David Hawksworth to take Air Canada's inflight dining to new heights

In the quest to serve the very best on-board menu, Air Canada has partnered with renowned Canadian Chef David Hawksworth, from Vancouver’s award-winning Hawksworth Restaurant.

Bringing a fresh approach to the meals served on-board, Hawksworth has designed a variety of signature dishes, which will be exclusively featured on Air Canada flights in International Business Class and Maple Leaf Lounges.

Smoked Ontario Duck Breast (Image courtesy of Air Canada)

“My team and I are relishing the unique challenge of developing dishes that can be enjoyed at 35,000 feet,” Hawksworth said in a media release. “It’s an honour and a pleasure to be invited by Air Canada to share my concept of Canadian cuisine and to create compelling dishes for their passengers that will showcase the very best of our region. I look forward to giving passengers a small taste of my restaurant here in Vancouver and taking my personal culinary philosophy to new heights with Air Canada.”

Tamari Roasted Sablefish (Image courtesy of Air Canada)

Under the guidance of Hawksworth flight caterers and Maple Leaf Lounge providers will create a range of seasonal dining options, including appetizers, salads, main courses and desserts, which will align with the airline’s current route-inspired dining on international flights.

As of October 1, Business Class flyers can expect to find contemporary creations like Yellowfin tuna tataki served with scallion ginger vinaigrette, passion fruit and puffed rice; Tamari roasted sablefish served with bok choy, brown rice and chili miso vinaigrette, and a decadent dark chocolate fondant with blackberry compote.

In addition to these quality inflight meals, International Maple Leaf Lounges will offer a Mediterranean quinoa salad with tomato, olive, cucumber, feta and arugula.

Dark chocolate fondant (Image courtesy of Air Canada)

“We are thrilled to partner with Chef Hawksworth to elevate our dining experience,” Craig Landry, Vice President of Marketing at Air Canada, said in the release. “As a proud Canadian brand, we see the opportunity to showcase the very best of Canadian-influenced menus designed by one of Canada’s most respected and award-winning Chefs.

“This culinary partnership complements our investments in our state-of-the-art International Business Class product and service enhancements being rolled out across our Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner fleets,” Landry said.