Ever wonder what kind of airline food was being served in 1965? Well, you’re in luck. KLM has come through with some amazing photos and data that gives us an idea of what it was like to fly fifty years ago.

Wicker baskets? How adorable. Today, all we get are cold, hard metal carts that streak down the aisle at top speeds, hitting every elbow in their path. Also, is that captain holding a sausage? I believe he is.

Seat-side service? It’s a dream of the past. Just look at that knife. It would never pass TSA.

Apparently KLM handled the catering for roughly 20 airlines out of Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (AMS). Here’s the data they found from an old KLM “Wolkenridder” staff magazine:

3,000 cold dishes, fully composed;
250 chickens, roasted and deboned;
500 kilos of meat, roasted or stewed;
3,000 eggs, boiled and shelled;
2,000 pastries;
250 kosher dishes;
10,000 trays, fully laid out;
15,000 cups, saucers and plates cleaned;
50,000 knives, forks and spoons cleaned.

Those figures are for daily catering fifty years ago when KLM was servicing around 1.6 million passengers. In 2012, those numbers have risen to over 25 million people yearly.

I love the looks of those old soda bottles on the cart. Check out the legroom, too!

These trays actually look somewhat similar to what we’re used to eating today. The food in the trays, however, is another story entirely. Is that a beer stein? Yep. It’s a beer stein.

Man, those were the days!

For more KLM coverage on Fly&Dine, click here.

The original story can be found on KLM’s blog here. Photos all via KLM.