Air France is Expanding Its Michelin-Designed Dining
Laura McQuarrie — February 24, 2026 — Lifestyle
References: corporate.airfrance & businesstraveller
In 2026, Air France is expanding its Michelin-designed dining across all North American departures, bringing exceptionally crafted dishes designed by Michelin-starred chef Frédéric Simonin to travelers flying out of the United States and Canada.
Air France has trusted Simonin to design its Premium cabin hot dishes since 2023, but these menus have remained accessible only to select points of departure. Now, these more widely accessible Premium meals, developed in close collaboration with airline caterer Servair, offer a choice of two hot dishes, including a vegetarian option, and menus are refreshed regularly. Currently, what's on offer are scallops with tapioca pearl sauce and asparagus pasta, as well as a trofie pasta bake with porcini mushrooms and hazelnuts.
The experience is further elevated on eligible flights by welcoming passengers with a glass of champagne shortly after takeoff, and the full French-style meal served with stainless steel cutlery and proper glassware.
Air France has trusted Simonin to design its Premium cabin hot dishes since 2023, but these menus have remained accessible only to select points of departure. Now, these more widely accessible Premium meals, developed in close collaboration with airline caterer Servair, offer a choice of two hot dishes, including a vegetarian option, and menus are refreshed regularly. Currently, what's on offer are scallops with tapioca pearl sauce and asparagus pasta, as well as a trofie pasta bake with porcini mushrooms and hazelnuts.
The experience is further elevated on eligible flights by welcoming passengers with a glass of champagne shortly after takeoff, and the full French-style meal served with stainless steel cutlery and proper glassware.
Trend Themes
1. Gourmet Inflight Dining - Rising passenger appetite for restaurant-quality meals inflight is enabling culinary experiences that blur the line between air travel and fine dining.
2. Michelin Collaboration Expansion - Collaborations with Michelin-starred chefs are being scaled beyond flagship routes, creating opportunities for branded menu collections across wider networks.
3. Premium Service Standardization - Standardized elements like stainless-steel cutlery, proper glassware, and curated beverage pairings are elevating expectations for consistent luxury in premium cabins.
Industry Implications
1. Airline Catering - Airline caterers are positioned to reconfigure supply chains and kitchen partnerships to produce chef-designed hot meals at scale for diverse departure points.
2. Luxury Hospitality - Hotel and restaurant groups could extend their brand experiences into the sky through licensing or co-branded inflight dining concepts tied to their culinary reputations.
3. Food Production Technology - Advances in meal preservation, reheating systems, and modular packaging are enabling higher-quality, multi-course menus to be delivered reliably on long-haul flights.
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