Hawaiian Airlines is launching a pre-order Main Cabin dining programme on most flights between Hawai’i and the US continent starting 1 July 2026.

The menus are developed by James Beard Award finalist Chef Sheldon Simeon.

Simeon is known for his Maui restaurants, Tin Roof and Tiffany’s.

He has designed a menu centred on Hawaiian comfort food. All meals are prepared no more than 12 hours before each flight.

Morning departures until 9.59 am feature corned beef hash with eggs, island-style French toast, banana pancakes with Portuguese sausage, and coconut overnight oats with berries and granola.

From 10am, flights offer mochiko chicken with noodles, barbecue teriyaki chicken bento, teriyaki cheeseburger, grilled chicken banh mi, tender greens salad with li hing mango, and Italian sub with mac salad.

Morning options range from USD 10.99 for coconut overnight oats to USD 15.99 for corned beef hash, French toast, and banana pancakes.

Afternoon and evening dishes range from USD 12.49 for the Italian sub to USD 16.99 for the crispy mochiko chicken and garlic noodles.

More dishes, including a cheesy omelette, will be added in Autumn 2026.

Simeon’s signature condiments, spicy-K mayo, sweet teriyaki sauce, and a crispy toppings bag made from rice crackers and furikake, feature across multiple dishes.

“This menu is inspired by the flavours I grew up with in Hawai’i — comforting, familiar and full of heart,” Simeon said.

First Class pre-order is already available and now offers a wider menu selection. Chef Dell Valdez is the Hawai’i-born culinary leader behind Vein in Kakaʻako and Dell’s Kitchen & Bakery.

He was appointed Executive Chef in March 2026 and oversees international Business Class and domestic First Class menus.

Pre-ordering is available two weeks to 20 hours before departure via the Alaska Hawaiian app or website.

Complimentary onboard snacks now highlight local Hawaiian flavours for an authentic island experience.

Premium Class passengers enjoy Anahola Granola’s Tropical Granola Bar with papaya, pineapple, and honey-roasted oats, while Main Cabin guests receive Hawaiian shortbread macadamia nut cookies by Diamond Bakery and Hawaiian Maui onion kettle chips.

Before arrival, all guests are treated to a mahalo sweet from Hawaiian Host Chocolates or Honolulu Cookie Company, offering a final taste of Hawaii.

Photos: Hawaiian Airlines

Brussels Airlines is adding fresh handmade sandwiches from Belgian food brand Bon to its buy-on-board menu on all short and medium-haul Economy flights from 1 June 2026.

Around 450,000 sandwiches will be sold on the fleet each year, with four options available at any one time and the menu rotating several times a year.

Founded in 2015, Bon operates 17 Belgian stores and has opened a dedicated production line with nine staff to supply Brussels Airlines.

Bert Gillis, Commercial Director at Bon, explained, “We made over 40 recipes until we found the perfect selection that stays true to our promise of always delivering fresh, handmade food that was also suitable to be served on board an aircraft.”

Thibaut Dewilde, Head of Inflight Management at Brussels Airlines, added, “With Bon, we stay true to our DNA: it’s very high-quality, and it’s Belgian, just like Brussels Airlines. We are excited about the fresh, handmade way these sandwiches are produced, but we’re also proud to be a stepping stone for another strong Belgian brand.”

The partnership follows a series of Belgian brand collaborations for Brussels Airlines, which has previously worked with Neuhaus on long-haul flights and selected a start-up to supply ice cream on long-haul routes.

Photos: Brussels Airlines

Finnair has refreshed its onboard menus for all cabin classes, effective from 20 May 2026 through 20 October.

Each class features a seasonal theme inspired by Finnish summer, clean flavours, fresh ingredients, and a starring role for the strawberry, named Finland’s Fruit of the Year 2026.

Strawberry features heavily in long-haul Business Class, appearing in both starters and desserts, with starters like salmon pastrami or marinated whitefish, and a cream cheese and fig starter with strawberries served on every flight.

Main courses include BBQ beef brisket or lovage-marinated salmon, each served with seasonal sides.

Dessert choices are strawberry cake with rhubarb or chocolate cake with pistachio crème.

“Strawberry appears throughout the menu, adding freshness to both savoury dishes and desserts,” said Development Chef Sami Oksava from Finnair Kitchen. “You’ll find it paired with cream cheese and fig in a light starter, or at its simplest in a tasty dessert, strawberry cake.”

Summer wine highlights include Domaene Gobelsburg Riesling, Altos de Torona Albariño, and Finnish lingonberry dessert wine Ainoa Kaste, among other refreshed options.

Premium Economy offers chicken with shiitake mushrooms or linguine with prawns, plus a second lighter meal. Main courses can be pre-selected.

Economy passengers on long-haul flights are served a hot meal tailored for Economy Class, with one complimentary glass of wine or mild alcoholic beverage, plus a light meal or snack before landing on longer services.

For Business Class passengers on European flights, up to five main course options, including chicken, beef, vegetarian, and seafood dishes, plus a flame-grilled rainbow trout salad, are available for pre-selection.

Wine selections for Business Class on European routes have also been refreshed for summer.

Economy Class buy-on-board options on European flights include new instant meals such as Asian chicken noodles and creamy pesto pasta, alongside pre-order hot meals available on longer Southern European routes.

Photos: Finnair

Air New Zealand has appointed Josh Emett as its new Culinary Ambassador, with his menus rolling out across Premium Economy, Business Premier, and Business Premier Luxe on all long-haul flights out of Auckland and select flights from North America from October 2026.

Emett is the only New Zealand chef to have earned Michelin stars across three different restaurants in London, New York, and Los Angeles, all during his time with Gordon Ramsay.

In his new role, he will design a signature complement to the existing onboard menu, with a focus on New Zealand produce and ingredients suited to altitude.

New dishes include seared Fiordland wild venison with golden kumara chutney, kawakawa spiced beetroot and toasted pinenuts, and lamb rump with smoked aubergine, spring peas, harissa, labneh and rosemary.

Alpine salmon served with saffron and chilli creamed sweetcorn, green beans, and pickled karengo.

A smoked kahawai mousse with red onion and celery pickle and toasted sourdough also features.

Dessert includes a whipped vanilla mousse and meringue with kiwifruit compote, Anzac biscuit and basil syrup.

“I started with the ingredients I love, like New Zealand lamb and venison, and built from there with seasonal vegetables and flavours that travel well at altitude,” Emett said.

“You’ll see bolder flavours in the dishes, whether it’s the richness of a Pinot braised chicken or the intensity of a miso dressing. It’s about making sure every dish delivers, even at 35,000ft.”

Air New Zealand’s culinary teams will work with Emett and local producers to reflect New Zealand’s regional diversity, with seasonality and quality as stated priorities.

Further menu details are to be announced in the coming months.

Photos: Air NZ

Lufthansa’s Future Onboard Experience (FOX) launched on 6 May 2026 across Business, Premium Economy, and Economy Class on all long-haul flights, with First Class having launched at the end of March.

Developed over more than two years and timed to coincide with the airline’s centenary, FOX represents one of the largest investments in customer experience in Lufthansa’s history, with over €70 million committed in 2026 alone.

gategroup has been a central development partner throughout, working alongside Lufthansa’s culinary, product, and inflight service teams across hands-on culinary workshops, tasting sessions, and operational planning.

deSter, a gategroup member, led the design and development of more than 150 pieces of equipment.

deSter’s scope across all four cabins included tableware, service items, oven-safe casseroles for upgraded plating, crew-handling tools, comfort and amenity products, and redesigned disposables.

All items were developed to align with Lufthansa’s brand heritage and the visual language of the Allegris cabin, with weight reduction and crew efficiency as stated design objectives.

187 million individual tableware and cutlery pieces are being replaced or introduced, with approximately 300,000 Business Class main course plates procured for the launch alone.

The new service was tested across more than 110 flights, incorporating over 9,000 guest feedback responses and more than 500 crew feedback responses.

First and Business Class

In First Class, two Michelin-starred chef Christoph Kunz developed menus in partnership with gategroup Executive Chef Christoph Brandstaetter and Lufthansa’s culinary team.

Max Herzog, gategroup’s Executive Chef at Lufthansa’s Studio 508, oversaw menu adaptation across both First and Business Class for the specific requirements of inflight service.

In Business Class, chef Johann Lafer developed new menus in collaboration with gategroup and Lufthansa’s culinary experts.

A new breakfast pre-order service allows passengers to select from a varied menu the evening before departure, with options including smoothies, French toast, and omelettes.

One of the Lufthansa Signature Moments is a cake service that allows passengers to order coffee and cake during the flight.

The new “Sky Selection” concept allows passengers to order their second meal at any time from a selection including tapas bowls, currywurst, and macarons.

Premium Economy

The first meal service in Premium Economy has been significantly upgraded, offering a Business Class-level appetiser, a choice of three hot main courses, and fresh, warm bread.

Passengers also receive pastries or cake, an expanded beverage selection with more frequent drink service, a new digestif service, and slippers.

Economy

Economy Class passengers receive an amenity kit for the first time, containing a sleep mask and earplugs.

New tableware, cutlery, trays, and a printed menu are introduced across the cabin.

On flights longer than ten hours, three hot main course options are now available, up from two previously, and the beverage selection has been expanded.

“Together with Lufthansa, we have worked tirelessly to bridge culinary creativity with the realities of large-scale airline operations. We are immensely proud to see this vision take flight,” said Christoph Schmitz, CEO of gategroup.

Photos: Lufthansa & gategroup

Virgin Australia has refreshed its inflight menus across both cabins, with the Economy buy-on-board range available now and the new Business Class menu following from 27 May.

The headline addition to the Economy buy-on-board range is a Cheeseburger Toastie, 100% Australian ground beef, melted cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickle, and cheesy sauce.

The toastie format is already the airline’s strongest-selling snack category, with nearly a quarter of a million Ham and Cheese toasties sold annually.

The Cheeseburger version draws on a viral food trend with 19.8 million TikTok views at the time of launch.

“Our new Cheeseburger Toastie brings a viral food trend to the skies, building on the popularity of one of our most loved onboard items. Last year alone we sold more than a quarter of a million toasties, so we’re expecting the Cheeseburger Toastie to be a big hit,” said Ali Dunn, General Manager Product & Customer Strategy.

The refreshed Economy buy-on-board range also includes corn chips with zesty salsa, a golden falafel wrap, and creamy mac and cheese.

The beverage range expands with Hard Rated Lemon, named Australia’s most popular ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage by Drinks Trade for 2025/26.

Tea, coffee, and water remain complimentary for all Economy passengers on eligible flights.

The new Business Class menu was developed using guest feedback and taste testing, with the effects of altitude on flavour taken into consideration.

Breakfast options include ricotta chocolate and hazelnut filled crepes with banana custard, scrambled egg with shakshuka sauce, chorizo and pitta, crumpet French toast with spiced apple and mascarpone, and egg and corn fritters with bacon and beans.

Lunch and dinner dishes include beef with mustard jus, creamy polenta and broccoli, butter chicken with cumin rice and raita, grilled chicken with miso roasted sweet potato, brown rice, quinoa and edamame beans with Japanese style dressing, and Korean style sweet potato noodles with stir fry vegetables.

Desserts include white chocolate mud cake, date apple and crumble cake, and coconut cake.

Photos; Virgin Australia

Air France has replaced the former ‘Bon Appétit’ bag in its Premium cabin with a traditional tray service on flights longer than seven hours.

On overnight flights, passengers receive a continental breakfast before landing, a pastry, fromage frais, and granola, with warm bread added on flights over ten hours.

On daytime flights, a selection of club sandwiches, including a vegetarian option, is served a few hours before landing.

On daytime flights over ten hours, a mixed salad and warm bread are added.

All second meals are served on trays rather than in the previously used bag format.

Main meals begin with savoury biscuits and a starter, followed by a choice of two hot entrées, plus cheese and a dessert.

Everything is served on eco-friendly tableware with real stainless steel cutlery, for a premium feel.

Champagne follows take-off, timing depending on departure schedule.

Together with Servair, hot dishes are crafted by Frédéric Simonin, a Michelin-starred chef and Meilleur Ouvrier de France.

Every dish features 100% French-sourced meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs, while the fish comes from sustainable or French fisheries.

Menus change regularly, and there’s always a vegetarian option available.

For dessert, passengers can expect a vanilla choux bun, a Paris-Brest, or a decadent chocolate fondant.

On Paris daytime departures over ten hours, passengers will be treated to vanilla or milk chocolate ice cream with caramelised almonds between meals, all made in the South of France.

The wine and beer selection is curated by Xavier Thuizat, Air France’s head sommelier and France’s Best Sommelier 2022.

Chef mixologist Matthias Giroud has created an exclusive cocktail: Chardonnay blended with Burgundy blackcurrant and a hint of French elderflower liqueur.

Photos: Air France

Air Serbia has made several onboard and service updates in April 2026.

Since 14 April, passengers on flights of up to 2.5 hours receive Trik salted pretzel sticks alongside Plazma biscuits as part of the complimentary service.

The Trik sticks come in packaging featuring Air Serbia branding, available exclusively on the airline’s flights.

In addition, from 8 April, Duty Free sales, operated in partnership with Dufry (Belgrade Duty Free), expanded to all flights longer than 1.5 hours, covering domestic and international brands alongside Air Serbia’s own promotional items.

On the sustainability side, Air Serbia’s “Uniforms Given a New Purpose” project received the Diplomacy & Commerce Award 2026 for best socially responsible campaign, announced on 24 April.

The initiative, run in partnership with humanitarian organisation Child’s Heart (Dečje srce), converts used pilot and cabin crew uniforms into usable items through the work of people with disabilities.

Photos: Air Serbia

Korean Air collected 13 awards across three industry ceremonies at the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo in Hamburg, Germany, held from 14 to 16 April 2026.

The wins spanned the Onboard Hospitality Awards, the TravelPlus Airline Amenity Awards, and the PAX International Readership Awards.

On 14 April, the Onboard Hospitality Awards, judged by industry experts and reader votes, recognised Korean Air in four categories: Best First Class Amenities for its Graff First Class Amenity Kit, Best Wearable Textiles for its Frette First Class Loungewear, Best Onboard Textiles for its Frette Inflight Bedding Set, and Best Service Equipment, Passenger for its tableware collaborations with Bernardaud, Riedel, Christofle, and Armani/Casa.

The TravelPlus Airline Amenity Awards followed with five honours: a Five-Star Rating for Passenger Amenities, plus category wins for First Class Gentlemen’s Kit, First Class Meal Serveware, First Class Bedding Set, and Children’s Goody Bag or Give Away (Under 6 Years). TravelPlus awards are based on passenger feedback and expert evaluation.

On 15 April, PAX International’s Readership Awards delivered four further wins in the Asia region: Best Overall Passenger Experience, Best Cabin Interior, Best First Class Amenity Kit, and Best Business Class Bedding/Soft Products.

The partnerships behind the wins

The awards follow a renewal of Korean Air’s inflight product across premium cabins. Korean Air is the first airline to partner with Graff on First Class amenity kits, which feature the brand’s skincare products and fragrances. Frette bedding is available in both First and Prestige Class. First Class tableware draws on Bernardaud chinaware, Christofle cutlery, and Riedel glassware; Prestige Class uses Armani/Casa tableware and glassware.

Photos: Korean Air