Airport News Japan

Draft Beer Provided on ANA Flights - World’s First Dispenser Usable on Aircraft

Draft beer from a keg served on an ANA flight.

On July 20, Minato Ward, Tokyo-based All Nippon Airways (ANA) began offering draft beer from kegs on certain domestic flights.

The new service introduces a beer dispenser that can pour draft beer from a keg on an airplane, which was developed by the airline in cooperation with Toyoake, Aichi Prefecture-based Hoshizaki Electric Co., Ltd.

Conventional beer dispensers use highly pressurized carbon dioxide, but high pressure gas cylinders are not allowed to be brought onto aircraft. Instead of a carbon dioxide gas cylinder, the newly developed dispenser stores and regulates the pressure of carbon dioxide produced by dry ice so that it does not become highly pressurized gas. Thus the dispenser is able to pour draft beer in the low air pressure environment found at high altitudes. Dry ice, which has previously been used to keep beer at a suitable temperature, is ground-breaking because it also negates the need for a power supply and refrigeration equipment.

The draft beer from the keg is offered as one of the paid items on the in-flight menu on Haneda-New Chitose and Haneda-Fukuoka flights departing after 5 p.m., as well as some aircraft flying between Naha and Osaka (Itami), Kansai, Chubu and Fukuoka. The beer is priced at 1,000 yen (including snacks). There are only 20 cups available per flight (40 cups on Boeing 777s and larger aircraft flying the Naha-Haneda route).

According to ANA, this is the first time ever that draft beer from the keg has been offered on aircraft.

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