Arik Introduces Exciting In-Flight Menu On Int’l Routes

Nigeria flag carrier airline, Arik Air has introduced new menus inspired by traditional Nigerian cuisine on-board its international flights.

The meal selection according to a statement, features new entrée, main courses desserts on all regional and international routes including services to London, New York and Johannesburg.

The good news however, is that the carrier has invested millions of dollars to provide both local and intercontinental meals in-house, thereby being in total control of getting enough meals to its huge customers including some of the best choice wines on-board.

Highlight of the new inflight dining options includes an appetizer of coleslaw salad and a selection of warm breads, hot goat pepper soup or fish cake and beetroot towers.

For the main course, Arik has done well to provide the pan fried sirloin with rosemary sauce served with sautéed potatoes and honey glazed carrots, seared chicken breast in an orange citrus sauce served with fondant potatoes, carrots and poached cucumber.

Other alternatives are beef suya and jollof rice or fried croaker fish with yam porridge. Fresh fruit plate or lemon posset tart with homemade ginger bread biscuit is available for dessert.

All menu items are free of alcohol and pork. Regardless of passengers’ selection, jollof rice according to the statement, will always be available upon request.

For afternoon tea, the airline will offer on its flights to London and Johannesburg selection of sand wishes or chicken and Mediterranean vegetable kebab.

Approximately one hour prior to landing, Arik Air has assured passengers of continental breakfast of orange juice or wake-up cocktail juice, fresh seasonal fruit bowl, selection of breakfast pastries or warm beef sausage, turkey bacon and egg roll or coffee and tea. This is for New York-Lagos flight.

While introducing the menu choice in Lagos, Rodger Whittle, Senior Vice President, Standards and Service Delivery, Arik Air said the meal menu was introduced taking into consideration the airline’s expansion drive. Whittle added that the menu will cater for its business class cabinet for domestic services as well as its regional central west Africa and west coast services.

“Our kitchen is going to be very busy. As a company, we have always thought of having a catering arm, which may be available to other carriers or customers but for now we are limited to our own,” he disclosed. “Prior to this time, we were outsourcing foods. The new development also offers a very significant cost savings for us.

The quality is fantastic, obviously, it comes with a cost and no matter what we do with flight originating from other countries, our Nigerian customers always say it never quite tastes as it does at home.” Whittle explained that the airline has a loading ratio and with the business class cabin, it loads at about 120 percent, and has provision for extra catering on the refrigerator, the statement added.