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waterways and natural spaces.
The change was designed to help the planet while also providing a positive experience for guests, allowing them to travel with greater peace of mind, seeing clearly that the onboard service of their flight was not contributing to the global single-use plastics problem.
the communities it serves and is focused on care: caring for the guests, caring for the employees, and caring for the planet.
In 2021, the carrier published aggressive goals on the environment, social impact and governance with the intention of getting to net zero carbon emissions by 2040. These goals included the replacement of the top five sources of onboard waste by 2025, one of which was plastic cups. The team began the process of eliminating the five largest sources of plastic waste in 2018 by removing plastic straws and stir sticks from inflight service – a first for any airline at the time.
In 2021, progress continued with the elimination of inflight plastic water bottles when the airline replaced these with Boxed Water, another first for airlines. Boxed Water cartons are made from renewable FSC certified paper, 92% of which is plant-based, saving an estimated 1.8 million pounds of single-use plastics on Alaska Airlines' flights annually.
The airline plans to continue this progress and remove other high-use components containing plastic over the next two years.
Going further
cup, the airline looked for constraints, had the ability
In selecting the new onboard cup, the airline looked for a plastic alternative that was lightweight, fitted its very specific galley space constraints, had the ability to nest within each other, and could withstand many different types of liquid, including alcohol (up to 45% ABV), without deterioration of the interior wall.
In addition, the team prioritised certified components.
The airline prides itself on supporting healthy ecosystems in
The team says: “Being the first airline to make a change is never easy. Any change requires broad collaboration with supply chain and inflight teams to ensure operational execution is possible. While the travel industry is a large contributor to carbon emissions, there are steps that can be taken to reduce the impact while still exploring our world.
"Many of our guests are actively looking to reduce their use of single-use plastics so by eliminating these plastic cups inflight we're extending our guests on-the-ground habits to the inflight experience as well as giving them great peace of mind.
“In 2021, Alaska established climate goals for its impacts in carbon, waste and water while defining a five-part pathway to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040 to keep the places we live and fly to beautiful and viable for generations to come. These decisions are in line with our core value of 'doing the right thing'.” •
AUSTRIAN AIRLINES brings its distinctive local cuisine onboard with its new Tastefully Austrian concept
Authentic Viennese
The Tastefully Austrian service and menu concept was designed for passengers on continental flights in response to their need, wishes and demands. Austria’s capital, Vienna, is the only city in the world to give its name to a distinct style of food, Viennese cuisine. The first Viennese cookbook was printed as early as 1768 and to this day, Austrian cuisine remains a key part of the nation’s culture.
Austrian Airlines is now bringing a piece of this Austrian tradition to the skies in an authentic and contemporary way.
Viennese cuisine is the focus of the menu concept and includes seasonal elements changed weekly in eight cycles to ensure variety for even frequent flyers. The regional, fresh and artfully presented food is adapted in different levels depending on the flight, time of day and route. The new concept aims to also cut waste and single-use plastics.
Catering
The catering concept combines individuality, culinary experience and Austria’s contemporary and authentic style. In Service Level A, the ‘one move service’, the packaging means passengers can eat at once or take-away. Service Level B is a
Regional & seasonal
in specially developed packaging. Passengers can decide spontaneously when they would like to eat their fresh muesli or a handmade sandwich filled, for example, with cheddar cheese, tomato and onion chutney or smoked salmon and rocket.
On the longer routes, cold or hot dishes are offered according to the length of flight. For breakfast perhaps a poached organic egg or raspberry pancakes; later in the day, hand-cut leg ham may be offered with fresh horseradish, or inspiring poke bowls, a classic beef goulash or juicy salmon fillet with a mountain of lentils.
The diverse desserts come from the houses of K. u. K. Hofzuckerbäckerei Demel and DO&CO. Among them are Sachertorte, panna cotta coffee, apple strudel or K. u. K. Hofzuckerbäckerei Demel's raspberry yogurt tartlet.
On medium-haul flights, guests are offered a twostep concept. The two-course menu with bread trio and a light spread is reminiscent of elegant restaurant dining and can be personalised. Main courses include the classic Viennese tafelspitz or traditional schlutzkrapfen followed by Austrian apple strudel or Kaiserschmarrn.
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personalised to suit passenger tastes or significant upgrade. It includes cold dishes, colourful breakfast bowls, delicious desserts and gourmet hot dishes. Service Level C offers international dishes outbound and classic, Austrian dishes inbound. And Service Level D brings restaurant flair onboard with a dip and bread trio plus warm pastries. Dishes can be personalised to suit passenger tastes or served as individual items.
The offer is adapted to the changing demands of passengers taking account of trends and issues such as sustainability, health priorities and lifestyle choices. The dishes are easy to understand, colourful, high-quality, fresh, seasonal and regional. The concept aims to combine tradition, craftsmanship and modern elements into a coherent passenger experience.
Selected fresh, regional and colourful ingredients and products of high quality are used throughout.
Bread and pastry culture is given new attention on medium-haul flights where the bread trio is served in its own basket alongside highlights of Viennese pastry cuisine.
On the shortest flights, ‘hand pastries’ are offered
Sustainability is an important part of Austrian Airlines corporate philosophy and the airline is committed to ensuring its contractual partners also live up to its ideals. In collaboration with its partners, it is customising each departure to take account of regional supply and freshness, and as a result 80% of the food processed by DO&CO comes from local suppliers. In this way, the airline is directly supporting local communities while helping to reduce emissions in a natural way.
Service/Crew
The Tastefully Austrian concept, created in partnership with DO&CO and K. u. K. Hofzuckerbäckerei Demel, is designed to give guests a wonderful, relaxed and satisfying flying experience that shows Austrian cuisine can be sophisticated and down-to-earth at the same time. It is delivered by crew renowned for their natural friendliness and charm. Tailoring the offer by flight ensures it is easily prepared and served with love and care by the crew. •