When it comes to dining on flights, the offering can be a little hit or miss, depending on which carrier you are flying with. Increasingly, airlines are charging customers to dine onboard in economy or with budget providers. And even if you are paying, the offering can be limited.
However, one airline continues to set the standard for its dining options onboard.
Turkish Airlines was named the best in the world for both its business class and its economy catering at the Skytrax World Airline Award 2024.
The airline serves a selection of meals which are made daily by their “flying chefs”. Turkish Airlines website explains: “Our in-flight meals use only the best ingredients, so you can rest assured you’ll be getting a good meal.
“Our food and drink menu is prepared daily. We make sure everything is prepared safely and hygienically.
“We take inspiration from the Turkish culinary tradition for many of our in-flight meals, but we also offer snacks such as cakes and sandwiches too.”
This offering typically covers long-haul routes. On domestic flights, Economy Class passengers are served hot gourmet sandwiches with fillings such as pesto, Girit ezme (Cretan-style dip), chicken cutlets, feta cheese and other ingredients.
Sandwiches are made with a variety of breads ranging from potato sourdough rolls to sesame pita and sourdough Trabzon bread.
In business class, the offering is elevated further, with dishes inspired by both Turkish cuisine and global dishes. “You’ll have options of traditional Turkish meals, or perhaps something from the kitchens of China, France, Italy or India,” explains Turkish Airlines.
“Depending on the length of your flight, you’ll be served with a hot or cold breakfast. In Business Class, you’ll have as much freshly squeezed orange juice or other fruit juices as you want.
“After evening meals, we offer tea freshly brewed in our onboard samovar.
“We also serve herbal teas recommended by doctors in Business Class. These teas can help reduce water retention, aid digestion, help you relax and even fight off colds. They can also help relive headaches, stress, restlessness and sleeplessness.”
Along with the accolades for its dining options, Turkish Airlines also won the award for Best Airline in Europe.
Bilal Ekşi, CEO of Turkish Airlines said: “We are delighted to receive these prestigious awards from Skytrax. Being named the Best Airline in Europe and Southern Europe, and receiving recognition for our business-class catering excellence is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team.
“As the Turkish Airlines family, we would like to thank our valued passengers, who deemed us worthy of these wonderful awards, and the Skytrax team, who put this evaluation into practice. With Turkish hospitality in our DNA, we remain committed to delivering an unmatched travel experience to our passengers and will continue to innovate and enhance our services.”
Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax said: “We congratulate Turkish Airlines on being named the Best Airline in Europe, which for the ninth time is a remarkable achievement in such a competitive region, and demonstrates that they are a customer favourite. Turkish Airlines repeated earlier year successes by winning the award for the World’s Best Business Class Catering and the airline and its catering partner Turkish DO&CO should be very proud of this success.”