Because plane food doesn’t have to be plain

The brief

PDD Futures is an initiative we run to investigate and inspire the development of new products and services. We then take our ideas off the page and create solid examples, so our clients not only get to see the future on paper, but hold it in their hands too. The platinum in-flight food system no exception - an investigation we made into how technology might be able to offer passengers a meal that’s anything but ‘airline food’. 

What we did

Currently, cost, time and weight work against the quality of inflight meals. So the Platinum project combines a selection of technologies to see what could be achieved in the very near future in spite of these constraints. Each compartment contains fresh ingredients that are cooked using an induction heating process, giving you steamed, grilled, fried and even chilled foods, all in one tray. Heat elements are either embedded in the base unit or work together with a purpose designed heating chamber to provide the overall cooking effect. In the grill area, the metallic loop in the cover produces an additional localised heat transfer to create a char-grill effect. The steam compartment contains replenishable, gel-based water pockets and the chilled compartment is insulated to keep the contents cool. A single-plate meal neatly separated on the plate but otherwise exactly as it would be in a restaurant.

Result

Watch this space. All we can tell you for sure is how well suited our system is for current aircraft conditions. With a local energy heating method as well as virtually 100% material re-use, this product meets the strict criteria for maximising essential weight-fuel cost conversions. And in an increasingly health conscious world, it could be a key differentiator for the carriers of tomorrow.