Airline Catering Management

INTRODUCTION

It is possible to dine in five-star luxury while travelling at

600 miles per hour, six miles above the surface of the
earth. To the average person, now used to air travel, this
may not seem remarkable. But the average person is
unaware that there may be over 40,000 separate items
loaded onto a Boeing 747 (popularly known as the jumbo
jet). This load occupies 60 m2 and weighs six tonnes and
the loading time may be less than 50 minutes. In view of
this, some might say that it is not just remarkable that air
travellers may dine so well; it is remarkable that they can
do so at all.
Like passenger railroads and cruise lines, the first
commercial airlines catered specifically
to wealthier classes. These customers demanded
the finest service and were willing to pay the
price. En-route meals served two purposes: stay
the hunger and pass the time. 
The airline companies also gave their thought on
catering aspects. As technology advanced, so did
the catering possibilities. Inflight catering
presented a unique set of challenges for the cooks
and crew serving the food. 
 A BRIEF HISTORY

Early commercial foodservice

 The first airlines were created after World War I by
former military pilots. Their purpose was mail delivery,
not passenger transport. Passengers were gradually
included on flights. Since passengers were considered
an necessary by the pilots who ran the airlines,
No thought was given to any foodservice for them,
although the pilots and other members of the crew
might sometimes share a box lunch sandwich or a
thermos of coffee with them. 
 Itwas not until 1936, with the development of
the DC-3, that the first airplane galley was
introduced by American Airlines. That galley was
quite primitive by modern standards as there was
no electrical power available for heating foods or
beverages, and all hot foods and liquids were
boarded at ready-to-serve temperatures and held
in hot thermoses.
By the mid-1930s, airlines were beginning to
realize the importance of inflight food services
and were becoming concerned about both the
quality of the food products available and the
high prices charged by the airport terminal
restaurants where they usually bought their
food supplies. 
United Airlines
was the first airline to recognize the marketing
potential of inflight foodservice as the
competition of airlines increased.
Oakland, California  

first experimental kitchen was completed in

December 1934. Operating its own kitchen was
so successful for United
Marriott
Pioneering caterers
was one of the earliest inflight caterers
William Kahrl, the manager of a new Marriott Hot
Shoppe across the road from Washington's Hoover
Airport (now Washington National Airport) in the
late 1930s.
London-Paris airway service
First aerial restaurant[1925]restaurant car in the
world
A uniformed steward, the first aerial waiter, is in
attendance, and passengers on the aeroplane can
obtain hot and cold meals while flying thousands of
feet in the air.
 Maxson
Around 1945, Pan American worked together with
Clarence Birdseye and Maxson Company 
called the first convection oven it designed the
Whirlwind Oven it had a heating element in the fort
of a fan and held six meals.
it has since become the industry standard in aircraft
food service preparation.
Maxson
The first meal trays were served on pillows on
passengers' laps, until trays have been developed
with lids that would serve to elevate the food in
front of the passengers
What is Airline Industry?
 Overview of the Airline Industry
Definition
Airline Industry is a system of
transportation
Part of Aviation industry
Moving people and goods
Utilizing the airways
 One of the only true global businesses
Cargo
 Overview of the Airline Industry
.Scope Aircraft Airport Navigation •
Operations Support Freight•
Industries Service Providers 
General Aviation systems
Manufacturers
Ground Forwarders
• Commercial
planes transportation
• Fuel Supply
 Military aircrafts
• Runways
Hospitality Industry
• Travel Agents transport 
Car Rentals 2
• Maintenance
 Type
of
Airlines
 Type of Airlines

Scheduled (fixed routes and timings)

• Non-scheduled
• Passengers
• Cargo
 • Passenger & Cargo
• Intercontinental
• International
• Domestic
 Type of Airlines

Non-scheduled
 is a company that offers unscheduled 
air transport services of passengers or goods at an
hourly or per mile / kilometer charge for chartering
the entire aircraft along with crew.  
may hold domestic or international licenses or both
and operates under the regulations prescribed by its
respective Civil Aviation Authority
Scheduled
including all passenger and cargo flights
operating on regularly scheduled routes
 Domestic flight
 is a form of commercial flight within civil aviation
 where the departure and the arrival take place in
the same country.
Airports serving domestic flights only are known as 
domestic airport
Domestic flights are generally cheaper and shorter
than most international flights
Air cargo 
is any property carried or to be carried in an 
aircraft.
 comprises air freight, air express and airmail
Intercontinental
extending or taking place between or among
continents 
International flight
is a form of commercial flight within 
civil aviation where the departure and the
arrival take place in different countries
Passenger airline 

isan airline dedicated to the transport of 
passengers.
 ACTIVITY
Whatis the difference
between international and 
domestic flights.
There are several types of passenger airlines,
mainly:
Mainline airlines operate flights by the airline's main
operating unit, rather than by regional affiliates or
subsidiaries
Regional airlines, non-"mainline" airlines that
operate regional aircraft; regionals typically operate
over shorter non-intercontinental distances, often
as feeder services for legacy mainline networks
Low-cost carriers,
giving a "basic", "no-frills" and perceived
inexpensive service
Business class airline,

an airline aimed at the business traveler,

featuring all business class seating and amenities
Charter airlines,

operating outside regular schedule intervals

Flag carriers, the historically nationally owned
airlines that were considered representative of
the country overseas.
Legacy carriers, US carriers that predate the 
Airline Deregulation Act of 1978

Major airlines of the United States, airlines with

at least $1 billion in revenue
 Difference between international and 
domestic flights
An important difference between international and 
domestic flights is that, before boarding the
aircraft, passengers must undergo migration
formalities and, when arriving to the destination
airport, they must undergo both immigration and 
customs formalities, unless both the departure and
arrival countries are members of the same free
travel area.
Understanding the airlines catering, some salient features can be
easily identified which makes this kind of catering different from 
restaurant catering:
 1)Hygiene is a very important factor in any kind of food
production.
 2)Any food poisoning case can become critical as food is
consumed miles above the ground where immediate medical
help will not reach.
 3) No opportunity of deviation or scope of flexibility as far as
airlines catering is concerned as far as the weight and the
presentation of the dishes are concerned.
 4)Allpre – set and must be strictly adhered to.  There is wide
opportunity in the restaurant catering to deviate and innovate.
Major Stakeholders
in
Flight Catering
Major Stakeholders
Major Stakeholders
a) Role of the passenger
A feature of the airline industry is the huge diversity of
customers
The development of jet aircraft and charter airlines
lead to mass air travel.
Subsequently in the 1990s, the business model was
redesigned by the operators of so called low cost or
budget airlines
b) Role of airlines
Airlines are responsible for the design of onboard
service.
the nature of onboard service varies widely from flight
to flight and airline to airline.
C) Role of caterers
Caterers have two main roles:
to prepare items not bought in directly from
suppliers
to a state ready for loading on board and to
assemble trays and trolleys
There are two main reasons why menu items may be
made outside of airport-based flight kitchens:
the cost of space and the cost of labour.
d) Role of suppliers
Suppliers may supply the inflight industry in two main
ways
Based on the planned menus,
Airlines buy direct from suppliers because they want to
have continuity of supply in all their stations
Supplier may supply the caterer directly,
products that meet the contract specification.
Likewise suppliers have two approaches to manufacturing
their products
Some supply airlines (or their caterers) with their
standard products.
Others make and supply specialist products specifically
designed for the in-flight kitchen.
e) Role of distributors
Distributors are typically global logistics companies,
specialising in moving goods around the world, often
in containers
They provide two main services for airlines or caterers.
They can distribute materials and meals from
vendor/suppliers to both the caterers and the airlines
they can track the numbers, volumes, and brands of
the products they distribute
Airline–Caterer contracts
The relationship between an airline and a caterer is based on
service delivery. The airline requires its catering supplier to
deliver on certain key variables, such as:
• consistency of food product
• accuracy of uplift
• on time delivery
• value for money
• service relationships
• health, hygiene and safety
• innovation
• overall operational performance
Airline–Caterer contracts
Contracts between airlines and caterers may be very long
and detailed documents, but they will conform to a fairly
standard structure, comprising the following elements.
Terms of agreement—this specifies the length of time the
contract will be in force. Typically, in this industry
contracts are for one to three years.
Definition of services—each and every element of service
being provided will be defined in precise terms. For
instance, terms such as ‘uplift’, ‘menu specification’, and
so on will have definitions if referred to in the contract.
Airline–Caterer contracts
Charges and payments—the price to be paid for services
rendered will be identified along with any relevant terms
and conditions applying to such payments in relation to the
timing of payment, form of payment, and so on.
Discounts—may form either part of the general agreement
or are dealt with in a separate discount agreement. Typical
are volume (turnover per year), early payment (usually 30
days, but less in countries with high interest rates, or for
caterers with financial constraints). Global, if more than
one location is involved, or where the airline serves
another destination where the same caterer is present.
Airline–Caterer contracts
Title and risk—as in most cases, the caterer will be
handling equipment belonging to the airline, it is
necessary to identify who owns what (title) and who has
the liability for any loss (risk)
 Indemnity and liability—these clauses of the contract
limit the ability of either party to the contract to sue
the other party. Insurance, including the total sum
insured, is also incorporated here
Airline–Caterer contracts
Warranties—in some cases one of the parties to the
contract, usually the caterer, will provide a guarantee,
in the form of a warranty, to the other party.
Confidentiality—most contracts contain a clause that
ensures that both parties keep the terms and conditions
of their contract confidential.
Termination—the contract will specify under what
conditions either party can end the contract and how
much notice must be given for doing so.
Airline–Caterer contracts
Force majeure—this legal term applies to allowing a
suspension of the terms of the contract due to the so-
called ‘acts of God’, that is, if events outside the
control of one of the parties prevents the contract from
being honored.
 Business continuity – this clause will identify what
happens to the contract if one of the parties is taken
over by a third party or goes out of business due to
insolvency or bankruptcy.
Airline–Caterer contracts
 Law and jurisdiction—this clause will specify in which
country the two parties agree the contract is signed, so
that the laws of contract of this country apply to any
legal dispute between the two sides.
Waiver—this clause ensures that neither party is able to
change any part of the contract without the agreement
of the other party.
 Invalidity—this clause ensures that in the event that
one clause of the contract is shown to be invalid (i.e.
not of legal status), this does not make the whole
There will be specific performance targets that caterers
will be expected to meet. Such targets might include:
• number of aircraft delays allowed per month—usually
the first delay is free, but time is also an important
factor, e.more than 5 minutes or less than 15 minutes,
particularly when slots are missed; delays may result in
lost connections and high extra costs for the airline
• number of adverse cabin crew reports permitted
• number of catering related passenger letters
• allowable percentage of incorrect weights of product
• hygiene audit scores
Pricing of flight meals
The range of pricing methods is very wide, from a
simple, ‘multiply by a factor’ to a sophisticated multi-
disciplined approach
Price is a determinant of demand.
Pricing is never a simple matter of ‘mark up over cost’.
In flight catering, price is often established on the basis
of separately calculating each of these elements of
cost. This is because the labor cost for a meal item can
vary widely depending on whether a product
Passenger appetite
and
Behaviour
Introduction
Both taste and appetite change when flying at high
altitude. For example, it has been found that the flavor
of foods become less distinct at high altitudes and the
aromas of wine are reduced.
At high altitudes, many people react more strongly to
alcohol and caffeine.
Food acceptance—understanding the sensory model
Airline catering must attempt to account for the
influence of the cabin environment on the each
component of the sensory model—physical, sensory,
perceptual, and hedonic, for example, balancing such
factors as the ambience and the taste of food—as well as
the socio-cultural contexts.
Appetite
Compounding factors affecting appetite include:
• psychological state of the individual that may affect the
production of hormones
• activity level—the appetite control mechanism is less
precise in those people who are sedentary or not active
physically
• level of glucose and free fatty acids in the blood
(chemical stimuli)
Appetite
The success of flight catering in maximizing passenger
satisfaction will be achieved by addressing some of these
factors, namely:
• the anxiety state of passengers
• the level of hunger—timing of service and previous
meals
• the effects of the cabin environment on smell and taste
• the appearance and acceptability of food
Alcohol
Airlines can avoid some of the associated negative
responses in various ways by:
• reducing the stress levels and hence the demand for
alcoholic drinks
• managing the quantities offered
• avoiding thirst inducing snacks prior to offering alcohol
• providing water for rehydration
• educating passengers about the adverse affects of in-
flight alcohol consumption
Caffeine
. Some simple measures that can be taken by airlines
include:
• providing the alternative of decaffeinated drinks (which
have less effect on dehydration), or herbal teas
• ensuring the ready availability of water and
encouraging its consumption
• offering non-caffeine rich drinks before a sleep period
The cabin environment effect on taste and smell
It is well known that the sense of taste and smell are
affected by the cabin environment, potentially
diminishing the potential enjoyment of meals.
The low relative humidity of the cabin (less than 25 per
cent) dries the mucous membranes lining the nasal cavity
and reduces the sense of smell (Kahn, 1995). Similarly,
dryness of mouth can affect the taste receptors.
Effects of altitude
Hence, airlines should recognize and attempt to respond
appropriately to maximize passenger satisfaction, for
example, by:
• providing opportunities for smaller meals more
frequently on demand
• proactively addressing the water balance problem
through passenger education and the availability/regular
offering of drinking water
• providing meals that are easy to digest and taste good
Dehydration
Serious dehydration can occur insidiously and is easily
overlooked by the unwary passenger.
Both alcohol and caffeine intake give rise to dehydration.
Similar actions to those previously proposed can help to
mitigate the known problems of dehydration.
Questions
1. Look at a range of airline menus (available on airline
websites). How do these reflect how taste changes while
flying?
2. What action can airlines take to counteract the effects
of flying
 Menu planning
and
food product strategies
Menu planning and food product strategies
Introduction

The menu in any foodservice operation, whether it be a

restaurant or airline cabin, fundamentally defines the
service concept. It has a major impact on customers’
expectations with regards to image, value for money, and
the nature of experience.
The menu planning process
There is lack of consensus on defining key terms, such as
menu planning, menu development, menu design, menu
analysis, and menu engineering.
This is partly because the word ‘menu’ has two separate
meanings—“It can mean the product range that a
foodservice outlet offers; or the piece of literature or
display used to communicate this to the customer”
The menu planning process
In general terms, at least six stages of new product
development can be identified:
1. exploring new ideas
2. systematic, rapid screening to eliminate less promising ideas
3. business analysis, including market research and cost
analysis
4. development of remaining possibilities
5. testing the offerings developed
6. launching the idea to the production staff, eventually to the
passenger
The menu planning process
General principles All menus are planned on the basis of
applying some general principles. As far as possible, the
menu should offer contrast and variety in relation to a
number of factors. These are:
• appearance, especially the color of the food items
• textures such as soft, smooth, crunchy
• taste, i.e. salty, sweet, sour, bitter
 • cooking methods, such as steamed, boiled, roast, etc.
• temperature
The menu planning process
Food
Types of food and dietary habits vary widely across the
world. Suppliers play a key role in influencing menus by
assuring the continuity of supply of raw materials and by
researching and developing new food product.
The menu planning process
Product research
Product research Menu planning and new recipe
development is not just simply creating new dishes but
looks more significantly at product performance, i.e. the
factors which have to be taken into account when
preparing, chilling, holding and reheating on board the
aircraft.
The menu planning process
Customers

Clearly, menus have to be planned so that they appeal

to the customer. In order to identify their needs and
expectations a variety of methods may be used.
 Questionnaires may be used on board the aircraft to
assess the popularity of dishes
The menu planning process

Airline routes, aircraft and flight patterns

Establishing what food and dishes are to be served on
board the aircraft is one of the basic planning functions.
Therefore, the following are typically taken into
consideration:
• the function of the meal in relation to the flight
patterns, i.e. which day part is covered (breakfast, mid-
morning, lunch, mid-afternoon, evening meal,
overnight)
The menu planning process

• the size of the tray or bag, overall presentation and

dish specification for each airline in relation to the
routes being flown and aircraft being used
 • the various types of passengers, establishing that
adequate provision is made for special diets, religions,
ethnic meals, and vegetarians
The menu planning process

• the capabilities of the flight kitchen, its labor and

equipment in relation to routes flown and flight centers
used
 • the time of the year
 • the number of courses each airline requires,
especially applicable to first class
Service levels according to the types of flight

Flight Services

Low- cost, no Food not supplied free;

Frills Passengers can buy snacks on board, or
bring their own.
Chartered Part of a package with meals supplied,
but little or no choice

Scheduled Wide range of meals supplied as part of

ticket price.
Flight type/class Flight classes
Flight classes (first class/business class/economy class)
offer different levels of services. A trend is to move
away from a formal dining to a casual service style to
meet the customer’s needs
 After take-off, one course was served after the other
with trolley service at very strict mealtime
Caterers
In order to keep abreast of current styles and trends in
food and to reflect current practices in restaurants,
several of the main carriers and flight caterers have
development chef and development kitchens
 But provision of dishes and meals can vary from one
flight kitchen to another, especially when comparing
different regions of the world. Such variation may be
based on the nature of the local supply chain and on the
capability of any production facility.
Menu design
The menu is often considered to be important in adding
to the overall customer experience.
The compiling of the menu is one of the flight caterer’s
important tasks.
The content of the menu creates an image which
reflects the overall style of the carrier.
 This printed menu is further seen as yet another way of
promoting the airline.
Special meals
Special meals have become an important part of the
airline food service regime although the percentage
uptake is still small.
Passengers pick a special meal for a variety of reasons,
some of them pertaining to religion and health and diet
requirements and others pertaining to something else
entirely
Menu planning and food product strategies
Meal IATA Description
Vegetarian meals Code
Vegetarian meals— VGML These vegetarian meals strictly
Vegan exclude meat or animal
products, including honey, eggs
or milk (products).
Vegetarian meal— VLML This menu excludes meat, fish
Lacto-OVO and poultry and products which
feature these ingredients. It
does, however, include other
animal products such as eggs
and milk (products). Soya
Menu planning and food product strategies
Meal IATA Description
Vegetarian meals Code

Vegetarian meals AVML These meals exclude meat, fish,

Asian poultry and products —which feature
these ingredients. They do, however,
include other animal products such as
milk (products). This menu has an
Indian accent and is prepared with
oriental herbs and spices.
Fruit plate FPML Naturally, the main ingredients of
this vegetarian menu are fruit.
Menu planning and food product strategies
Meal IATA Description
Medical health- Code
care
Low sodium LSML Extremely salty products are excluded
meal from this menu and no salt is added
during preparation to prevent high
blood pressure.

Low fat/low LFML Featuring limited cholesterol and a

cholesterol high percentage of polyunsaturated
meal fats, these high-fiber meals are
suitable for a cholesterol-reducing
Menu planning and food product strategies
Meal IATA Description
Medical health- Code
care

Low protein LPML Low protein; restrict foods containing

meal high biological value protein (meat,
fish, eggs and dairy products); avoid
highly salted foods; do not use salt in
food preparation.
Low calorie LCML This menu features increased complex
meal carbohydrates with high fiber foods
Meal IATA Description
Medical health- Code
care

Diabetic meal DBML In the diabetic menu, special attention

is given to the balance between
proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Meals
feature an increased proportion of
complex carbohydrates and fiber
Peanut free PFML Products exclude any trace of peanut.
meal
Meal IATA Description
Medical Code
health-care

Gluten free GFML Feature exclusively gluten-free products.

meals Products containing wheat, rye, oats or
barley are therefore not included.

Non-lactose NLML The content and preparation of this

meal menu excludes the use of cow’s milk
protein or lactose.
Meal IATA Description
Medical Code
health-care

Bland/Soft BLML Light, easily digestible meal for

meal stomach/intestinal problems. Low fat
food items-low in dietary fibre/ residue.
Omission of foods or beverages causing
gastric discomfort.
High fibre HFML High nutritious products with water-
meal soluble and water insoluble fibre.
Meal IATA Description
Medical Code
health-care

Low purine PRML Meal without offal products. Prepared

meal to decrease elevated blood and urinary
acid levels. Effective in the treatment of
gout and uric acid stones.

Seafood meal SFML Fish and/or seafood prepared according

to local specifications.
Meal IATA Description
Religious meal Code

Kosher meals KSML All Kosher food is prepared under strict

rabbinical supervision and supplied by
authorized suppliers. Meals are sealed
to guarantee purity.

Muslim meals MOML Meals are prepared in strict accordance

with the Sharia and therefore exclude
pork and alcohol, as well as products
that contain them.
Meal IATA Description
Religious meal Code

Hindu meals HNML These meals are prepared strictly

according to Hindu directives. They
therefore exclude all meat and meat
products from the cow. Hindu meals
are usually “vegetarian”.
Meal IATA Description
Children/Infant Code
meal

Baby’s meal BBML Selection of pots of pureed foods for

babies between 10 weeks and two
years.

Children’s meal CHML Serve a special fun-box for children

aged between two and nine years
Crew meals
 providing meals for passengers, the airline and/or flight
caterer is also responsible for developing and providing
meals for the crew—both on the flight deck (pilot, co-
pilot, engineer) and in the passenger cabin. Airlines
have a range of approaches to this.
This means that that their energy intake from food needs
to be sufficient for them to undertake this work.
Typically, this means food items and dishes low in fat and
high in carbohydrates. This is another reason for having a
crew menu
Page 102
  

INFORMATION NEED
FOR
FLIGHT CATERING
PRODUCTION SCHEDULE
THREE DAYS CYCLE IS FOLLOWED….i.e, Butchery and
veg mise – en – place is done on day
1, the preparation and subsequent chilling is done on day
2, packing and departure of food on day
3. To maintain this, the ordering of raw materials is done
4 days in advance.
 WORK FLOW

The work of the Flight Catering can be broadly divided

into two halves:
The cooking of food and its packaging and loading
The responsibility of the caterer ends after the food is
handed over to the crew on board.
Provisional load is placed 24 hours in advance. Exact
figure can never be given as there are bound to be
variations due to last minute reservations and
cancellations.
After the initial load is specified by an airliner,
revised load, if any, is also provided after a specified
time gap.
As per the trend of the consumption and the rotation to be
served, the purchase ordering sheet is filled up. With the help of
a proper software it reaches on line to the purchase manager.
The ingredients are ordered for and duly checked at the
receiving.
 Segregation of the stores are done. Bottled and tinned products,
rice, cereals, oil etc are sent to the store room.
The vegetables are washed and sent to the veg prep area. All the
items needing frozen storage is sent to the appropriate deep
freezer. Egg, cheese etc are sent to refrigerated storage. The
kitchen can pick up the things as per the requirement from the
store through on – line requisition                  
The receiving brings to the knowledge of the kitchen
immediately any kind of short supply. The store
maintains a par stock of approximately one week’s
consumption.  
The food is then processed keeping in view the
production schedule   
.At every processing point, temperature control is kept.
  

After portioning, the food is again sent to the holding

area.                                
These are loaded onto different trolleys
The operations take care of the food from here.
There are different coloured tags which help in easy
identification as to which material, be it raw of
processed belongs to which day of the week.
The operations double check and then the airliner
representative seals the trolleys.

In every area there are area SOPs which are to be

followed and the area CCP to be strictly maintained
 ABBREVIATIONS OF SPECIAL MEALS ON OFFER

•      VOML(Veg Oriental Meal)

•      GFL(Gluten Free Meal)
•      MOML (Muslim Meal)
•      HNML (Hindu Non veg Meal)
•      AVML (Asian veg meal)
•      Kosher Meal (Jewish – not served in
Tajsats)                                   
•      VLML (Veg Lacto Meal)
•      Vegan meal (non dairy veg)
•      Child meal (non spicy)
•      LCML (Low Calorie Meal)
•      DTML (Diet Meal)
•      DBML (Diabetic Meal)
•      LPML (Low Purine Meal)
•      LSML (Low Salt Meal)
Overview of the Flight Catering Industry
 Activity
How does an AIRLINES CATERING
DIFFERENT FROM RESTAURANT
CATERING?
 AIRLINES CATERING IS DIFFERENT FROM
RESTAURANT CATERING
Flight kitchen production Is a typical form of mass
catering, but has some unique features distinct
from food preparation in restaurants and hotels.
 food serving on board an aircraft
limited kitchen facilities makes flight catering a
high-risk food preparation operation.
 The complexity of the production procedures in the
flight kitchen also increases the microbiological
hazards associated with this type of food preparation.
Major factors affecting the hygienic quality of the
food are the size of the operation, the complexity of
the in-flight service
number of airlines catered for, the number of flights
serviced during the day and the duration of the flights
to be serviced.
 
 INTRODUCTION
In-flight catering
is a business that provides food service at a remote site,
specifically airline companies.
 It involves providing meals for passengers on board an
aircraft as well as for restaurants situated at airport
terminals.
 Modern airports have a variety of food and beverage
outlets to cater to the increasing number of air
passengers
 In-flight catering
 is a global industry with an annual turnover in excess of US $14
billion.
 Of this figure approximately 30% is generated in Europe, 35%
in Asia/Pacific region and 26% in North America,
 The average kitchen prepares between 6000 – 7000 meals every
day, and on average of 150 people per unit are employed
 airline catering divisions and in-flight caterers between them
employ well in excess of 100000 people worldwide, and
supplier companies have atleast the same number again
responsible for provisioning the industry . 
 IN-FLIGHT CATERING
meal catering refers to the provisioning of a
meal services for each passenger during a
flight.
 This service is typical of long duration
flights. The complexity of the meal service
varies by class of passenger service and flight
destination.
 Several key decision points are to be
considered prior to departure
 FACTS OF BASED ON AIRLINE AND AIR-
CATERING INDUSTRY
 SINGAPORE AIRLINES spends about $700 million on food
every year and $16 million on wine alone. First class
passengers consume 20,000 bottles of alcohol every month
and Singapore Airlines is the second largest buyer of Dom
Perignon champagne in the world.

 AMERICAN AIRLINES spent about $425 million on food for

domestic passengers in 2009.
 FACTS OF BASED ON AIRLINE AND AIR-
CATERING INDUSTRY
 AMERICAN AIRLINES saved $40,000 in 1987 by removing 1
olive from each salad served in first class. In-flight catering is
an $18 billion worldwide industry employing up to 200,000
people.
 In 1 year, BRITISH AIRWAYS passengers consume: * 40.5
tonnes of chicken * 6 tonnes of caviar * 22 tonnes of smoked
salmon * 557,507 boxes of chocolate * 90 thousand cases (9
litre cases) of sparkling wine
 SPECIAL IN-FLIGHT MEALS
 The in-flight dinner typically  Some of other special meals
includes meat (most include:
commonly chicken or beef), a  Infant Food Meal/ Ulcer Diet/
salad or vegetable, a small Low Fiber
roll and a dessert  Meal Nutritionally Balanced
 Caterers usually produce Diabetic Meal Platter Gluten
alternative meals e.g Halal  Free Meal High Fiber Meal
and vegetarian. These must
 Muslim Meal
usually be ordered in
advance, sometimes when
buying the ticket,
 In-flight catering kitchen
responsibilities
 The standardized recipes.
 Food safety from the microbiological perspective.
 Thevarious types of passengers, establishing that
adequate provision is made for special diets, religions,
ethnic meals and vegetarians.
 Thecapabilities of the flight kitchen, its labor and
equipment.
 The cost factor.
CONCLUSION
 CONCLUSION
 Collecting information about air catering was an interesting
activity.
 The information was collected from various sources like
books, magazines, internet etc. after analysis, following
conclusions were drawn:-
 Air catering is considered as one of the most important
aspect of airline industry.
 Air catering has become an industry with the boom in air
travel in all developed and developing countries..
 CONCLUSION
 Air catering caters to the onboard needs of passengers with the
utmost safety norms kept in consideration.
 Air catering is a systematic approach to serve passengers on board.
There are various kinds of specialty menus supplied through air
catering.
 The menu and style of food differs from class to class. Hygiene and
safety are the two important aspects of air catering.
 Various air catering firms and companies are found in the air
transport system and contribute to the national and international
public interest and government revenues earnings
 Flight Catering System Model
The type of food varies depending upon the
airline company and class of travel. Meals may be
served on one tray or in multiple courses with no
tray and with a tablecloth, metal cutlery, and
glassware (generally in first and business classes).
Often the food is reflective of the culture of the
country the airline is based in or the country that
the airplane is destined for (e.g. Indian, Japanese
, Chinese, or Western meals).
 Flight Catering System Model

An airline meal, airline food, or in-flight

meal is a mealserved to passengers on
board a commercial airliner. These meals
are prepared by specialist airline catering
 services and normally served to
passengers using an airline service trolley.
 Flight Catering System Model
These meals vary widely in quality and quantity across
different airline companies and classes of travel. They
range from a simple snack or beverage in short-haul 
economy class to a seven-course gourmet meal in a 
first class long-haul flight. The types of food offered
also vary widely from country to country, and often
incorporate elements of local cuisine, sometimes both
from the origin and destination countries. When ticket
prices were regulated in the American domestic market,
food was the primary means airlines differentiated
themselves.
 Flight Catering System Model

COST
Food on board a flight is usually free on full-service
Asian airlines and on almost all long-distance flights,
while they might cost extra on low-cost airlines or
European full-service airline flights. Quality may also
fluctuate due to shifts in the economics of the airline
industry.
 Flight Catering System Model
COST
 On long-haul international flights in first class and 
business class, most Asian and European airlines serve
gourmet meals, while legacy carriers based in the US
tend to serve multicourse meals including a cocktail
snack, appetizer, soup, salad, entrée (chicken, beef,
fish, or pasta), cheeses with fruit, and ice cream. Some
long-haul flights in first and business class offer such
delicacies as caviar, champagne, and sorbet
 (intermezzo).