Korean Air increases use of local ingredients in in-flight meals

Korean Air's in-flight meals / Courtesy of Korean Air

Korean Air announced on Tuesday that it has increased the use of domestic food ingredients in its in-flight meals to support local farming and fishing communities.

According to the airline, 64 percent of its food ingredient supplies came from Korea in 2024, reflecting an increase of about 4 percentage points compared to the average figure compiled over five years starting from 2018.

This growth has been driven by a swift rise in demand for international flights, which is projected to return to pre-pandemic levels. The airline anticipates that this percentage will continue to grow as the global aviation industry normalizes once again.

Korean Air has also committed to raising the proportion of domestic food ingredients to support the regional agricultural sector, which is facing challenges due to low domestic consumption.

During the first half of this year, the airline served in-flight meals to an average of around 44,000 passengers each day on its flights out of Incheon and Busan.

Most of the ingredients used by Korean Air — like rice, vegetables and fruit — are sourced from domestic producers. However, certain items, including oranges, kiwis and specific seafood products, are imported if they aren’t available locally.

Korean Air intends to increase its use of locally sourced food ingredients gradually, a move that is likely to inspire other local airlines to do the same, which ultimately benefits regional communities.

Korean Air also shared its plans to keep developing more diverse in-flight meals by using local ingredients.

The airline’s latest decision was driven by a request from a lawmaker.

Rep. Moon Dae-lim of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea urged airlines to use more domestic ingredients for their meals on flights from Korea to other countries, as this will greatly benefit local agricultural and fishing communities.

“The expanded use of local ingredients will be of great help to the farming and fishing community,” Moon said. “We will keep making efforts for Korean Air and local agricultural and fishing communities to deepen their partnerships in more and various ways.”

An official from Korean Air also pledged to provide more quality in-flight meals by using fresh domestic food ingredients.

“We aim to enhance passenger satisfaction with our meal services featuring fresh domestic ingredients,” a Korean Air official said.

“Korean Air will also continue to offer various in-flight meals for passengers who seek fresh tastes during their flights.”