How do airlines reheat food?

The ovens on an aircraft are specialized convection ovens with food heating using hot air. Microwaves are not used (although some early 747s did have them onboard). The meals are loaded on trays into the oven. Most meals take around 20 minutes to heat, and of course, they are heated and served in batches.



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So what does happen to uneaten airline food? Some airlines allow flight attendants to eat untouched business or first class meals. But the majority of the time, they are either incinerated or dumped in a landfill.

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“We don't try to add salt since it dehydrates people, but instead add more flavor profiles into our meals.” Airlines don't want to have the impression of serving bland food, so it's likely they'll add flavor enhancers, like salt or sugar, to make meals taste better, Platkin added.

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So airlines have to give in-flight food an extra kick, by salting and spicing it much more than a restaurant on the ground ever would. “Proper seasoning is key to ensure food tastes good in the air,” says Brown at American Airlines.

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You can bring just about any ??solid, packaged food on a plane, as long as it fits comfortably in your carry-on. This includes bread, cooked meat, hard-boiled eggs, candy, cereal, cookies, crackers, chips, dried fruit, and nuts, as well as sandwiches, wraps, pizza, pasta, and salads.

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Can passengers reasonably ask flight attendants for a second hot meal? Or a third? And what about a few more bags of nuts while you're at it? Having spoken to a handful of airlines, the answer is a resounding yes.

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They don't use microwaves but conventional ovens, which are heated to 160C. For hygiene reasons the dishes have to reach 75C so beef is cooked for 22 minutes, fish for 18 minutes.

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Fresh fruit e.g. bananas, apples, berries – you may need to eat on the plane or discard before you disembark. Hommus & cut-up veggies – e.g. carrot, cucumber, tomatoes. Grainy crackers with natural peanut butter.

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