G A LLEY E QUIPMENT
Diets and allergies
Paula Kraft says there is a lot of focus on flight
attendants to be supremely flexible, responding
to changes on the fly. “There are so many trending
diets out there,” she says. “Flight attendants can
plan a meal and a passenger can get on the aircraft
and say they’re on the Keto diet, intermittent fasting
or Whole 30 – then it doesn’t matter what they
ordered, they have to accommodate the passenger.
They have to know what food preparations are
acceptable for all of those meals.”
Kraft also points out that it’s vital to understand all
passengers’ food allergies and sensitivities. She hails
flight attendants’ dedication. “They are the ones who
have to store things creatively,” she says. “They work
when everybody else is taking rest time. They are the
ones calling caterers and out picking up special
items for passengers. Their job doesn’t end.”
B usiness jet passengers expect the best food and
service, but the equipment on board may not
always be a recipe for success. Flight attendants
most often fill the gaps, coming up with creative solutions
to the challenges of confined space and variable menus,
but say there is room for the industry to improve by
offering a better layout and more efficient equipment.
Paula Kraft, managing partner at the DaVinci Inflight
Training Institute, says that space is the biggest issue, not
just for food preparation but also for storage and
clean-up. “There’s a need for more storage and ovens
that can accommodate a little bit more food,” she says.
“I would also love to see induction cooking equipment
on board, because that would make it harder for flight
attendants to burn themselves, or to have issues
preparing meals. You can do so many things with
“There’s a need for more storage and ovens
that can accommodate a little bit more
food. I would also love to see induction
cooking equipment on board”
businessjetinteriorsinternational.com
060 JULY 2019
On Air Dining sees
demand for halal,
vegetarian and vegan
options, and also
caters for allergies
and intolerances
induction cooking – from dry or air frying to searing,
sautéing and roasting. There is also an issue with
dishwashing, the storage of dirty dishes and finding
places to store serving dishes.”
Kraft points out that a single meal could involve
serving two or three courses to 16 people – so the
number of plates quickly racks up. Wine storage can
also be a problem. She says the biggest hurdle – at least
in many charter and fractional jets – is that space is
allocated primarily to passenger seating. Leaving more
room for the galley may imply losing a potential seat.
Kraft has seen a requirement for full meals to be
served on flights as short as 30 minutes, which can put
a strain on flight attendants working in limited space;
for example, when several dishes have to be put through
the ovens separately.
/businessjetinteriorsinternational.com