When you board a Turkish Airlines flight, you are not just getting a snack wrapped in foil. You are stepping into a carefully choreographed experience that treats every tray, every flavor, and every interaction as an extension of Turkish culture itself. The airline just proved this philosophy works, winning the 2026 APEX Best Food & Beverage in Europe award for the fifth consecutive time.
The accolade arrived on June 10 in Dublin during the Future Travel Experience EMEA event. But unlike many industry awards that feel hollow and corporate, this one carries weight. The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) based the award on verified feedback from over one million flights tracked through TripIt by Concur, a travel planning app that collects real passenger ratings across five categories: seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, in-flight entertainment, and WiFi connectivity. More than 600 airlines worldwide were evaluated in the process.
What sets Turkish Airlines apart is not just the quality of ingredients or technique (though both matter). The airline has invested heavily in what it calls its Flying Chef program, continuously refreshing menus to reflect both contemporary culinary trends and authentic Turkish traditions. The result is dining that tells a story rather than simply filling a stomach during flight time.
Building a Reputation Through Hospitality
Turkish Airlines CEO Ahmet Olmuştur acknowledged the award with words that hint at the philosophy driving the operation. "This award speaks to the passion and craftsmanship our teams pour into every meal we serve above the clouds, starting from menu design to the moment it reaches our guests," he said. That language matters. It reveals an organization that sees cabin crew and kitchen teams as custodians of something larger than themselves.
Joe Leader, CEO of the APEX Group, framed the award in even broader terms. "Turkish Airlines receiving the 2026 APEX Best Food & Beverage award reflects far more than excellence on a tray," he said. "It celebrates an airline that has transformed inflight dining into a true expression of culture, hospitality, craftsmanship, and national pride." He emphasized that Turkish Airlines has proven that airline scale and aviation soul can ascend together.
For travelers planning routes across Europe and beyond, this award matters in practical ways. It suggests consistency. It signals that whether you are flying a short haul to Athens or a long haul to Tokyo, the airline has prioritized the dining experience as a core part of what it offers. In an era when many carriers have stripped down meal services to near-invisibility, Turkish Airlines has doubled down on the opposite direction.
A Carrier That Started Small
The airline itself has a story worth knowing. Founded in 1933 with just five aircraft, Turkish Airlines has grown into one of the world's largest carriers. It now operates a fleet of 545 passenger and cargo aircraft, serves 358 destinations worldwide, and operates across 133 countries. That scale matters because maintaining consistent quality across that many routes is not trivial. The award, won for the fifth time, suggests the airline has cracked a code that many competitors have not.
Turkish Airlines is a member of Star Alliance, which opens up connections and benefits for frequent flyers. If you are building a European itinerary with connections beyond the continent, Turkish Airlines often offers a practical hub option from Istanbul. And now, if food and beverage matter to you during travel, you have concrete evidence that the airline takes that part of your journey seriously.
This latest recognition reinforces what many experienced travelers have already discovered: that the meal service on an aircraft can be more than functional. It can be a preview of the place you are heading toward, or a farewell gift from the place you are leaving. Turkish Airlines has built a business model around that belief, and the market keeps rewarding them for it.
