Things are looking up for kosher travelers flying to Israel on United Airlines, with the airline’s recent announcement that STAR-K-certified Fresko meals will debut this month on U.S. to Tel Aviv flights. The variety of new options offered will be available from the airline’s Newark/New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C./Dulles-based hubs.

Newark to Tel Aviv flights will feature Fresko menu options such as fresh bagels, cheese omelets, blintzes, chicken marsala, kale quinoa burgers and traditional bakery items including rugelach and black and white cookies. For its youngest flyers, United is testing a child’s menu offering in all cabins between Tel Aviv, Newark and San Francisco. If it takes off, the airline will offer the meal selection on additional Tel Aviv routes.

While waiting for take-off in Newark, United’s Polaris Lounge guests will now be able to find a hot kosher à la carte meal option, which it is also testing, in addition to packaged snacks and kosher wines.

The Hackensack-based Fresko specialty prepared foods company is no stranger to airline passengers. A large variety of kosher prepared food options packaged under the Fresko and Yummy Sandwich labels have been available to the estimated 1.5 million kosher travelers who fly domestically and internationally from JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports annually, under STAR-K kosher supervision since 2016.

STAR-K President Dr. Avrom Pollak corroborates, “We are proud to certify Fresko and partner in providing United passengers with fresh, locally-sourced quality meals.”

Concludes Rabbi Shmuel Heinemann, STAR-K kashrut administrator for the greater New York/New Jersey area, “United has taken kosher airline meals to a higher level.”

By Margie Pensak