United Airlines has announced that it will now serve coffee by illy onboard all of its flights.
Illy, a premium roaster which focuses on sustainability, purchases only the top one percent of Arabica beans grown directly from growers in Brazil, Central America, India and Africa. Its supply chain is certified sustainable, ensuring social and economic development for the growers and the highest coffee quality for customers.
Over the course of several months, illy's Research and Development team tested parameters for brewing and serving coffee in flight, ranging from different roasts to grind size, in order to achieve the highest quality cup of coffee when brewed and served at 35,000 feet. The team recommended a darker roast bean, after testing the blend with customers and a group of United Airlines’ food and beverage experts, reporting the specific blend had the best taste.
United Airlines announced its global coffee partnership with illy in November 2015 and began serving illy coffee on select flights in December 2015.