Via Marginal Revolution, research by Lufthansa suggests (article in German) that tomato juice is popular on airplanes because, as Tyler explains,
During a flight, everything tastes quite a bit weaker, as if you had a cold. You might think die deutschen would turn to Sichuan Chili Chicken, but no…Tomatensaft!
And an anonymous commenter adds that it’s popular
Because it’s an excellent source of both vitamin C and vodka?
I find that onboard I frequently order bloody marys in the morning myself.
[…] equipment factor, the flight attendant factor, the 35,000 feet factor. Not all dishes stand up (cf. Taste on a Plane). So extensive testing is a must, investment in physical equipment and not just the food itself is […]