Air New Zealand has launched a new inflight menu to highlight the finest local produce and show meals are anything but plane at 40,000ft. The airline is unveiling its new Business Premier menu, which showcases the best of Aotearoa on a plate, including local ingredients like Southland Lamb Prosciutto, Hawke’s Bay extra virgin olive oil and mānuka smoked free-range chicken from the Waikato. Last week, Air New Zealand customers flying to and from Rarotonga were given a first taste of the Business Premier menu, which will be officially launched and rolled out on all long-haul routes from October. To welcome customers to their dining experience, the airline has also introduced a Koha from the Kitchen to be served after take-off. SEE the podcast: Flight Safety Detectives dissect the Netflix doco “Downfall”. READ: Boeing will bounce back says world’s largest leasing company READ: Ukraine’s President wants to build another AN-225 The airline’s culinary team has put together these bite-sized morsels to hero local ingredients and as a token of gratitude to those flying with us. Air New Zealand General Manager Customer Leeanne Langridge says “We all know how important food is when travelling and what a difference it makes to our customers to be served a tasty meal full of fresh, local produce while on their journey. “Our inflight meals showcase the best of New Zealand produce to the world and also gives our Kiwi customers a taste of home from the moment they are welcomed onboard. “Through customer research, we found our Premium customers wanted more choice in the air, so we’ve added a build your own component to the main meal service. Customers can add the likes of seared Salmon from Marlborough, free-range chicken from Waikato or bacon for greater protein, or streamed green vegetables or fresh, crisp salads picked straight from orchards and fields in Gisborne, Waikato or the Manawatū.” Many of the meals like the artisan pasta bowl and superfood salad are also vegetarian, giving passengers plenty of meat-free options. Air New Zealand works with many well-known local suppliers when it comes to creating its menu. To keep up with changing food trends, the airline switches up the menu three times a year on long-haul flights, with more frequent changes for its Australia and Pacific Island routes. Air New Zealand will also be refreshing its Premium Economy and Economy offering at the same time. Sustainability has been at the forefront of developing the new menu, and the airline will also be rolling out new sustainable service ware in all cabins, helping to reduce weight and single-use plastic on the aircraft. The new serviceware in the Premium cabins can reduce weight on an aircraft by around 20 per cent, and switching to a more sustainable serviceware option in the Economy cabin could also remove some 28 million single-use plastic dishes and knives, forks and spoons from inflight every year. “This is another step towards our sustainability goals. We have been on a journey towards reducing the impact of our serviceware on the environment and the beautiful country we call home, by moving away from single-use plastics to more sustainable options,” Ms Langridge said.