gategroup Marks Success of Lufthansa’s Award-Winning First Class Dining

gategroup Celebrates Lufthansa’s Award-Winning First Class Culinary Experience

Lufthansa has been named “World’s Best First Class Onboard Dining” at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards, underscoring the strength of its partnership with gategourmet Germany and the successful launch of its groundbreaking Future Onboard Experience (FOX) program.

As Lufthansa’s strategic catering and hospitality partner, gategourmet Germany played a central role in developing and implementing the award-winning First Class dining experience, working side-by-side with Lufthansa and renowned two-Michelin-star chef Christoph Kunz over more than two years to create a new benchmark for fine dining at 35,000 feet.

"Congratulations to Lufthansa on this prestigious recognition in its centenary year. We are proud to have partnered with Lufthansa on the Future Onboard Experience (FOX), helping bring a bold vision for premium hospitality to life. This award reflects Lufthansa's commitment to excellence and the dedication of the Lufthansa and gategourmet Germany teams, supported by 2-Michelin-star chef Christoph Kunz, creating a new benchmark for First Class dining. We look forward to continuing our journey together to elevate the travel experience for guests around the world," said Herman Anbeek, President Europe, gategroup.

Olaf Mauthe, Senior Director Hospitality & Catering Management, Lufthansa Airlines, said: "The success of our new First Class culinary concept is the result of a true partnership. Together with gategourmet Germany and Chef Christoph Kunz, we challenged conventional approaches to inflight dining and developed a concept that brings two-Michelin-star restaurant-quality hospitality to 35,000 feet. We are proud to see this effort recognised by travellers around the world.”

From Michelin-Starred Restaurant to 35,000 Feet

As part of Lufthansa's Future Onboard Experience (FOX), the airline's transformation of its onboard experience, gategourmet Germany introduced Chef Christoph Kunz as a culinary partner for Lufthansa's new First Class concept and helped translate his Michelin-starred philosophy into an award-winning inflight dining experience.

The development process brought together Lufthansa's culinary team, Chef Kunz, and gategourmet experts led by Christoph Brandstätter, Regional Executive Chef Central Europe and Max Herzog, Senior Executive Chef for the Lufthansa Group. Through culinary workshops, tastings, and numerous test flights, the teams refined and optimized the concept before its launch across Lufthansa's First Class network.