Top British airline Virgin Atlantic is replacing the cutlery and dining ware sets across their entire Upper Class fleet starting in November, said a spokeswoman for the airline.

“Who could have guessed that salt and pepper pots designed for our aircraft would one day be found in homes all over the world and we are thankful to our Upper Class passengers for spreading the message around the globe,” said Janine Doy.

“Having so many people pinching our salt and pepper pots is, I suppose, a back handed tribute to how well these items have been designed. We’re expecting a last minute rush when fans realise that their supply is coming to an end.”

“Prices for ‘liberated’ examples may also increase as they do in any market when stock becomes scarce,” she added.

Thousands of the coveted condiments have disappeared since they were introduced over 12 years ago.

So sought after have they become that there is even a thriving trade on eBay with individual pieces selling for up to GBP20 ($30) each.

The special pots, in the shape of miniature airplanes, were created by Virgin Atlantic’s in-house design team.

They were the result of the company’s policy to use unique, bespoke designs to make everything in a Virgin aircraft look and feel special, compared to mass produced items used by rivals airlines.

But even though all of the items found on a Virgin Atlantic Upper Class dining tray have been tailor made, only the salt and pepper pots have disappeared in such huge numbers, Doy said.

Such has been the rate of theft that recent versions were even stamped with the stark message “Pinched from Virgin Atlantic “as a deterrent. It didn’t work.  They still went missing.

“TV programmes such as Cash In The Attic, are always exhorting everyone to look upstairs in their homes for things to sell,” Doy added.

“However, it is clear that our Upper Class passengers have found a significant source of wealth at 32,000 feet.” – TradeArabia News Service