KLM is soon to launch on-tap draught beer on flights
By PJ Cunningham via LonelyPlanet
Dutch Airline, KLM is about to introduce the first ever draught beer service during flights. And it’s all thanks to a special draught beer dispenser developed by Heineken that the airline can serve the perfect pint a mile high in the sky.The carrier now plans to serve beer on tap on certain intercontinental routes. KLM had planned to introduce the on tap beer selection earlier this month but are still awaiting safety certification from civil aviation authorities. It will probably be early next month before they get clearance to use the device on select flights.
Miriam Kartman, the company’s inflight service vice-president said the airline was constantly seeking ways to use Dutch produce as a way of setting them apart from competitors.
She said Heineken had been their beer partner for years and they both were aware that air travellers preferred a draught beer than one out of a can.
The beer giant rose to the technical challenge by developing the new dispenser, reports royalqeenblog.com.
The designer of the new installation, Edwin Griffioen, explained that because there was much lower air pressure in a plane than at sea level, traditional beer taps were ineffective. They only dispensed large amounts of foam.
KLM launches first ever draught [Heineken] beer on tap for passengers pic.twitter.com/AI7Dn8IJFf
— Karl Brooks ✈ (@KarlBrooks) July 7, 2016
He said the brewery had dispensers but they were unable to fit into a plane because of their size.
Mr Griffioen said the puzzle they needed to solve was how to get a cooling system, a keg of beer and an air pressure to fit in a traditional airplane catering trolley.
To make it work they had to compromise by leaving out the cooling system.
To get around this, kegs of beer will be already cooled when arriving at Amsterdam Airport.
Mr Griffioen disclosed that they had redesigned the trolley to look like a giant thermos flask so that the beer could remain under five degrees Celsius. Their most recent tests managed to keep it at 3.5 degrees after seven hours.
