Catering Archives

Alaska Airlines unveils new vegan & plant-based options on board

By Satu DahlAirlines, Catering, FeaturedNo Comments

Alaska Airlines says it is now offering more gluten-friendly, plant-based and vegan meal options in all of its cabins.

The airline says it is following feedback by guests who say they are looking for more plant-based menu options when travelling. A new vegan option called the “Soy Meets World” is now offered on board and is a vegan salad developed in partnership with Evergreens, a West Coast-based company that makes gourmet, freshly chopped salads.

“We’re thrilled to offer our guests more healthy and nutritious choices when they fly with us,” said Todd Traynor-Corey, Managing Director of Guest Products. “We built our menu thoughtfully to offer more plant-based, vegan and gluten-free options, which include a range of fresh, bright flavours inspired by the West Coast and ingredients that are authentically healthy by nature such as roasted broccoli, crisp romaine and baby lettuce greens, quinoa, fresh fruit and more.”

The carrier says it also offers ample food options in Premium Class and Main Cabin, which include up to four fresh options on flights over 1,100 miles and up to five snack items on flights over 223 miles, such as the Mediterranean Tapas Pack (vegan and gluten-free).

July 28, 2022

United Airlines ups its plant-based menu offering

By Chloe GreenbankAirlines, Catering, FeaturedNo Comments

In recognition of a growing need for plant-based options on its menus, United Airlines has expanded its plant-based menu, offering two new products from Impossible Foods for its U.S domestic customers.

The two companies have collaborated on several new options for airline customers since the start of June. The United-exclusive Impossible™ Meatball Bowl is available to first class customers on all domestic flights over 800 miles in the U.S and the Impossible™ Sausage is available in Polaris Lounges in LA, Newark, San Francisco and Chicago.

Aaron McMillan, United Managing Director of Hospitality and Planning commented: “We want our food offerings to evolve and change along with people’s preferences – we’re proud to work with Impossible Foods and think our customers are really going to love these new options.

“To many travelers, the quality of food choices at the airport and in the sky are a really important part of the customer experience, so we’re invested in making sure our menu items exceed their expectations. This is the first of many updates we look forward to sharing in the months ahead.”

June 30, 2022

WTCE welcomed nearly 5,000 visitors to first live event since the pandemic

By Satu DahlAircraft Interiors Expo 2022, Catering, FeaturedNo Comments

The World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) welcomed 4,909 visitors to its first live event since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The show, which took place in Hamburg, also celebrated its 10-year anniversary as the leading global event for in-flight catering, onboard services, and passenger comfort, with more than 250 exhibitors from across the catering and onboard services industry welcoming attendees from 138 leading global, regional and low-cost airlines such as Emirates, Virgin Atlantic and easyJet.

Abdulrahim Aljneibi, Procurement Manager, Etihad Airways, said: “I came to WTCE to meet up with suppliers face to face and expand our portfolio and build up relationships. We want to discuss and see how the new market is growing. I have really enjoyed the environment here. Everything has been really organised.”

This year’s show included the ever-popular Taste of Travel programme, with a line-up featuring sessions focused on sustainable catering. The programme delivered educational content by passenger experience professionals and sustainability experts and featured cookery demonstrations by some of the industry’s leading chefs and numerous sampling opportunities. Jetvine showcased products from its portfolio, including Fruits for Drinks and MOTH cocktails in a can, while Marc Wade from Libero Special Meals opened the first day of the programme, discussing the dietary needs of special meal passengers.

Visitors were also able to explore technological advances, with subjects ranging from pre-ordering and in-seat ordering to personalised meals and the supply chain. Among the speakers were Maryann Simson from Jetway Communications, Job Heimerikx, CEO of AirFi, Nils Taubert, CEO of Retail in Motion, and Michael Raesch, CEO of Omnevo.

WTCE Event Director Polly Magraw said: “We’re absolutely blown away by the sheer level of industry enthusiasm and support for this year’s show following what has been a very challenging few years for travel.

“It’s clear that while passengers and stakeholders were forced to stay at home and shut down, innovation was still very much top of mind, so we’ve been hugely excited by the new products, services and technologies showcased this year. If this year’s support for WTCE is anything to go by, global travel is well on its way to a fantastic recovery.”

June 28, 2022

Finnair A350 Business Class_Seat_Sleeping_Position (3)

Finnair wins major awards for new Business Class cabin and onboard service

By Satu DahlAirlines, Catering, Design, FeaturedNo Comments

Finland’s flag carrier Finnair has won the gold award in this year’s best ‘Cabin Concept’ category at the Onboard Hospitality Awards for its new long-haul cabin design.

Finnair long-haul cabins feature a brand-new Business Class with an eye-catching, non-reclining seat with fixed living space, as well as a new Premium Economy cabin and refreshed Economy cabin in a sleek new Nordic design.

the carrier’s long-haul offering also helped the airline to win the ‘best onboard textiles’ category for its premium economy neck pillow and woven blanket designed in partnership with Marimekko.

The new tableware designed in partnership with Iittala was also highly commended in the category of “onboard service equipment for passengers”.

David Kondo, Finnair Head of Customer Experience and Product Design, said: “The feedback from our customers and the market for our new long-haul product has been overwhelmingly positive and we are thrilled that Finnair is being further recognised with wins from both the Onboard Hospitality Awards and the International Yacht and Aviation Awards.

“We’d like to thank all of our supplier partners and our dedicated staff who worked for this program over the many years of development to make this experience a reality.”

Finnair was also a finalist for ‘Cabin Concepts’ in the Crystal Cabin Awards 2022 taking place in Hamburg on 14 June, and in addition, the carrier received the APEX 2022 Passenger Choice Award for best Wi-Fi in Europe.

June 21, 2022

Collins Aerospace reveals new modular thermoelectric cooling system

By Satu DahlAircraft Interiors Expo 2022, Catering, FeaturedNo Comments

Collins Aerospace has revealed its new modular thermoelectric cooling system that is scalable to fit a variety of applications throughout an aircraft’s interior.

SpaceChiller quietly and efficiently chills compartments to food-safe temperatures without the use of refrigerants that may impact global warming.

Collins Aerospace says airlines can benefit from flexibility in service, storage and space without sacrificing room for passengers and flight attendants, with applications ranging from premium suites and passenger social zones to single galley inserts and whole cart bays.

“The availability of chilled refreshments at one’s fingertips or in a designated passenger social zone is a luxury for travellers and delivers benefits to airlines and operators,” said Jeff McKee, Director of Interiors Customer Experience and Design at Collins Aerospace.

“SpaceChiller provides compact and convenient chilling capacity to areas that were previously limited, unable to be chilled at all or required much larger volumes of galley chillers to provide a similar service. The expanded chilling footprint enhances airline service and catering options without increasing cabin crew workload.”

The team behind SpaceChiller began focusing on the cabin application of the solution in the middle of 2021 but the technology has actually been in development since 2007 and there has been significant investment into this technology over the years.

The product is ready to be offered to the market and Collins Aerospace is working on the industrialisation stage right now, as well as integration.

SpaceChiller is a solid-state chilling module that leverages thermal management technology developed for high-power electronics and avionics cooling, resulting in a highly efficient thermoelectric system compared to existing equipment that uses traditional cooling technologies.

The solution offers flexibility and enables carriers to move away from centralised cooling systems, taking less space due to its compactness and where it can be placed in the cabin.

SpaceChiller is a finalist in the Passenger Comfort category of the Crystal Cabin Awards.

June 14, 2022

Bucher to showcase new aircraft cabin products at the Aircraft Interiors Expo

By Satu DahlAircraft Interiors Expo 2022, Catering, Featured, InteriorsNo Comments

Bucher will be displaying new innovations at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg next week. These include a 16g “Bionic” aircraft cabin partition wall in full production specification and an ultralight foldable baby bassinet which can be attached to any bulkhead monument.

Bucher says the company’s lightweight partition solutions enable airlines to reduce weight, lowering emissions and saving fuel, and are the latest in a line of products integrated into Airbus A320 family aircraft and in service with many airlines worldwide.

The baby bassinet can be reduced to a small handbag in size, resulting in more than 50% space savings. This offers more flexibility in the use of storage space for cabin crew, but still provides maximum sleeping comfort for babies.

Bucher will also be unveiling a number of enhancements to its innovation galley. These include integrated inventory and power management systems, as well as a new integrated induction charging station for beverage carts which has been developed in cooperation with SkyTender Solutions.

Bucher will also be showcasing customisable branding elements for galleys as well as a compact self-service counter including a continuously adjustable roller blind for off-service hours. The company’s new “Olympia” premium class swing-up food tray table will also be displayed along with the company’s wider portfolio of tray table solutions and high-end supports for tablets.

Bucher’s insulated in-flight trolley ARCTICartTM and the first in-flight service cart with high-performing insulation will also be on display with new design in half-size and full-size versions for the first time.

Beat Burlet, Chief Executive Officer of Bucher commented: “This new range of innovations we are unveiling reflect Bucher’s ambition to develop products that enable airlines to enhance the passenger experience in their aircraft cabins. We are delighted to be returning to the Aircraft Interiors Expo in 2022, and look forward to showcasing our proven portfolio of products to airlines from across the globe.”

Bucher is located at booth 5D60 in hall B5 at the Aircraft Interiors Expo.

June 10, 2022

Air New Zealand unveils its new menu

By Satu DahlCatering, FeaturedNo Comments

Air New Zealand has unveiled its new in-flight menu which highlights the finest New Zealand produce.

The carrier’s new Business Premier menu showcases the best of Aotearoa on a plate, including local ingredients like Southland Lamb Prosciutto, Hawke’s Bay extra virgin olive oil and mānuka smoked free-range chicken from the Waikato.

The menu will be officially launched and rolled out on all long-haul routes from October.

Air New Zealand General Manager Customer Leeanne Langridge says: “We all know how important food is when travelling and what a difference it makes to our customers to be served a tasty meal full of fresh, local produce while on their journey.

“Our inflight meals showcase the best of New Zealand produce to the world, and also gives our Kiwi customers a taste of home from the moment they are welcomed onboard.

“Through customer research we found our Premium customers wanted more choice in the air, so we’ve added a build your own component to the main meal service. Customers can add the likes of seared salmon from Marlborough, free-range chicken from Waikato or bacon for greater protein, or streamed green vegetables or fresh, crisp salads picked straight from orchards and fields in Gisborne, Waikato or the Manawatū.”

Many of the meals like the artisan pasta bowl and superfood salad are also vegetarian, giving our customers plenty of meat-free options. The carrier will be refreshing its Premium Economy and Economy menus at the same time.

According to Air New Zealand, sustainability has been at the forefront of developing the new menu, and the airline will also be rolling out new sustainable serviceware in all cabins which reduces weight and single-use plastic on the aircraft.

June 8, 2022

WTCE report highlights sustainable catering operations

By Satu DahlAircraft Interiors Expo 2022, Catering, Featured, InsightsNo Comments

A new report produced by the World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) in association with Food Case International, which breaks down the aviation industry’s biggest food & beverage sustainability challenges, reveals that cost and profitability are recurring themes for carriers and suppliers when asked about the issues they face and how they are tackling them.

Eliminating food and packaging waste and ‘light weighting’ aircraft are highlighted as key to using less fuel which reduces C02 emissions.
The report features interviews with AirAsia, Cathay Pacific, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and Icelandair and underscores several eco-concerns among carriers, which include minimising food and packaging waste.

When asked specifically what suppliers can do to help airlines meet sustainability targets, the operators agreed focusing on product packaging is key to tackling the issue. In terms of sustainable food and beverage offers on board, measures such as more pre-ordering, catering personalisation and meeting different dietary needs were listed.

Icelandair’s Iris Anna Groenewegen commented: “Airlines will offer a larger selection of fresh food options via pre-order to maintain (even increase) the service standards and offer a simpler selection onboard.”

Dinesh Tadepalli from Incredibleeats.com, which supplies edible cutlery, commented: “Why can’t airlines use paper cups, or ask passengers to bring their own refillable water bottles?” In terms of food waste, he added: “On a lot of long-haul flights I see pre-made boxes of food containing multiple items such as nuts, cheese raisins or crackers. If waste is such an issue, why give so many options to one person if they aren’t going to consume them all.”

Polly Magraw, Event Director at WTCE said: “This study brings into sharp focus the immediate sustainability issues at stake in the aviation industry. Not only does it confirm the importance of eliminating food and packaging waste for both carriers and their suppliers, but it highlights some of the potential ways in which solutions might be found if everyone commits to working together. Sustainability is a key theme of this year’s event. I’d urge all the major partners – and competitors in the industry to use it as a forum to come together to share ideas and take the first steps towards a collaborative approach.”

WTCE is taking place on 14-16 June at the Hamburg Messe.

June 6, 2022

Finnair launches new in-flight dining concept on board

By Satu DahlAirlines, Catering, FeaturedNo Comments

Finland’s flag carrier Finnair has launched a new long-haul in-flight dining concept.

The new modern premium dining experience complements the Finnish carrier’s major investment that features a brand-new spacious Business Class, new Premium Economy and refreshed Economy cabins.

Long-haul Business Class customers on board Finnair’s flights can choose from up to six main dishes as well as smaller bistro-style dishes, while there will be an emphasis on casual dining in Premium Economy.

The new menus focus on offering pure, fresh flavours and draw upon the country’s famed Nordic heritage.

Eerika Enne, Finnair’s Head of Inflight Customer Experience, said: “To complement our new long-haul Business Class and Premium Economy cabins, we have completely rethought our service concept to offer a modern, contemporary and premium dining experience for our customers.

“Using the expertise of our Finnair Kitchen chefs, we have drawn upon our Nordic heritage to create menus which make the most of locally sourced produce, creating delicious dishes to enjoy in comfort at 39,000ft.”

The new concept menu also offers a swifter service option to make the most of customers’ rest and relaxation experience in the air.

The new menus include the carrier’s brand new “Northern Blush” signature cocktail and refreshed drinks selection, including Mikropolis’s Negroni cocktail, and featuring Finnish producers with whisky from Kyrö, gin from Helsinki Distillery and Valamo XO dessert wine.

Business Class customers can now enjoy a modern premium dining experience with smaller bistro-style dishes. Two cold dishes are followed by a hot dish and a side, both of which have three options also offering the chance to share dishes between travel companions.

The meals can be complemented with cheese, dessert and the new beverage selection, while a second, lighter meal such as breakfast or a light lunch is served before landing, depending on the time of the day.

In the new Premium Economy Class, the focus is on quality casual dining with a three-course main meal and two main dish options to choose from.

According to Finnair, the menu design was inspired by the recently launched littala Kuulas dining collection, created exclusively for Finnair by Harri Koskinen, one of Finland’s best-known contemporary designers.

Finnair has also significantly reduced single-use items and plastics on board by using more sustainable options.

May 13, 2022

Finnair launches new signature cocktail for long-haul customers

By Satu DahlAirlines, Catering, FeaturedNo Comments

Finnair has today launched a signature cocktail as part of its long-haul flight experience in all cabin classes.

The “Northern Blush” drink was created in partnership with Danish Mikropolis Cocktails, who have committed to delivering more than 800,000 drinks to Finnair customers.

The drink was especially mixed to match the magical Finnish sunsets of glowing red, orange and yellow and is infused with traditional Nordic flavours. It contains lingonberry, gin and a dash of orange peel, conjuring up the freshness of Finland’s forests thanks to nuances of citrus and a hint of juniper berries.

Customers at Finnair’s Helsinki lounges can also sample the new cocktail on the ground for two days following its launch, before it becomes exclusively available in the air.

Lauri Ahonen, Finnair Kitchen Concept & Category Manager, said: “Cocktails are a growing trend and have become a part of Finnair’s in-flight dining experience. With Mikropolis, we found a partner who could understand our sustainability goals and work with Nordic ingredients to produce on a large scale. Quality is at the core of our values, and with this collaboration we are able to offer an interesting and consistent cocktail selection to our customers onboard.”

The new cocktail is complimentary in economy class during the first meal service and can be bought for €8 per drink during the rest of the flight. Business Class customers will also be able to enjoy a tipple of Mikropolis’s Negroni on Finnair’s long-haul routes.

Finnair’s new elevated long-haul experience includes a new menu and service concepts to complement its brand-new Business Class and Premium Economy cabin.

May 12, 2022

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