How Airline Meals Are Made: Inside Air Dolomiti’s Kitchen

Introduction

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Ever wonder how airline meals are actually created?

The airline meal preparation process is more complex than most travellers realise.

I recently got an exclusive look inside Air Dolomiti’s menu development process at Frankfurt Airport, and the level of detail involved surprised me completely.

The Invitation

Air Dolomiti invited me to discover how they create business class meals for their 2.5 million annual passengers flying from Frankfurt and Munich.

What I expected to be a quick kitchen tour turned into a fascinating deep dive into airline catering logistics.

How Airline Menus Really Work

The process starts about a month before new meals appear onboard.

Air Dolomiti works with GIC International Catering at Frankfurt Airport to develop options that meet strict contractual requirements covering everything from protein weight to garnish amounts.

Every dish must match exact photos and specifications, allowing the airline to audit its caterer at any time.

This is essentially quality control through contracts, ensuring passengers get consistent experiences rather than whatever the kitchen feels like serving that day.

The Meal Creation Process

Watching the airline kitchen operation felt surprisingly similar to a cooking competition show.

Airline staff sample multiple dishes while considering factors like time of day appropriateness, passenger demographics, and whether people will enjoy eating it at altitude.

The elimination process is methodical.

Does this work for a breakfast flight? Will business travellers appreciate this flavour profile?

Can the cabin crew explain what’s in it? Dishes that survive this scrutiny make it onto the menu.

How Airlines Make Business Class Food

Air Dolomiti rotates four dishes weekly for each meal type, preventing frequent flyers from facing repetitive options.

Their summer and winter menus reflect seasonal availability and passenger preferences.

The Italian focus runs deep. Only Italian wines are served, with selections changing quarterly and about 2,500 bottles of each variety served per quarter.

They’ve installed proper espresso machines for authentic Italian coffee service, which has received positive passenger feedback.

The attention to Italian authenticity extends beyond marketing.

Illy coffee, carefully selected regional wines, and prosecco create a cohesive cultural experience rather than a generic premium service.

Economy Class Philosophy

Even economy passengers buying from the SpazioItaliaBar menu get thoughtfully prepared options.

Air Dolomiti collaborates with chefs from the JRE (Jeunes Restaurateurs) association, who propose sandwiches and salads that undergo the same rigorous selection process as business class meals.

This partnership with established chefs elevates buy on board offerings beyond typical airline convenience food, maintaining Italian culinary standards across all service levels.

The Logistics Challenge

The airline food preparation involves constraints most restaurants never face.

Limited onboard equipment restricts cooking methods, while meals prepared hours in advance must maintain quality when reheated at altitude.

Catering teams must accommodate diverse cultural, religious, and dietary requirements while ensuring food safety across multiple destinations.

Sourcing fresh ingredients for flights departing various airports adds another complexity layer.

I was most impressed by the precision required. Every element must be reproducible, properly weighted, and able to survive the reheating process without losing texture or flavour.

Sustainability Efforts

Air Dolomiti separates onboard waste into plastic, glass, and cans, with recyclables handled by catering partners rather than general incineration. T

hey use compostable paper cups for hot drinks and biodegradable agave fibre cutlery.

These choices reflect genuine environmental commitment rather than token gestures, with measurable waste reduction through systematic recycling programmes.

What I Learned

The airline meal creation process revealed how much planning goes into simple airline meals. Every dish represents weeks of development, testing, and refinement before reaching passengers.

The partnership between the airline and the caterer requires constant communication and quality monitoring. Air Dolomiti’s approach shows how regional carriers can maintain cultural identity while meeting operational constraints.

Most surprising was the genuine care taken over economy class options. Rather than treating buy on board as pure revenue generation, they maintain culinary standards that reflect their Italian heritage.

The Reality

Airline catering involves compromises, but watching Air Dolomiti’s process showed how thoughtful planning can deliver authentic experiences at altitude.

The month long development timeline ensures proper testing and refinement, while contractual specifications prevent quality drift over time. It’s a more sophisticated operation than most passengers realise.

For travellers on Air Dolomiti, this behind the scenes look explains why their Italian focus feels genuine rather than superficial.

Thanks to Air Dolomiti and GIC International Catering for providing this fascinating glimpse into airline meal creation.

Understanding the process makes you appreciate the complexity behind even simple inflight dining.