User:Sayhitobel/sandbox

1920s
Daimler Airway pioneered the service of light refreshments. Their flight attendant, also known as the cabin boy, would procure food from the local markets before preparing and serving them in lunch boxes. Planes would often have to land at destinations even where no passengers were boarding or disembarking, just so existing passengers could have their meals while the plane was being refuelled.

The first airline meals were served by Handley Page Transport, an airline company founded in 1919, to serve the London–Paris route in October of that year. Passengers could choose from a selection of sandwiches and fruit. In-flight menus were not often changed, as the low frequency of air travel meant that passengers would be less likely to notice the similarity of food served.

Only chewing gum was served on the inaugural Pan Am flight in 1929, in order to prevent airsickness. Flights in this era of air travel were extremely noisy and uncomfortable, with passengers often anxious about flying for the first time.

In the late 1920s, Western Air Express was one of the first airlines to serve in-flight meals in the United States, beginning with flights between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Food served included fried chicken, cake, fruits and sandwiches. Mealtimes served as a distraction from the unpleasant flight experience and helped ease nerves.

1930s
Dining areas got increasingly spacious, providing passengers with the freedom to move around and mingle while having their meals. For that reason, the 1930s were described as the “most romantic” era of air travel. Aircraft lounges were elaborately designed, accompanied with posh chinaware and white tablecloths.

United Airlines set up the first dedicated in-flight catering kitchen. Based in Oakland, California, this initiative provided passengers with a choice of either scrambled eggs or fried chicken as the main course. At the same time, improvements in flight technologies and aircraft capabilities posed a new set of problems for meal service. Flying at higher altitudes meant that eggs took a longer time to cook, and bread would spoil much faster.

Pan Am is known to be the first airline to heat food in-flight, on board a Sikorsky S-42. The delivery of bigger aircraft like the Boeing 247s and Douglas DC-3 s meant more space for hot stoves and fridges to be fitted on board. Such an upgrade of the flight experience was a way to differentiate themselves from competitors.

1940s
New aircraft built after the end of WWII were more advanced than those of the early 1940s, but food heating and service technology had not quite caught up. However, passengers came to expect food to be served on almost every flight, even on ultra short-hauls ones between nearby cities. One Eastern Airline flight crew recalled having to serve sandwiches and drinks within the twenty minute flight between Washington D.C. to Richmond, Virginia.

WWII US Navy veteran and founder of the W. L. Maxson Corporation William Maxson introduced the idea of heating up frozen food in-flight, parallel to the post-war surge in the development of refrigerators. His famous ‘sky plate’ was first meant as an option for naval troops to have hot meals, but soon found its way into Pan Am as a legitimate way of serving pre-made food. Pan-Am started serving pre-made frozen meals, similar to the meal choices on board modern-day commercial flights. The service of frozen food was well-received and encouraged by airline management, since it greatly reduced the problem of food wastage when flights were cancelled.

In 1946, the number of flyers increased to the point where flight attendants had to serve two times the number of passengers in two thirds the amount of time. There was increasing pressure to serve food fast during meal service as flight times gradually became shorter. Passengers were expected to consume their meals quickly, especially when tray tables had to be stowed for landing.

1950s
The cabin galley began to take shape and passengers came to expect their meals to be served from the back of the aircraft. Newer jet liners had at least three galleys, with at least one serving each travel class. Airlines would sometimes whip up special menus if the occasion called for it. When the British royal family came to Australia in 1954, Qantas passengers could tuck into fish topped with hollandaise sauce and lamb cutlets paired with potatoes.

In 1958, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) officially recognised economy as a distinct travel class. This gave rise to what is known as the ‘sandwich war’, where IATA issued an agreement with airlines that they were only allowed to serve simple and low-cost food in economy class. European and North American airlines interpreted this ruling different, with the former serving conventional sandwiches, while the latter group of airlines whipping up appetizers featuring asparagus and ox tongue. After rounds of meetings and negotiations, IATA ruled that sandwiches should not be overly elaborate, and should look more like what airlines in the US serve. Eventually, airlines did begin serving higher-quality food to economy class passengers due to increased competition.

The 1950s was also a decade where the female stewardess began to be seen as an icon of air travel, particularly through the imagery of stewardesses as ‘waitresses in the air’. Japan Airlines (JAL) would serve American food with Japanese twists on board their Tokyo-San Francisco route. The decision to serve meals consisting of roast potatoes and pineapple salad instead of Japanese staples like rice was made by JAL’s upper management in order to cater to the tastes of foreign passengers.

1960s
As jets began to fly at higher altitudes, in-flight meal caterers had to curb the problem of decreased taste bud sensitivity amongst passengers. The low humidity in cabins would affect passengers’ sense of smell, thus affecting ability to taste. Thus, menus with stronger tasting food and beverages had to be devised and served. Cheaper wines were found to be tastier than more expensive varieties when consumed at cruising altitude.

Cathay Pacific was one of the first international airlines to pivot from solely serving traditional cuisines, which were long seen as comfort food for the stress and unfamiliarity of travel. The airline had shark fin soup, kangaroo tail soup and even flaming baked Alaska on its menu. Aviation observers note that Cathay might have had the liberty to make this decision due to its non-membership in the IATA. Regardless, the Hong Kong carrier has since stopped serving and shipping shark fin on board their flights.

In 1969, the Boeing 747 jetliner was introduced to commercial aviation. 362 passengers were serviced by a total of 6 galleys. Rolling carts also made their maiden appearance— and although these carts were first thought to increase the efficiency of meal service, the increased number of passengers meant that there was no significant decrease in meal service times.

Rapid industrialization also forced airlines to come up with strategies to serve the most number of passengers in the shortest possible time. Economy classes across the board switched from glassware to plastic to minimize the need for washing and cleaning, while smaller, bite-size food like sandwiches were frequently served so that passengers would finish their meals quicker.

1970s
The Business Class started to be seen as a travel class of its own, with airlines often adopting unique sets of cutlery and plating services to distinguish it from Economy Class. At the same time, Budget airlines began to increase in popularity as a low-cost travel option. Meals were usually not served unless pre-ordered and paid for, although packets of peanuts would usually be distributed to passengers. Southwest Airlines started this practice of serving peanuts mid-flight, although the budget carrier removed this option in 2018, after concerns over peanuts being an allergen surfaced.

Air France and British Airways were well known for their lavish first class offerings, with caviar, foie gras and champagnes being the norm to be served. These food items would also later be serve on board the Concorde. The Concorde retained its luxurious menu till her standing down from service in 2003, maintaining a menu which included lobster and truffles.

In 1973, French airline Union de Transports Aeriens became the first air carrier to engage a chef to improve their in-flight menu. French chef Raymond Oliver was tasked by the airline to overhaul their menus in light of the altered tastebuds at high altitudes. Oliver increased the amount of salt, sugar and oil used in their recipes, resulting in an almost immediate improvement in taste.

The spread of transitional trade enabled in-flight caterers to streamline their food production facilities. Ingredients from different parts of the world would be flown into a centralized kitchen for cooking and packing, then transported to another city and loaded on board an outbound flight. Pan Am was one such airline, with kitchens in resource-rich cities like New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo.

1980s-Present
High air travel demand has meant that airlines have been forced to find new ways to cut costs. In 1987, Robert L. Crandall, the president and chairman of American Airlines reportedly saved the company up to $40,000 a year just by removing a single olive from their first class meals.

In 2006, a plot to set off explosives on board ten transatlantic flights using homemade explosives was uncovered. This led to liquids measuring more than 100ml being banned from all flights, forcing passengers to purchase pricer beverages at airport and on board the aircraft.

In 2016, British Airways scrapped the service of the second meal in premium economy and economy class for all short haul flights. Passengers had to make do with snacks or purchase an extra meal should they get hungry.

International airlines have been working with celebrity or Michelin-star chefs to further elevate the mid-air dining experience. Examples include American Airlines’ partnership with restaurateur and judge on Food Network cooking game show Chopped Maneet Chauhanon on their first and business class menus, and Singapore Airline’s Book the Cook, where passengers flying in the premium classes have the option to choose their meals from selections created by the airline’s panel of chefs.

The COVID-19 pandemic saw in-flight dining become an experience of nostalgia, as people bought set meals to dine on the ground. In 2020, Singapore Airlines hosted diners on their grounded Airbus A380 s, as part of the “Discover Your Singapore Airlines: Restaurant A380 @ Changi” experience. Tickets sold out without 30 minutes of its launch.