01 December, 2006 – Effective today, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is implementing its revamped in-flight catering product worldwide including brand new route-specific menus for India flights.
The overall changes in catering will affect KLM’s World Business Class and intercontinental Economy Class product, as well as KLM Europe Select aboard KLM and KLM cityhopper flights. KLM passengers ex-India will specially benefit as the airline will introduce new route dedicated food concepts and menus onboard flights between India and Amsterdam.
“The improvements were prompted by surveys conducted among passengers, assessing their needs and ratings of our inflight products. The new products were developed in collaboration with leading gastronomic experts. We will be offering better quality meals and we have modernized the design of our trays, crockery and cutlery,” said Erik Varwijk, executive vice president – Inflight Services.
World Business Class
World Business Class passengers onboard KLM’s flights ex-India enjoy a choice of exquisitely prepared three-course Indian and Western meals. Passengers will now be able to choose from new Indian menus developed in collaboration with renowned London based Chef Andy Varma, the driving force behind the Vama Group and owner of the famous restaurant The Indian Room in London.
On all KLM flights ex-Amsterdam World Business Class passenger will be treated to the internationally renowned and highly innovative cuisine of Jacques and Laurent Pourcel. The brothers, who run top-class restaurants in many countries, have produced recipes for the hors d’oeuvre, three main courses, and dessert. This culinary partnership will run from December 1 until the start of the summer schedule.
Passengers will find detailed information on all new products in a special menu and brochure.
Intercontinental Economy Class
On all flights to and from India, KLM’s Economy Class passengers will be offered a larger choice of Indian and Western cuisine, which will both be available as a full menu. The food is set to improve qualitatively, with special attention to local preferences as well as quantitatively, with larger meal portions and accompaniments.
To complement the new meals, the trays, crockery and cutlery have been redesigned to overall improve meal presentation.
In addition to new meals, the current hot snack served shortly after the typical post midnight take-off from India will be supplemented with a snack box containing a choice of 3 light snacks, perfect for a late night bite.
The new Indian menus in Economy Class ex-Amsterdam have been specially developed in collaboration with Chef Andy Varma and will be served in distinctive branded packaging. The new branding will initially be implemented on Amsterdam-India flights and effective April’07 will also feature onboard KLM’s flights from India.
Economy Class passengers aboard KLM’s other intercontinental flights will also be offered a whole new catering concept. On flights departing from Schiphol, passengers will be served meals developed together with the Italian food specialties group Bertolli, a Unilever subsidiary. In response to customer survey results, KLM will increase the portions of hors d’oeuvres and desserts by 40%.
Europe Select
Effective December 1, meals served in KLM cityhopper’s KLM Europe Select will be identical to those served aboard KLM flights, in terms of content and quality. The new meals were developed together with Peter Klosse, owner of top Dutch restaurant De Echoput in Apeldoorn and founder of the Dutch Academy for Gastronomy. The new box and tray were selected by a special panel of 100 Flying Blue members.
On KLM and KLM cityhopper flights lasting less than 100 hundred minutes, Europe Select passengers will receive a specially developed meal box, with drinks served in a porcelain mug and glassware. On European flights lasting more than 100 minutes, the meals will be served on trays. The meal box and tray have a matching design.
KLM Economy in Europe
The renewal of the KLM catering product will be rounded off in March 2007, with the introduction of a new, identical KLM Economy catering product aboard all European flights operated by KLM and KLM cityhopper. “The introduction of this improved meal service marks the completion of our program to renew the KLM cityhopper product,” said Michel Coumans, Director of KLM cityhopper. KLM’s regional subsidiary is in the process of revamping the interior and exterior of its Fokker fleet.
