Australia got its first taste of the future of fine dining aboard Qatar Airways when the airline unveiled its new premium menu at an industry event in Sydney.
Airline executives jetted in to join media and travel dignitaries at an event at Woodcut to sample dishes created by Chef Ross Lusted, along with signature cocktails and mocktails by Lorenzo Antinori.
Available from February to July 2027, the new menu brings Chef Lusted’s refined yet expressive approach to modern cuisine aboard Qatar flights.
Business class dishes include white cut chicken with macadamia nut dressing, corn and shitake mushrooms, or slow-cooked lamb shoulder with softened lentils, young spinach and puffed quinoa.
In first class, guests will enjoy tiger prawns with harissa oil, pickled carrot, spice crunch and mint leaves alongside roasted fish fillet, seafood orzo broth, young fennel, green olive and saffron oil.
“Airlines are all about entertainment, just like restaurants, and when you’ve got someone captured in a seat for 18 hours, what else is there to do but eat and drink?” said Chef Lusted.
“At Woodcut, we always pride ourselves on the quality of what we do and the service that we give and our alignment with Qatar really speaks to how we feel as restauranteurs and operators.
“The food you’ll see and try today is all Australian produce and it really showcases how proud Australians are and the quality of the produce that is out there.”
Further enhancing the premium travel experience, Qatar Airways also leads the industry in inflight connectivity, operating the world’s first and largest Starlink-equipped Boeing 777, Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 fleets.
It is also the first airline globally to operate Starlink-equipped Boeing 787-9 aircraft. As a demonstration, organisers of the lunch staged a live cross to a cabin member on a flight over Saudi Arabia (see below).
“Our core commitment is and will remain to serve the Australian consumer and the broader aviation community” said Babar Rahman, Senior Vice President Global Marketing, Sponsorship and Corporate Communications.
“Look at some of the innovations we have brought overall to the industry, from our QSuite to our Starlink connectivity onboard. For those who haven’t experienced Starlink – once you have, it is out of this world and nothing else matches it.”
Guests were also introduced to Calum Laming, who will take up the post of Chief Customer Officer on November 1, and who was making his 172nd visit to Sydney.
“I’ve worked for a couple of very strong airlines but this one is rather special. It really is a world class airline and Australia is a massively important market for us,” he said.
“There’s a lot to come from Qatar Airways. We remain completely focussed on exceptional customer experiences.
“Strengthening this brand over the coming years is going to be really important – it’s already incredible – but there’s so much more we can do.”
Main image (l to r): Babar Rahman, Calum Laming, Justin Kestel, Regional Manager – Australia and New Zealand
