Lufthansa has appointed the Gategroup airline catering and hospitality company to help deliver its Future Onboard Experience (FOX) initiative, a programme designed to enhance the long-haul travel experience across all cabin classes.
The FOX initiative is being launched in 2026, the year in which Lufthansa is celebrating 100 years since its founding. While the airline is looking back fondly on its heritage, it is also looking to the future of its passenger experiences, with innovation, individuality and premium service being key goals.
The investment in FOX focuses on greater personalisation, enhanced comfort and a refreshed approach to onboard service across every travel class, from first class to economy.
Gategroup has been collaborating with Lufthansa’s culinary, product and inflight service teams on the long-haul dining services, with a particular focus on business class and first class.
Over the past year, the teams have held culinary development workshops, tasting sessions and operational planning meetings to create an enhances dining concept. Gategroup has also worked to ensure the FOX catering offer can be delivered at the scale required of an international airline.
First class upgrades
As part of the new dining concept for first class, Lufthansa and Gategroup are introducing what they say is a more refined culinary approach based on classic fine dining techniques, defined by “minimalist yet intense flavour profiles”. The dishes will be made from a small number of core components, so the purity and depth of each ingredient can be appreciated. There will be subtle global influences, and elegant and restrained presentation.
First-class customers will be offered a sequence of small entree courses, including an amuse-bouche, starter and dessert. For the main course, guests can choose between a signature dish or a selection of smaller portions.
For each new Lufthansa First Class menu cycle, Max Herzog, executive chef at Studio 508 (the dedicated culinary studio and development kitchen operated by Gategroup for Lufthansa) worked through a series of joint culinary development workshops to develop dishes for Lufthansa.
These culinary concepts are refined through tastings and collaborative development before being presented to a judging panel, which selects which dishes should be served on board.
Flexible dining in business class
The FOX dining experience continues in business class, with menus that build on the Lafer menus introduced last year on short- and medium-haul routes, developed with famous Austrian chef, Johann Lafer with a focus on regional European ingredients. Lufthansa and Gategroup are now bringing this concept to the FOX long-haul service.
Business-class customers can decide what they want to eat, and when. The introduction of the Sky Selection dining programme allows the second meal to be fully customisable, offering a wide range of sweet and savoury options, bowls, cakes, snack plates and regional favourites. Before going to sleep, guests can also pre-select their preferred breakfast, from smoothies and egg dishes, to freshly baked bread rolls.
More choice in economy
The premium economy and cconomy-class cabins also receive dining upgrades as part of FOX. Premium economy is moving closer to a business-class experience, with enhanced appetisers, a choice of three main courses, new tableware, and a larger tray presentation. In economy class, guests will (for the first time on Lufthansa long-haul flights) be offered a choice of three main dishes.
