Food will be the focus tomorrow during the opening day of the 2017 NBAA Flight Attendants and Flight Technicians Conference in Long Beach, California. More than 200 corporate cabin-crew, flight department management and maintenance support staff attendees will be able to take several short food-related courses from a bevy of international in-flight catering companies.
“The success of a private flight can hinge on the quality of the food and the service. Everything needs to be just right,” said Air Gourmet kitchen manager Genny Cha, who was a military, then corporate, flight attendant before transitioning to the catering world. “It often means thinking on your feet and acting quickly and decisively. There is simply no room for error when you’re 40,000 feet in the air, serving some of the world’s most discerning clientele.” This year, Cha’s menu includes foods from Korea, the site of the upcoming Winter Olympics.
In-flight catering safety and security is another key focus of the conference. Abbey’s Catering Services is running a mini-course providing key information about what the caterers need, ordering (focus on client allergies and food preferences), packaging, security and the limitations of in-flight caterers around the world.
Once the food is safely aboard, however, concerns turn to how long the food remains “viable”; and proper plating. DaVinci Inflight Training Institute’s Paula Kraft and Scott Arnold are thus offering a mini-course in optimum plating in the tight confines of corporate aircraft galleys.
Finally, The Corporate School of Etiquette’s course is all about serving—the final cog in the intricate mechanism that makes up the ideal corporate flight experience for a client.
