Tables at the $440-per-head restaurant in a grounded Singapore Airlines aircraft sold out in just 30 minutes

• Singapore Airlines plans to serve fine-dining meals on some of its grounded aircraft at the end of October.
• Within half an hour of bookings opening on Monday, all seats were snapped up.
• Four cabin classes are available, and prices per head vary from about $37 to $441, depending on cabin class.
• Diners have to bring their passports, and the airline will check guests' temperatures before they're allowed on board.

Tables at pop-up restaurants in grounded Singapore Airlines planes, where meals cost up to $441 a person, were fully booked within half an hour of sales going live, the airline said Monday.

The airline is converting two Airbus A380 aircraft into a lunchtime restaurant for one weekend in late October.

Four cabin classes are available: The cheapest meals are available in the economy class for about $37 a head, while the most expensive seats in first class cost approximately $441 each, which includes two alcoholic beverages.

But only two sittings are on offer, and seats were in high demand when bookings opened Monday morning.

Some of those who missed out have joined a waiting list, the airline said, per Bloomberg.

The largest models of the Airbus A380 can normally seat up to 471 passengers, but only about half the aircraft's seats will be available for dining because of social-distancing measures.

Diners are also subject to a range of other COVID-19 safety measures, such as temperature checks on arrival and mandatory mask-wearing when not eating or drinking.

The airline will assign seating and will limit groups to five diners.

Diners are required to bring their passports to the event because it's held in one of the Changi Airport's terminals.

Airline also delivering to customers' doors

The pop-up restaurant, called A380 @Changi, will serve diners a choice of international and Singaporean cuisine from a kitchen led by chef Shermay Lee.

Diners also have the option to book a pre-meal tour that includes areas not usually available to flyers, such as the cockpit.

The airline is also delivering meals to customers' doors. Diners can order an all-inclusive meal for two with wine or Champagne, which comes with the tableware usually available on board.

Customers can even enjoy what the airline calls its "book the chef" experience, in which a chef comes to your house to reheat, plate, and serve the meal.

The dining ventures form part of the Discover Your Singapore Airlines program, which sells travel-inspired experiences on the island nation. These include behind-the-scenes guided tours of the airline's training facilities, access to flight simulators, grooming workshops, and wine-tasting courses.

Most airlines have struggled during the pandemic, but Singapore Airlines has been especially hard hit because it flies only international routes, including the world's longest flight, between Singapore and Newark, New Jersey.