KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is planning to unveil draft beer on flights, just as soon as it gets approval from civil aviation officials. Naturally, the beer offered will be Heineken. “We are always looking for typical Dutch products to set us apart from other companies. Heineken is our beer partner for many years, and we both know that customers rate a beer from draught higher than out of a can,” says Miriam Kartman, vice president, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Once approved, the pilot system will roll out on KLM flights in Europe. Actually adding the taps to its planes may present a bit of a challenge for KLM, given that carbon dioxide cartridges are banned on airplanes, and the lower air pressure at altitude makes working a traditional beer tap nearly impossible. Still, with a bit of finagling, KLM and Heineken devised a system that will work on airplanes and meet safety regulations. The process took several years, but the team finally arrived at a near-perfect system. “Because the air pressure is so much lower in an airplane than at sea level, a traditional beer tap will not work as it will only dispense a huge amount of foam,” said Heineken’s Edwin Griffioen. “We do have dispensers that work on air pressure, but these were too big to fit in a plane. It was one big jigsaw puzzle, as the keg of beer, the cooling system and the air pressure compressor all had to fit in an airline catering trolley. In the end we had to leave out one of those pieces to make it all fit, so with pain in our hearts we had to leave the cooling behind.” The beer will be cold, of course, thanks to a cooler system that resembles a giant Thermos.