Pack Your Appetite: Air Canada Serves up Globally Inspired Flavours with Major Upgrade to In-Flight Menus
The Voice of Canada :
Bon appetit, foodies! Air Canada today announced a comprehensive upgrade of its award-winning menus for all customers, with 100+ new rotating seasonal recipes showcasing bigger, bolder flavours alongside craveable new snacks and beverages. The new menu additions join the largest in-flight bar offering from any North American airline, as Air Canada continues to invest in adding even more comfort and convenience to the travel experience, with more to come throughout 2024. Air Canada also remains the only North American airline to offer hot, fresh kids’ meals to purchase through its North American Bistro program, highlighting its commitment to family travel.
“We’re incredibly proud to introduce these delicious new dining options, featuring homegrown Canadian products and ingredients reflecting the diversity of Canada and our customers’ tastes and preferences,” said Scott O’Leary, Vice President, Loyalty & Product at Air Canada. “The thought and care we’ve brought to elevating our menus, and bringing fresh new flavours for all, is one of the many ways we’re investing in every aspect of our customers’ journey to make travel even better.”
The airline’s new and upgraded culinary program spotlights the influence of Air Canada’s long-standing award-winning culinary partners Chef David Hawksworth, Chef Vikram Vij, and Chef Jérôme Ferrer in showcasing flavours, textures and fresh, quality ingredients that sing at cruising altitude, which are complemented by wine selections from award-winning Air Canada sommelier Véronique Rivest.
Raising the Bar for Economy Dining
International Economy travellers can excite their taste buds with new global flavours like red Thai chicken and rice, chicken cacciatore with roast potatoes and bell peppers. This adds to Chef Ferrer’s classic pesto penne on flights from Canada, and on longer flights that serve a hot breakfast, a new pancake and 100% pure Canadian maple syrup breakfast offering. On flights from Europe, travellers will enjoy new Monty’s Bakehouse savoury pastries, including coconut chicken and potato sour cream and chive. These refreshed recipes also add to regional appetizers like soba noodles, chaat, hummus and vegetables, and more, recently introduced on all international routes.
Air Canada’s upgraded Bistro menu, rolling out through spring 2024, boasts the most extensive selection of fresh buy-on-board options from any North American airline, with a hearty peppercorn roast beef sandwich, tasty cheeseburger sliders, and fresh new vegan options like Mediterranean hummus wraps. This is alongside a selection of alcoholic beverages unrivalled by any Canadian airline, including new premium crafted and Canadian-owned Tequila Tromba (all cabins in all markets, including Bistro) and iconic Campari (all premium cabins and Bistro).
Experience Elevated Dining in Premium Cabins
International travellers in Air Canada Signature Class can indulge in new dining options as diverse as the airline’s network, featuring exciting flavours from around the world. This includes succulent chicken thigh accompanied by mandi rice and Emirati bzar sauce, roasted salmon in teriyaki sauce with Shandong noodles and a Middle Eastern mezze plate appetizer, with more to come through spring 2024.
An array of fresh homegrown ingredients also shine among Air Canada’s latest lounge and in-flight offerings, including wild-caught Fogo Island cod, which returns to the Air Canada Signature Suite at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Sparkling wine connoisseurs will delight in new Champagnes selected by sommelier Véronique Rivest. Fresh bubbly pours include Haton Cuvée Classique and Duval-Leroy Brut Réserve on international flights, and Jaillance Brut Traditionnel, a Crémant de Bordeaux AOP of French “fines bulles”, on flights within North America and the Caribbean. Quebec-made Montellier sparkling water also debuts in premium cabins, while Canadian wines that are 100% Canadian grown and made, and spirits remain a fixture onboard and across lounges.
Air Canada remains the only airline on the continent serving fresh and hot meals on North America Business Class flights under two hours. New upgraded light meals include warm flatbread with arugula, chicken tenders with coleslaw, cobb salad and elevated charcuterie and cheese plates. The full hot breakfast served on morning flights remains unmatched by any North American airline, featuring the customer favourite parsley omelet with chicken sausage, adding new recipes such as clafoutis and pancakes with 100% pure Canadian maple syrup.
Delicious New Snacks and Specialty Teas
New nibbles have also arrived on all flights, including sweet, salty, and protein-packed options and Canadian favourites to make the journey even better. Buttery Herb and Garlic craft pretzels by family-owned and female-led TWIGZ from Alberta, are now complimentary in all cabins on North America flights shorter than two hours and economy cabins on international flights.
“As a proud Canadian brand, we feel incredibly privileged to team up with Air Canada as our country’s national carrier,” said Ashley Ehmann, Co-Founder of TWIGZ Pretzels. “The high level of care Air Canada puts into creating their menus matches our commitment to crafting a truly delicious pretzel, and we’re excited for passengers to enjoy TWIGZ as much as we do.”
Also joining the snack basket line-up are tempting new choices like Sweet Sixteen original candy mix from Quebec, a protein top-up from Chomps grass-fed beef jerky and rich Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Squares with a luscious sea salt caramel filling. These join fan favourites onboard, including Kit Kat, Miss Vickie’s, and MadeGood. This expanded selection of snacks represents a range of gluten-free, vegan, kosher, halal suitable, keto and paleo-friendly choices that are now available in Air Canada Signature Class, Premium Economy, and flights to and from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
Luxury tea purveyor Dilmah brings fresh, fragrant new blends that include Ceylon Earl Grey, Chamomile, Peppermint, Green, Lemon & Ginger and Orange Pekoe served in International and North America Business Class as well as Dilmah’s Orange Pekoe now brewed in Economy and Premium Economy cabins. In addition, specialty teas are available on select routes, including Jasmine (China), Chai (India), Brown Rice Green Tea (Korea), and Japanese Green Tea (Japan).
Pre-Order Expansion and Even More to Come
This year, Air Canada will also expand its popular pre-order meal service, with the roll-out to include premium cabin services within North America, starting with flights offering Signature Class and Premium Economy cabins. Later this year, the pre-order program will introduce options for customers in premium cabins to pre-select their second meal choice on international flights.
Championing low-waste in-flight service, the pre-order program is the perfect pairing to support Air Canada’s commitment to sustainability. This is one of several initiatives the airline is undertaking in its ongoing work to minimize Air Canada’s environmental footprint.
With even more delicious flavours on their way throughout 2024, including new dishes on international inbound flights to Canada, Air Canada continues to invest in making the in-flight travel experience even better for every customer.
