Italian espresso ‘on high altitude’. Cathay Pacific has partnered with the Italian coffee roasting company illy to serve premium coffee to first and business class passengers. illy’s espresso, café latte and cappuccino will be gradually introduced on board beginning from March 2015. Because high altitudes reduces senses of smell and taste, Cathay Pacific catering team has worked with illy to maintain the integrity of their products. Medium-and-dark-roasted coffee beans have been selected. The size and material of the filter bags was carefully assessed to ensure they work well with the coffee machines in the aircraft. The brewing time and water temperature are also taken into consideration to ensure the best possible cup of coffee is served on board.
Dominic Perret, the airline’s general manager of inflight service says: “We believe that serving a superb cup of quality Illy coffee will help to enrich the overall travel experience for our premium customers”. Earlier month, Delta Airline started served Starbucks coffee on every flight and last year Ryanair partnered with Lavazza.