For frequent flyers and foodies alike, Air France has long held a reputation as the gold standard of in-flight dining. From its long-standing partnerships with Michelin-starred chefs to its insistence on showcasing the best of French food at 30,000 feet, the airline has made its meals more than just typical airline food, but rather an experience.
The chef
Air France has recently added the celebrated French chef Daniel Boulud to its roster. Daniel is a world-renowned French chef and restaurateur known for his refined take on traditional French cuisine.
Born in Lyon, France, Boulud trained under legendary chefs before moving to the U.S. in the early 1980s. He gained prominence as executive chef at New York’s Le Cirque before opening his flagship restaurant, Daniel, in 1993, which has earned multiple Michelin stars. Over the years, he has built a global empire of acclaimed restaurants, authored cookbooks, and launched catering and wine ventures, cementing his status as one of the most influential figures in modern French gastronomy.
Celebrated chef Daniel Boulud has partnered with Air France.
The menu
Air France’s new menu, crafted in collaboration with Boulud and long-time partner Dominique Crenn, is now featured in business class cabins on flights departing from major U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., with full rollout across all U.S. departures planned for November 2025.
Crenn, who joined forces with the airline in 2024, brings her signature California-inspired finesse, while Boulud contributes deeply rooted French classics with a modern touch.
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Boulud’s offerings reflect both sophistication and seasonality. A sample business class menu includes dishes like a burrata and fresh fig salad with avocado cream, poultry in mild spices with root vegetables and rice pilaf, and trout in vin jaune sauce topped with hazelnut crumble. This is followed by a classic cheese selection and capped off with a decadent chocolate and caramel pudding.
In Air France’s first-class cabin with its luxurious private suites, the menu elevates even further with dishes like saffron chicken with turnips and pumpkin, or lamb shank in rosemary sauce with Swiss chard.
Daniel Boulud said, “We also wanted a seasonal menu that would allow guests to enjoy different recipes throughout the year, especially if they are frequent flyers.” Dishes will be rotated monthly, allowing flyers to “discover new ones every time they’re on an Air France flight.” Each dish is an expression of refined French technique with global sensibilities, adapted thoughtfully for the unique challenges of in-flight service.
Desserts, too, have been revitalized. A standout is the Coeur de Bretagne, a layered treat of salted butter caramel, milk chocolate, and hazelnut biscuit crafted by Breton pastry chef Laurent le Daniel.
Air France is the perfect airline for foodies.
Dining while flying
Cooking for the skies isn’t simply a matter of scaling down fine dining. Meals must be precooked, chilled, reheated mid-flight, and served with precision, all within the tight constraints of a galley kitchen. There are also physiological considerations: Our taste buds are dulled at altitude, meaning flavors must be calibrated to come through clearly. “We can’t flambé filet mignon tableside at 35,000 feet,” Boulud jokes, “but we can still make it delicious.”
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While the food alone is enough to make you want to linger, the full experience, enhanced by Burgundy wines, intuitive service, and cutting-edge in-flight entertainment, makes for a journey where the destination almost feels secondary.
This story was originally reported by TravelHost on Oct 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Airlines section. Add TravelHost as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Dining and Cooking