How Cathay Pacific inflight meals are prepared on board

It’s something we often take for granted, but a small miracle takes place on every flight: a crew prepares and serves hundreds of meals from aircraft galleys with remarkably limited space.

On Cathay Pacific’s narrow‑body Airbus A321neo, designed for shorter flights, galleys are particularly compact, says Flight Purser Matt Mak, who has 13 years’ experience. On the large Boeing 777, they’re roomier – roughly the size needed for a table-tennis table.

One regional 777 layout seats up to 438 passengers, including 396 in Economy. Feeding a cabin that size is akin to delivering a full banquet – all within tight timeframes and in confined quarters.

How inflight meals are prepared

The galleys where this magic happens aren’t so different from a domestic kitchen, Mak explains, with their mix of storage, chillers, ovens and beverage makers – though rubbish compactors are a uniquely aviation addition. What would challenge most home cooks, however, is storing meals, drinks and snacks for two full services, especially on ultra‑long‑haul flights of over 12 hours. So what happens behind the scenes?

Just before passengers board, catering teams load and count meal trays, then cabin crew perform their own checks, making sure any special meals are in place – as inflight substitutions can be challenging.

They also check that the galley equipment is working while the engineer is available as any appliance malfunction affects the efficiency of the meal service. “You have to build a good relationship with those machines,” says Mak.

When we serve our inflight meals

On shorter flights, crew ensure prompt inflight dining service by heating mains and organising meal trays – a process that takes about 20 minutes – right before take‑off. “Once it’s safe to commence inflight service, we can serve immediately,” Mak says.

We anticipate passengers’ needs based on departure time and flight duration. For night flights, we streamline our meal service and focus on creating an environment for rest, while on daytime flights we offer a full dining experience.

With mains prepared in the ovens in all galleys, carts are loaded for Economy service, with each holding about 50 tray settings, a choice of main courses, ice cream, warmed rolls and drinks on top.

The galleys are very busy at this time, as crew replenish carts, prepare a second meal wave and mix drinks to order. Mak adds, “If a passenger requests special drinks or cocktails, we make those too.”

Service usually begins from the front of the cabin, a reassuring signal that nourishment is on its way.

A second cart then works its way from the rear, ensuring a seamless operation – every time.