How Turkish Airlines’ ‘Flying Chefs’ Set The Stage For Five-Star Dining In The Sky

Traveling is enough of a stress-induced headache without having to worry about what questionable meal you’re going to be served on your flight—which is why the award-winning Flying Chef concept on Turkish Airlines might be the best in-flight amenity you’ll find in the air.

Although more and more airlines are slowly starting to improve their food and beverage offerings, for Turkish Airlines, it has always been about attention to detail and working with passionate culinary experts in order to give the best guest experience in the sky. It also doesn’t hurt that the airline pulls inspiration from Turkish cuisine; a mouthwatering myriad of flavors and spices that please the palate on the ground and in the air.

“Turkish Airlines is renowned for its award-winning cuisine and its unique Flying Chefs, who work alongside cabin crew, cooking and overseeing food preparation,” explains Mustafa Can Aydoğdu, a lead chef with Turkish Airlines. Through the program, the airline offers passengers gourmet dishes prepared by chefs to create a luxury experience of dining at a restaurant high above the clouds. “Our premium dining service, designed by our partnership catering company, Turkish DO & CO, allows us to source the freshest, seasonal ingredients and prepare our meals in a commercial kitchen with the highest standard of service.”

The coolest part? Turkish Airlines also offers business class passengers (on flights 8 hours or longer) the option to enjoy their meal by candlelight—a first- for inflight catering. “Candlelit dinners are also served on stylish porcelain tableware that is specially designed for Turkish Airlines,” adds Aydoğdu.

The seamless dining experience doesn’t just happen by accident. Aydoğdu says the Flying Chef program is only as strong as its band of chefs—who require a specific skill set and an honest desire to travel and adapt on the fly. “For us, having talented chefs in all areas of the world as part of our crew is an invaluable asset. We believe Flying Chefs bring diversity and varying perspectives which is ultimately reflected in the premium dining experience we hope to deliver each time, for all passengers,” explains Aydoğdu.

“As with most careers in commercial aviation, the role requires a high level of flexibility and urge to travel, since on average 5-6 long-distance flights will be attended per month.

As Turkish Airlines flies to more countries than any other airline in the world, the cabin must manage different time zones, learn culture nuances, and different languages. “As a chef, the big dream is to see, feel, touch, and taste the Gastronomical richness of the world in its original spots,” shares Aydoğdu. “Working as Flying Chefs we had a chance to find the right source of this dream in each flight. Also while reaching this dream, we have a restaurant where we serve the finest meals over 33,000 feet in the sky. This is like a dream job for a chef who wants to discover the world.”

But what exactly can you expect while dining in the sky with Turkish Airlines? On most flights, passengers will receive a specially curated menu of different local and international meal combinations, including Turkish delicacies, prepared daily with the highest quality and freshest ingredients according to season.

The Turkish dishes served inflight are inspired by a new interpretation of Anatolian cuisine, such as Turkish Airlines’ masterpiece Mantı (Turkish Ravioli) and Sütlaç (Turkish-style rice pudding). In addition, some of the best Turkish wines come from vineyards in Cappadocia that are also offered inflight.

“From the different destinations in the world, we also spot ingredients and meals to welcome our guests in each flight—such as Bibimbab from Korea, sushi and ramen from Japan, mie goreng from Jakarta, kingklip fish from South Africa, steak from the USA,” adds Aydoğdu.

“Turkish Airlines has over a hundred menu combinations prepared by our professional chefs and we never use any frozen ingredients and any additives,” he shares. “With every meal, passengers are served Turkish olive oil and Turkish butter, accompanied by spices and an individual breadbasket.” It’s also worth noting that special requests can be made by passengers for health, religious, or ethical reasons, and for infants and children. Dining onboard varies according to departure time and length of flights and if they are domestic, international or transatlantic.

Aydoğdu is proud to state that Flying Chefs are on board for passenger satisfaction above all else and aim to provide a five-star dining experience in the sky—whether that’s the Turkish dessert cart or simply having an experienced culinary professional to provide expert recommendations. “Our guests can easily find detailed answers and suggestions about the food and beverages in the aircraft just by asking Flying Chefs on board,” he says.

In fact, in a lot of cases, the meal service onboard Turkish Airlines outdoes a lot of fine-dining restaurants on the ground. “Our passengers always have the chance to choose their meat cooked according to their choice, rare, medium, well done… just like in a fancy restaurant.”

Where else is it encouraged to get picky about your preferences while at 30,000 feet?