gategroup Celebrates Lufthansa’s Award-Winning First Class Culinary Experience

Zurich, Friday, September 18, 2026 – Lufthansa has been named “World’s Best First Class Onboard Dining” at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards, underscoring the strength of its partnership with gategourmet Germany and the successful launch of its groundbreaking Future Onboard Experience (FOX) program.

As Lufthansa’s strategic catering and hospitality partner, gategourmet Germany played a central role in developing and implementing the award-winning First Class dining experience, working side-by-side with Lufthansa and renowned two-Michelin-star chef Christoph Kunz over more than two years to create a new benchmark for fine dining at 35,000 feet.

"Congratulations to Lufthansa on this prestigious recognition in its centenary year. We are proud to have partnered with Lufthansa on the Future Onboard Experience (FOX), helping bring a bold vision for premium hospitality to life. This award reflects Lufthansa's commitment to excellence and the dedication of the Lufthansa and gategourmet Germany teams, supported by 2-Michelin Star chef Christoph Kunz, creating a new benchmark for First Class dining. We look forward to continuing our journey together to elevate the travel experience for guests around the world." said Herman Anbeek, President Europe, gategroup.

Olaf Mauthe, Senior Director Hospitality & Catering Management, Lufthansa Airlines, said: "The success of our new First Class culinary concept is the result of a true partnership. Together with gategourmet Germany and Chef Christoph Kunz, we challenged conventional approaches to inflight dining and developed a concept that brings two-Michelin-star restaurant-quality hospitality to 35,000 feet. We are proud to see this effort recognized by travelers around the world.”

From Michelin-Starred Restaurant to 35,000 Feet

As part of Lufthansa's Future Onboard Experience (FOX), the airline's transformation of its onboard experience, gategourmet Germany introduced Chef Christoph Kunz as a culinary partner for Lufthansa's new First Class concept and helped translate his Michelin-starred philosophy into an award-winning inflight dining experience.

The development process brought together Lufthansa's culinary team, Chef Kunz, and gategourmet experts led by Christoph Brandstätter, Regional Executive Chef Central Europe and Max Herzog, Senior Executive Chef for the Lufthansa Group. Through culinary workshops, tastings, and numerous test flights, the teams refined and optimized the concept before its launch across Lufthansa's First Class network.

A Culinary Center of Excellence in Germany

To support the new First Class concept, gategourmet Germany established a dedicated team of chefs with backgrounds in Michelin-starred and fine-dining restaurants.

Today, Lufthansa First Class departures from Frankfurt and Munich benefit from highly trained culinary teams and rigorous quality controls that ensure consistency, precision, and product excellence.

The result is a dining experience that successfully translates two-star gastronomy into a large-scale airline operation while maintaining the standards expected by Lufthansa's most discerning guests.

Raising the Standard of Airline Dining

Introduced in March 2026, the new First Class dining concept was built around greater choice, personalization, and elevated presentation. The collaboration encompassed the full spectrum of the onboard culinary experience, including menu development, service concepts, operational processes, customer testing and onboard equipment. Complementing the culinary offering, deSter, a gategroup brand, developed the FOX serviceware and equipment concept, balancing premium design, operational efficiency, and sustainability.

The recognition highlights the strength of the partnership between Lufthansa and gategroup and reinforces gategroup's role as a trusted innovation partner for leading airlines worldwide.

About gategroup

gategroup is the leading global provider of airline catering, retail-on-board, and hospitality products and services. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the company serves millions of passengers through a network of nearly 300 locations in more than 68 countries. By leveraging innovation and operational expertise, gategroup partners with the world’s leading airlines to create exceptional travel experiences. Learn more at www.gategroup.com

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