Aerowisata makes flight more enjoyable with food
By Christiani S.A. Tumelap
JAKARTA (JP): Flying high in the sky is not only about getting to destinations quickly and safely, but also enjoying the meals served by the airlines.
PT Aerowisata Catering Service, the sole supplier of meals to domestic and international airlines flying within, to and from Indonesia, has a story to tell about how they prepare the meals.
First of all, variation in food makes travel more enjoyable, according to company general manager Bambang Soerachim.
"We keep changing the meals. The menu for Garauda's flight from Jakarta to Surabaya changes every 10 days. Some international airlines change it every season," he said.
The company also accepts special requests, like vegetarian meals for Hindu people and vegetarians, salt-free meals for diabetic patients, as well as children's meals.
"We also prepare special meals for free, except for birthdays or other celebration purposes, provided that they were ordered by the time the passengers do the bookings," he said.
During the Islamic fasting month of Ramadhan, he said, meals for domestic airlines are packed in boxes so that passengers who are fasting can take the boxes with them after landing.
ACS, a subsidiary of the state-owned flag carrier Garuda Indonesia Airways, started operation in 1981.
It now serves about 35 domestic and international airlines, including Aeroflot, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Continental, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, Gatari, Japan Airlines, KLM, Merpati, Qantas, Saudia Airlines, Sempati Air and Singapore Airlines, as well as charter flights, Presidential and VVIP flights.
ACS makes about 6,000 meals for breakfast, 4,000 meals for snacks and between 9,000 and 11,000 meals for lunch and dinner a day for domestic economy class flights, Bambang said.
It currently operates three huge kitchens at the Jakarta, Surabaya and Denpasar airports.
The company recruits international chefs to maintain quality.
Executive chef Peter Cole of the United States took The Jakarta Post around the company's huge kitchen at Soekarno-Hatta airport and explained the process of preparing the in-flight foods.
Cleanliness and taste are very important in the in-flight catering business, he said.
"We have representatives from each of our foreign airline customers coming to check the procedures in the preparation of the foods here almost every week."
Passengers, he said, got angry if they found a worm in their salad or a tiny stone or strand of hair in their rice, he said.
"Cases like that have sometimes occurred, even though we have washed everything thoroughly," he said.
The foodstuff was supplied by local and overseas companies, he said. According to Bambang, there were about 20 local suppliers, including cooperatives.
Foreign airlines usually requested food made of imported raw material.
All imported materials are of duty-free products. Meats are imported from the United States and Australia, while dairy products are bought from Australia and New Zealand, he said.
"But vegetables, chocolates and fruits are mostly supplied by local producers," Cole added.
To keep all the materials fresh, the kitchen's temperature is kept between five Celsius and 20 Celsius degrees, he said. At the aircraft, the food is stored at a temperature of less than 10 Celsius degrees.
"We make around 24,000 meals every day. In the fasting month, the meals are down to between 22,000 and 23,000 a day," he said. "And we cook halal foods only," he added.
ACS needs between 4,000 kilograms and 5,500 kilograms of meats, 1,500 kilograms of chickens, 600 kilograms of vegetables, 600 to 800 kilograms of fruits, as well as 24,000 kilograms of eggs a day.
Many kinds of snacks are prepared every day. Among them are between 8,000 and 12,000 sandwiches, 3,500 lumpias (Chinese dumplings with bamboo-shoot, carrots and meats) and about 20,000 pastries, including rolls, Danish pastries and puffs.