All Nippon Airways Co. is looking to spread its wings with online sales of its in-flight meals.

The increasing number of novel coronavirus infections has taken a huge bite out of travel opportunities, so ANA is working to serve the demand of those who want to “savor a little taste of travel.”

ANA’s online shopping business has focused mainly on souvenirs from various regions, rarely delving into opportunities involving in-flight meals. But as part of its efforts to generate profits in the face of deteriorating business performance in December last year, ANA launched three types of in-flight meals, including Japanese- and Western-style dishes, and items targeting children.

A dozen servings per meal — at a cost ranging from ¥7,200 to ¥9,000, including tax — in a total of 1,000 sets were sold out within a few days via the Internet.

In response to the popularity of the meals, the airline on Jan. 18 launched an “assortment of local rice bowls” — 12 servings at ¥9,000, including tax — combining rice bowls that contain “chicken nanban-don” (deep-fried chicken with tartar sauce, a local dish in Miyazaki Prefecture) and “chicken zangi-don” (classic fried chicken, an item from Hokkaido).

The commercialization of in-flight meals will be gradually expanded. The company will also consider selling high-end in-flight items, such as the bedding used in the first-class section.