Tarmac meals have become an unlikely hit for coronavirus-battered Singapore Airlines as hundreds of “passengers” are paying the equivalent of a budget ticket just to eat inside grounded A380 jumbos.

Singapore Airlines, which has cut thousands of jobs and grounded nearly all its planes this year, decided to try another route. They are now offering customers the opportunity to dine on one of two A380s turned into pop-up restaurants.

For a sturdy amount of up to $470, people with a hankering for airline food can have a meal on an A380, the world’s biggest passenger jet.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Singapore Airlines is in deep crisis and have turned to alternative ways to raise cash, from offering “flights to nowhere” to tours of aircraft.

The chance to eat plane food proved surprisingly popular. All 900 seats for lunch on October 24 and 25 sold out within half an hour of bookings opening on Monday, the Straits Times newspaper reported.

The most expensive option is a four-course meal in a first-class suite, while the cheapest costs Sg $53 and consists of a three-course meal in economy class.

Citing “overwhelming demand”, the carrier announced the restaurants would be opened for an additional two days. Lunch and dinner are now being offered on all four dates.

About half the seats will be left empty on the double-decker jets, parked at Changi Airport, in keeping with social distancing guidelines.

And for those seeking to bring the in-flight experience into their living rooms, Singapore Airlines is also offering home deliveries of plane meals.