‍NEW YORK — Airways was honored to attend an exclusive dinner in New York celebrating the Avianca's 2025 Chef Partnership for its long-haul business class onboard service—Insignia.

This intimate gathering with media representatives was delightfully atypical for an airline event. It provided a rare opportunity to meet the visionary chef, sample his exquisite culinary creations, and gain insights into how he is redefining the in-flight dining experience for the carrier’s premium passengers.

An Evening of Culinary Excellence

Held on Monday, February 3, 2025, this joyous event offered attendees a firsthand look at Chef Álvaro Clavijo’s artistic approach to gastronomy. Throughout the evening, guests indulged in a preview of the elevated dining experience set to debut onboard the carrier’s Insignia service.

From Bogotá to key European destinations—including London, Paris, Madrid, and Barcelona—business-class travelers can enjoy a menu that AV hopes encapsulates Colombia's rich flavors and culinary traditions.

Meet Chef Álvaro Clavijo

Born and raised in Colombia, Chef Álvaro Clavijo refined his skills in some of the world’s most esteemed kitchens, including Per Se, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, and Noma.

Upon returning to Bogotá in 2017, he opened El Chato, a contemporary bistro that has since earned a place among the world’s top restaurants.

His culinary philosophy emphasizes locally sourced ingredients, bold flavors, and a deep respect for Colombian gastronomy, making him the ideal partner to curate AV’s Insignia menu.

Avianca’s Vision for Business Class Excellence

Avianca, with over 105 years of operation since its founding in 1919, is the leading airline in Colombia, Ecuador, and Central America.

The carrier operates one of the largest air networks in Latin America, offering over 160 routes, more than 700 daily flights, and a fleet of 140 Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, connecting over 75 destinations across 25+ countries in the Americas and Europe.

Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and its emergence from Chapter 11 restructuring, AV has made significant strides in reintroducing and enhancing its business-class offerings, particularly within the Americas and across the Atlantic.

Business Class in the Americas

In response to customer demand, the carrier has expanded its business class service to 34 routes across the Americas, including major cities such as Boston, New York (JFK), Washington, Miami, Orlando, Mexico City, São Paulo, and Buenos Aires.

The airline has strategically converted the first three rows of select aircraft into premium seating, providing a whole business-class experience with gourmet meals, priority boarding, and access to Avianca VIP lounges.

On specific routes, particularly those operated by Boeing 787 Dreamliners, AV offers a fully flatbed experience, ensuring maximum comfort for long-haul travelers. 

While not all JFK-Bogotá flights utilize the Dreamliner, one of the three daily services does, allowing passengers to experience the aircraft’s in-flight comfort and the airline's Insignia offering.

Insignia: A New Era of Business Class to Europe

Avianca’s Insignia product represents the airline’s idea of luxury travel for flights between South America and Europe. Available exclusively on the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Insignia delivers “a seamless blend of comfort, sophistication, and culinary excellence.”

The experience includes:

• A bespoke menu designed in collaboration with renowned chefs like Álvaro Clavijo, highlighting Latin American flavors and ingredients.
• Premium amenity kits that promote wellness while showcasing the region’s cultural heritage.
• Enhanced relaxation features, including lie-flat seats and premium bedding.
• Exclusive ground services include access to Avianca VIP lounges and priority handling.

A Taste of What’s to Come

As the evening progressed, guests were invited to savor an immersive dining experience inspired by the onboard Insignia service. 

Chef Clavijo’s meticulously crafted dishes, created in collaboration with Mads Refslund, reflected his commitment to authenticity and innovation, offering a tantalizing preview of what business-class travelers can expect from AV at 35,000 feet.

This menu is inspired by the offer available in AV's onboard service, the logistics of which will be handled by Swiss catering provider Gate Gourmet. It blends the essence of Latin American culture with the highest-quality ingredients cultivated by local hands.

Each dish showcases distinctive flavors and aromas that narrate the story of this land, paying homage to its biodiversity and cultural fusion, where tradition meets innovation.

Menu

This was menu served at the celebration, of of which the onboard menu will take its cues from:

• Clam drink (smoked chili oil and sumac) (Palate cleanser)
• Whelk (chimichurri and potato foam)
• Tree tomato and mushroom broth
• Cured trout, tomato, and fennel flower
• Boronia, pickled eggplant, and ear mushroom
• Corn masa tamale and pusandao
• Cassava bread, tucupi butter, and honey
• Short ribs, confit cassava, and nasturtium capers
• Curuba, chalupa, and black lime (Pre-dessert, palate cleanser)
• Aerated oak (hazelnut oil and salted whiskey caramel)
• Smoked eggplant, vanilla, and beans

Due to the low humidity and reduced air pressure in the aircraft cabin, our sense of smell and taste become dull, making food seem blander, especially sweet and salty flavors. At the same time, sour and bitter flavors may be perceived more strongly.

Chef Clavijo’s dishes are well-suited for air travel; not only are they delicious, but the mildly spicy starters, umami-rich vegetables and protein, and citric desserts remain more stable at altitude.

The wine offering also complemented the dishes quite well. We later wondered if the onboard service would include the same wines—we do hope so. 

Here’s the wine list from the dinner so our savvy globetrotters can compare it to what’s currently offered on AV’s long-haul European routes:

• Paul Chenau Cava DO Brut NV Penedès, Spain
• Chagual Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2022 San Antonio, Chile
• Primo Cinsault 2022 D.O Val de Itata, Chile
• Pyros Chardonnay 2021 Valle de Pedernal, San Juan, Argentina
• Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) 2019 Los Vascos Cromas Gran Reserva 
• Cabernet Franc (Colchagua Valley), Chile
• Quinta Do Portal LBV Port 2014

The menu also included a glossary that gave guests a more nuanced understanding of each dish: 

• Whelk – An edible sea snail
• Tomate de árbol – A tangy and slightly sweet fruit from Los Andes, South America
• Boronia – A purée of ripe plantain and eggplant, typical of the Colombian Caribbean
• Pusandao – A stew from the Colombian Pacific region made with plantain and cassava
• Cassava – A South American tuber known as yuca, a staple in many traditional dishes
• Tucupi – A fermented juice made from wild cassava, typical of the Amazon region
• Cholupa – A sweet and slightly acidic fruit from the southwest of Colombia

As the South American flag carrier continues to redefine its premium air travel offering, this partnership with Chef Clavijo sets a new standard for in-flight dining, promising an unparalleled journey that celebrates Colombia’s rich culinary heritage.

If the Insignia product on the Boeing 787 is as memorable as Monday evening's dining experience, we are ready to write a trip report on AV’s Insignia Business Class to Europe.

We look forward to experiencing and sharing more about the evolution of AV’s Insignia service in the months ahead.

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