Private Jet Catering Beijing Capital (ZBAA / PEK): Ordering Lead Times and Crew Tips
Private jet catering in Beijing is all about good planning. Beijing (ZBAA / PEK) welcomes business jets carrying executives, delegations and families to the Chinese capital, and many flights from Beijing are long-range missions to Europe, the Gulf or North America. A little extra lead time, a clear brief and a menu that blends northern Chinese classics with international favourites make every departure smooth and memorable.
Global Diners prepares inflight catering in our own kitchens in Paris, Nice and Madrid and in our kitchens across more than 2,500 airports, including China. At Beijing Capital, delivery is coordinated with your FBO or handler. This guide shares practical advice on ordering lead times, crew tips, local flavours and the seasons that shape business aviation in Beijing.
Ordering lead times in Beijing
For most of our network, we recommend ordering 24 hours ahead. In Beijing, our team suggests sharing your request earlier whenever you can, ideally 48 to 72 hours before departure, especially for long-range flights, large passenger groups and special requests such as Peking duck or kosher menus. The extra time allows our kitchens to source the finest ingredients and to agree every detail with your FBO or handler.
Request | Suggested notice | How Global Diners prepares it |
Standard Global Diners menu | 24 hours, earlier when possible | Prepared and delivered through your FBO or handler |
Long-range multi-service menu | 48 to 72 hours | Each service planned separately with reheating guidance |
Peking duck and Chinese banquet dishes | 48 to 72 hours | Duck, pancakes and sauces packed separately for the galley |
Kosher or special dietary menus | 72 hours or more | Prepared to the requested standard, labelled for allergens |
Golden Week and Spring Festival | As early as possible | Planned ahead with your FBO or handler |
Clear information makes the difference: aircraft registration, date and time, FBO, passenger count, dietary needs and the services planned on board. Our specialised team confirms every detail in writing, so the crew can arrive in Beijing knowing that the catering is ready.
Crew tips for flights from Beijing
Crews who fly regularly to Beijing share a few simple habits that make every departure calm. Our team has gathered them here.
Confirm the delivery window early: agree the time with your FBO or handler, and allow comfortable timing on busy days.
Plan galley supplies: chopsticks, small bowls and soup spoons make Chinese dishes easy to serve, alongside the usual cutlery.
Think about tea: jasmine, oolong and green teas are much appreciated; ask for loose-leaf tea and plenty of hot water.
Plan crew meals separately: long duty days across several time zones call for balanced, satisfying meals ordered as their own line.
Keep a written record: reply to the same email thread for any change, so every detail stays in one place.
In Beijing, the best catering starts a few days before the flight, with a clear brief and a calm conversation.
Our guide to crew catering on layovers shares more ideas for multi-day trips, and our article on worldwide catering coordination explains how our team keeps every order on track across the network.
Northern Chinese flavours on board
Beijing cuisine is generous, warming and full of character, and several of its classics travel beautifully. Peking duck is the city's most famous dish: on board, our team packs the sliced duck, thin pancakes, spring onion, cucumber and hoisin sauce separately, so the crew can warm the duck and guests can assemble each pancake themselves. Jiaozi dumplings, steamed baozi, slow-braised beef and zhajiangmian noodles are all excellent choices, with sauces packed apart.
Breakfast: congee with condiments, steamed baozi, soy milk, fresh fruit and viennoiserie.
Lunch: jiaozi dumplings with black vinegar, cold sesame noodles and stir-fried vegetables.
Dinner: Peking duck with pancakes, braised beef or steamed fish with ginger and spring onion.
Sweet: fresh lychees and mandarins, red bean pastries and almond cookies, with jasmine tea.
Alongside these favourites, the Global Diners menu brings the same standard served from Paris to Dubai, with caviar, smoked salmon, fine cheeses and pastries. Halal, kosher and alcohol-free menus are available, and every item is labelled for allergens. Wines and Chinese spirits are offered subject to local rules.
Seasons and events in Beijing
Beijing has four distinct seasons. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant, with mild days and clear skies, and autumn colours in the Western Hills are a highlight of October. Summers are warm, and winters are cold and dry, with crisp blue days. The Spring Festival in January or February and the National Day Golden Week in early October are the busiest travel periods of the year, and major political and trade events also bring many delegations to the capital.
During these weeks, sharing your schedule as early as possible helps our kitchens prepare the full Global Diners menu with ease. In winter, warm dishes such as soups, braised meats and dumplings are especially welcome, and flexible delivery windows agreed with your FBO or handler keep departures calm. The Global Diners client portal is coming very soon. It is designed to bring the Global Diners menu, order requests, confirmations and documents into one space for crew, operations and finance. Until it opens, every request goes through order@globaldiners.com.
Onward to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Dubai and Paris
Beijing flights often continue to Shanghai Pudong (ZSPD / PVG) for business in Shanghai or to Hong Kong (VHHH / HKG) for finance and the art world. Long-range missions to Dubai (OMDB / DXB) and Paris (LFPB / LBG) are frequent too, and at Le Bourget our own kitchens deliver planeside for the next leg. Our guide to ultra-long-range menu planning explains how to plan several services on these long crossings.
Private Jet Catering at Beijing (ZBAA / PEK) on Major Event Dates
Beijing Capital's business aviation traffic is shaped by politics, trade fairs and the Chinese holiday calendar. The National People's Congress in March and the main Golden Week holidays are among the liveliest weeks of the year, while major exhibitions attract executives from across the world for a few intense days. Winter brings cold, dry conditions and de-icing on many mornings. In these periods, order well beyond the standard 24 hours, confirm the passenger list early and fix a comfortable delivery time with your FBO or handler. Dim sum, cold Beijing-style starters and noodle dishes in sealed containers adapt well to the cabin.
Event | When | Where |
Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) | January or February (varies) | Nationwide |
Two Sessions | March | Great Hall of the People, Beijing |
Auto China (Beijing International Automotive Exhibition) | April or May, even-numbered years | China International Exhibition Center, Beijing |
China International Fair for Trade in Services | September | Beijing |
National Day Golden Week | Early October | Nationwide, with major celebrations in central Beijing |
Winter de-icing season | December to February | Beijing Capital International Airport |
Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) at Beijing (ZBAA / PEK): January or February (varies)
Spring Festival is China's most important holiday, and the travel rush around it is one of the largest annual movements of people anywhere. Requests are best placed early and confirmed before the holiday week begins. Festive dishes such as jiaozi dumplings, whole steamed fish and sweet niangao can be prepared on request, packed for reheating and served in sharing portions for family flights.
Chinese holidays follow the lunar calendar and official schedules are announced each year, so please confirm timings with our team when ordering.
Things to do around Beijing (ZBAA / PEK)
The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square form the heart of any visit, and a climb up Jingshan Park gives the classic view over the palace roofs. The Great Wall can be walked at restored sections such as Mutianyu and Badaling, usually as a half-day trip from the city. The Summer Palace, with its lake and long painted corridor, and the Temple of Heaven, where locals practise tai chi in the morning, are both essential. The Olympic Park, the 798 Art District and a rickshaw ride through the hutong lanes round out a stay. Shunyi, close to the airport, has golf courses and riding clubs.
Culture and heritage near Beijing (ZBAA / PEK)
Beijing served as the imperial capital of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the Forbidden City, completed in 1420, is now the Palace Museum with a collection of hundreds of thousands of objects. The National Museum of China on Tiananmen Square covers the nation's history. Peking opera, the Lama Temple and the Confucius Temple show different sides of the city's heritage, while the Bird's Nest stadium represents modern Beijing.
Also nearby: Shanghai Pudong (ZSPD / PVG)
Shanghai Pudong International lies on the coast east of the city and is the main international airport for China's commercial capital. Business aviation passengers head for the Lujiazui financial district, the Bund, the Hongqiao business area and the wider Yangtze River Delta, including Suzhou and Hangzhou. Finance, manufacturing, automotive, luxury retail and fashion drive steady corporate traffic, while major exhibitions and the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit bring event peaks. Long-range flights connect Shanghai with Europe, North America, the Gulf and the rest of Asia.
Pudong itself is the modern face of Shanghai: the Lujiazui skyline, with Shanghai Tower and the Oriental Pearl Tower, sits across the Huangpu from the Bund, and an evening river cruise shows both banks at their best. Shanghai Disney Resort lies in Pudong, a short drive from the airport. The Maglev train links the airport with Longyang Road in a few minutes. Across the river, Yu Garden, the plane-tree streets of the former French Concession and the riverside promenades of the West Bund reward a walk. For a day out, the canal towns of Zhujiajiao and Zhouzhuang show the stone bridges and waterways of the Yangtze delta, and several championship golf courses surround the city.
FBOs at every airport in this guide
Here are the business aviation terminals (FBOs) at each airport mentioned above. Our team coordinates every catering delivery with the FBO or handler you choose, and our own kitchens deliver planeside at Paris (LFPB / LBG) and Nice (LFMN / NCE).
Beijing (ZBAA / PEK): Capital Jet Co. Ltd
Shanghai Pudong (ZSPD / PVG): Saint Royal Aviation Ltd
Hong Kong (VHHH / HKG): Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre Limited
Dubai (OMDB / DXB): ExecuJet Middle East and Jet Aviation Dubai
Paris (LFPB / LBG): Dassault Falcon Service, Jet Aviation, Signature Aviation, Advanced Air Support International, Jetex Le Bourget, ExecuJet Paris and Universal Aviation France
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should I order private jet catering in Beijing (ZBAA / PEK)?
We recommend sharing your request 48 to 72 hours before departure whenever possible, and earlier during the Spring Festival and Golden Week. Email order@globaldiners.com with the registration, date, delivery time, FBO, passenger count and dietary needs.
Which teas and drinks do you recommend for flights from Beijing?
Jasmine, oolong and green teas are much appreciated, served with plenty of hot water, alongside fresh juices and still water. Wines are offered subject to local rules.
Are halal and kosher menus available in Beijing?
Yes. Halal, kosher and alcohol-free menus are available. For kosher menus we recommend at least 72 hours' notice, and every item is labelled for allergens.
Is catering delivered to the aircraft in Beijing?
At Beijing Capital (ZBAA / PEK), delivery is coordinated with your FBO or handler. Planeside delivery by our own kitchens is offered in Paris (LFPB / LBG) and Nice (LFMN / NCE).
Can I order Peking duck for a business jet flight from Beijing Capital (ZBAA / PEK)?
Yes. For departures from Beijing Capital International (ZBAA / PEK), Peking duck can be arranged on request, carved and packed with pancakes, spring onion, cucumber and sauce for assembly in the cabin. Restaurant pick-up from a chosen Beijing duck restaurant is also possible on request. Our team can add dumplings, cold appetisers and Western dishes to the same order.
Can Global Diners cater a government or delegation flight from Beijing (ZBAA / PEK)?
Yes. Catering for delegation flights from Beijing Capital International (ZBAA / PEK) is available on request, including Chinese and Western menus, halal and vegetarian options, and crew meals. Larger passenger groups can be served with plated courses or individual meal boxes. Our team prepares a quote per request and coordinates delivery with your FBO or handler.
Explore more destinations and guides
Private jet catering in Beijing (ZBAA / PEK)
Private jet catering in Shanghai Pudong (ZSPD / PVG)
Private jet catering in Hong Kong (VHHH / HKG)
Flying from Beijing soon?
From Beijing and Shanghai to Hong Kong, Dubai and Paris, Global Diners brings one menu, one specialised team and our kitchens across more than 2,500 airports to every flight. Share your itinerary a few days ahead and our team will prepare a dedicated quote, so your departure from the Chinese capital is as calm as it is delicious.
To request a quote, email order@globaldiners.com with your aircraft registration, airport, date, delivery time and passenger count. Our specialised team replies with a dedicated quote for your mission.
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