MANILA, Philippines - Five-star-rated Asiana Airlines (OZ) has embarked on a friendly services education program for some 600 people working in Korean restaurant businesses in Tokyo, Beijing and Los Angeles.
The service consultancy is part of the Korean Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ program to promote Korean cuisine at a global level. Asiana, long lauded for best in-flight and dining services, was chosen to enhance the image of Korean cuisine and restaurants.
Headed by CEO Young-Doo Yoon, Asiana has said it would play a vital role in the Korean government’s promotion of Korean cuisine and culture in time for the 2010-2012 Visit Korea Year. The airline is the 2009 ATW Airline of the Year and is also one of the few carriers to be rated as a five-star airline.
Asiana is sending the best of its service instructors from the Asiana Cabin Crew Training Team to teach participating restaurants in Japan, China and the US. Participating Korean restaurants will be oriented on the top end of international servicing in 10 hours of daily training sessions over four days.
The service education course will be divided into management and employee groups. Asiana will also be sharing inputs and insights from its award-winning flight attendants. Asiana flight attendants will give their impressions and experience from frequently visiting Korean restaurants in other parts of the world. The sessions are expected to help strengthen the competitiveness of Korean restaurants.
“We will satisfy our government’s anticipation and globalize Korean cuisine by handing down Asiana’s knowledge on service,” Kyung-Sik Lee, GM of the Asiana Cabin Crew Training Team, said.
Aside from services, Asiana has become distinguished for its culinary offerings in flight. Many traditional Korean dishes have been developed to fit the unique environment of the airplane cabin. Traditional cuisine like the Korean Royal Table D’hote, and the nutritious vegetable-filled Ssam-Bab have helped earn Asiana the Mercury Award, a distinction in international in flight catering and services.
Asiana has also earned kudos for serving traditional Korean dishes like Bi-Bim-Bab; Korean ginseng chicken soup Samgaetang; steamed Korean ginseng chicken Samgaejim; braised beef short rib in sweet pumpkin; Pyongyang On-Ban, rice cake dumpling soup, Seolleong-Tang and acorn-starch jelly with rice.
Asiana Airlines flies out of three points in the Philippines: Manila, Clark and Cebu. From its hub in Incheon International Airport, it flies to many destinations in Asia, Europe and the US.