gategroup enhances Lufthansa’s long-haul dining experience to support the future on-board experience | News

portgroupthe world’s leading airline catering and hospitality company, prides itself on working closely together Lufthansa on the airline’s Future Onboard Experience (FOX) initiative, a major program designed to redefine the long-haul travel experience across all classes of travel from 2026.

2026 marks an extraordinary milestone for Lufthansa as the airline celebrates 100 years since its founding. As a premium airline with such a heritage, Lufthansa aims to lead the way by delivering an inflight experience that is unmistakably Lufthansa, while continuing to help shape the future of air travel. FOX is a clear expression of that ambition, combining innovation, individuality and premium service to create a more distinctive and emotionally resonant journey for passengers.

FOX represents a significant investment in customer experience, with an emphasis on greater personalization, greater comfort and a renewed approach to inflight service across the cabin portfolio.

gategroup has worked closely with Lufthansa’s onboard culinary, product and service teams to support the enhancement of the airline’s long-haul dining offering, with a particular focus on Business and First Class. Over the past year, special culinary development workshops, tastings and operational planning meetings have helped shape an elevated dining concept that aligns with Lufthansa’s broader FOX vision.

As part of the new First Class dining concept, Lufthansa and gategroup are introducing a refined culinary approach, defined by minimalist yet intense flavor profiles. The dishes are composed around a small number of carefully selected core components, designed to emphasize the purity and depth of each ingredient. The cuisine is based on classic gastronomic techniques while incorporating subtle global influences, delivered through an elegant, understated presentation that surprises with balance rather than complexity.

Guests will enjoy a curated series of smaller courses, including a trilogy of appetizer, starter and dessert. For the main course, guests can choose between a signature dish or a selection of smaller portions, a concept designed to feel both premium and surprising, while offering greater flexibility and sophistication.

For each new Lufthansa First Class menu cycle, Max Herzog, head chef at Studio 508, developed a series of collaborative culinary development workshops to develop dishes created especially for Lufthansa. These concepts are refined through tastings and co-development before being presented to a dedicated jury, who ultimately select the dishes served on board, so that each menu reflects Lufthansa’s premium ambition, culinary craftsmanship and FOX philosophy.

A real highlight of FOX is the new Business Class dining experience. Building on the success of the Lafer menus on short- and medium-haul routes, Lufthansa and gategroup are now bringing this concept to long-haul flights, in collaboration with celebrity chef Johann Lafer. With FOX, Business Class guests decide for themselves what they want to eat – and when. The introduction of Sky Selection allows the second meal to be fully customized, with a wide range of sweet and savory options, bowls, cakes, snack plates and regional favorites. Before going to sleep, guests can also pre-select their favorite breakfast, from smoothies and egg dishes to freshly baked pastries.

Premium Economy and Economy Class also benefit from meaningful upgrades as part of FOX. Premium Economy moves closer to Business Class with improved snacks, a choice of three main courses, new tableware and a larger tray presentation. In Economy Class, for the first time ever, guests on long-haul flights will have a choice of three main courses, making individuality a standard feature of the on-board dining experience.

Through this partnership portgroup has contributed its expertise in the field of menu development, global food trends, culinary craftsmanship and large-scale operational implementation. The focus has been on designing premium dishes that reflect Lufthansa’s heritage, quality standards and international customer base, while supporting the airline’s ambition to create a more personalized and curated experience. From refining flavor profiles to optimizing dishes for onboard conditions, gategroup has worked with Lufthansa to ensure every element feels thoughtful, contemporary and in line with the FOX ethos.

In addition to culinary development, the collaboration includes careful planning to ensure seamless production and delivery. Drawing on its extensive global network, years of experience in premium catering and advanced quality control systems, gategroup supports Lufthansa in consistently delivering the elevated FOX dining experience at scale, meeting the high expectations of passengers in all cabins.

Lufthansa’s FOX program represents a comprehensive transformation of the onboard journey and includes seating, service, technology and hospitality. Dining plays a central role in that transformation, and Gategroup’s contribution supports the airline’s goal to deliver more variety, improved choice, greater flexibility and an experience that feels curated rather than standardized.

Olaf Mauthe, Head of Inflight Service at Lufthansa, said: “FOX is a key element of our ambition to further develop the Lufthansa onboard experience in a holistic way. With gategroup we share a strong and trusted partnership that allows us to jointly develop new culinary concepts and successfully deploy them. This close collaboration is an important success factor for FOX.”

Herman Anbeek, President Europe gategroup, says: “Congratulations to Lufthansa and its employees! We are proud to be Lufthansa’s partner and support their goal to lead the premium market segment. Our desire for innovation, culinary, quality and consistency to create a memorable customer experience on board is in line with Lufthansa’s objective. We look forward to the full launch of Project Fox in all long-haul cabins this year.

gategroup is pleased to extend its warmest congratulations to Lufthansa on reaching the remarkable milestone of 100 years. This anniversary reflects Lufthansa’s continued commitment to excellence, innovation and connecting people and places around the world. gategroup is proud to support this journey as a trusted partner and deliver catering solutions that enhance the travel experience for passengers around the world.

Lufthansa was voted as Europe’s Leading Airline 2025, Europe’s Leading Airline – Economy Class 2025 and Europe’s Leading Airline Brand 2025 by the World Travel Awards