Revamping In-Flight Meals

• Gourmet in the Sky: Several carriers are pairing with well-known chefs to bring an extra touch of luxury to the premium end of the in-flight experience. US-based Delta Airlines recently partnered with award-winning American chef Mashama Bailey on a Southern-inspired menu to honour the operator’s Georgian heritage. Dishes include flounder and oysters with Fumé Blanc wine, green apple, potato, pak choi and turnips, and a vegan tagine with roasted sweet potato, topped with a chermoula sauce.
  
  Similarly, Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific has collaborated with local Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant Duddell’s to create a business- and first-class menu. Developed to celebrate Hong Kong’s rich food culture, mains include steamed options like halibut on Shanghainese vegetable rice, shrimp and fishcake laksa soup, and chrysanthemum and longan jelly for dessert.
  
  Meanwhile, Air France has recruited French chefs Michel Roth, Arnaud Lallement and Mathieu Viannay to design a menu featuring seasonal ingredients and sustainably sourced proteins for its Premium and Business Class passengers.

• Eco-Friendly Sky-High Meals: Food waste continues to plague the aviation industry, with commercial planes generating an estimated six million tonnes of waste annually, costing the sector about $4bn per year (IATA, 2022). Of this number, 20% comes from untouched food, an issue Japan Airlines (JAL) is hoping to tackle with its JAL Ethical Choice Meal Skip Option, which it has rolled out on all flights. In addition to combatting waste, the company will donate funds to a free school meal programme in Japan for each dish that passengers opt out of. Delta has launched a similar initiative.
  
  Meanwhile, Japan’s All Nippon Airways has introduced two new eco-friendly food options to its first- and business-class offerings. Its new focaccia contains soft kale grown in compost made from its in-flight meal waste. It’s also serving a dish containing Nobeoka bamboo shoots from previously neglected bamboo groves, which have become a sustainability concern across the country.
  
  See also fellow Japanese affordable airline Zipair’s new insect-based eco meals, and Emirati flag carrier Emirates’ vegan menu featuring leafy greens grown on its new vertical farm in Dubai (covered by Stylus here).

• Plant-Based on a Plane: There has been a dramatic rise in passenger requests for vegan meals. Emirates recorded a 154% year-on-year increase in orders for plant-based dishes in 2022 (N Travel, 2023). Catering to this demand, carriers are investing in their vegan offerings. See Korean Air, whose new line of plant-based food is inspired by traditional temple cuisine, with options including steamed barley rice with burdock; roasted shiitake mushrooms; mung bean jelly salad; and roasted tofu with plum salsa sauce.
  
  Meanwhile, several carriers globally have announced collaborations with alt-protein brands, like Spanish/Portuguese charter airline Iberojet and Spanish plant-based meat start-up Heura; and Japan Airlines and German vegan seafood brand BettaF!sh.

• In-Transit Treats: Beyond full meals, operators are upgrading their in-flight sweet and snack offerings. In April, Air New Zealand ran a nationwide search to source small snack brands to sell onboard. Entries had to be native to New Zealand, sustainable, flavour-forward, and cater to a range of dietary needs and allergies.
  
  Meanwhile, for an indulgent treat, Delta Airlines has reintroduced its dessert trolley temporarily removed during the pandemic, serving plated deserts, fruit and cheese plates, and a build-your-own-ice-cream-sundae option.
  
  Meanwhile, China Airlines has become the first air carrier globally to offer a complimentary in-flight bubble tea service, which it has launched in collaboration with Taiwanese dessert chain BlackBall.

Read also Evolving the Airport and The Brief for more aviation trends.