AirlineMeals.net news overview related to inflight catering

13 December
Spongebob packs lunch on Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines junior flyers can enjoy their special meal onboard and bring it home too!
For the month of December, the Airline will be serving children’s meals in unique lunchboxes adorned by the ever-popular cartoon character, SpongeBob SquarePants.
Available on all flights from Singapore (with the exception of the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur service), the unique meal box will contain favourites such as spaghetti and chicken meatball, with snacks such as Oreo cookies and Ribena drink. Our junior travelers can take their lunch-boxes home with them at the end of the flight.
To complete the junior inflight experience, Singapore Airlines will also be giving out the well-loved Nickelodeon plush toys and activity kits from the Barnyard movie and the Rugrats animation series.

Source / Read full article: etravelblackboard.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

6 November
Qantas Meals Get Heart Foundation Tick of Approval
Passengers on Qantas international flights from Australia can now choose from a selection of healthier choice meals, with Qantas becoming the first licensee of the National Heart Foundation of Australia's new Tick for meals eaten out.
Qantas Group General Manager Customer Product and Service, Ms Lesley Grant, said Qantas was the first airline in the world to provide third party approval of its healthier choice meal options.“Achieving the Heart Foundation Tick of approval requires our meals to meet the most stringent nutrition and quality standards. “We are committed to providing a variety of quality, healthy meals for our customers, which is why we have been working with the Heart Foundation as a trial partner since 2004," Ms Grant said..

Source / Read full article: AM news (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

30 October
Gate Gourmet, Swiss International Agree on Catering Contract
Gate Gourmet and Swiss International Air Lines have signed a new multi-year catering contract for catering services in Switzerland and in selected stations outside of Switzerland.
The agreement covers catering and provisioning services at the carrier’s primary Zurich hub as well as at Geneva and Basel. The company caters more than 8 million meals annually for Swiss in these locations. Gate Gourmet also will provide catering services at Swiss’ stations in Tokyo-Narita, Hong Kong and Sao Paulo.

Source / Read full article: Gate Gourmet press release (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

28 October
More and More Gourmet on Airplanes
Gourmet food on an airplane? It's happening more and more as chefs and hotels are teaming up with airlines to create in-flight meals. Various airlines have found top chefs to help them out.
For example: Guy Martin, of Paris' three star Le Grand Vefour Hotel, is working for Air France, developing dishes such as curried lobster for the air. Govind Armstrong of Table 8 in Miami and Los Angeles is working with Air New Zealand. Stephan Pyles, of the Dallas restaurant, is working with American Airlines. Christian Petz, of Vienna's Restaurant Palais Coburg, has paired up with Austrian Airlines.

Source / Read full article: AllHeadlineNews.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

12 October
Celebrity chefs make flights more palatable
Celebrity chefs and fancy wine lists are being snatched up by aviation executives as the latest airline accessory in the realm of plush leather seats and personal televisions.
As carriers have begun to rebound from the post-9-11 slump, they are clamoring to win loyalty among customers, especially from those passengers willing to pay for premium-class services. And though airline food is not a meal most travelers look forward to, it has fast become an easy and rapidly changing vehicle for legacy and low-cost carriers alike to set themselves apart.

Source / Read full article: OrlandoSentinel.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

4 October
Alpha Airports wins United Arab Emirates airport contract
Inflight caterer and airport concession company Alpha Airports has signed a 10-year multi-million-pound deal at United Arab Emirates' Sharjah International Airport.
The contract provides exclusive inflight catering and ancillary services to all airlines operating out of the airport.
Alpha will also take responsibility for the Business and First Class lounges, where it plans to introduce its World News Café brand. Sales from comparable concession activities in 2005 were in the region of £5m.

Source / Read full article: CatererSearch.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

18 September
Korean Air Introduces Tasty and Healthy Organic Menus
Korean Air will offer passengers a taste of truly healthy in-flight meals prepared with top quality ingredients such as organic vegetables and grains.
The introduction of the new organic dishes reflects Korean Air’s great care for its passengers’ health and wellbeing. The new organic menus contain fresh organic vegetables such as lettuce, red chicory and romaine, bread made from organic flour and organic morning cereal.

Source / Read full article: Touristikpresse.net (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

10 September
Inaugural Mena Travel Catering exhibition and ITCA Middle East Conference a grand success
The inaugural MENA Travel Catering 2006 exhibition held in conjunction with ITCA Middle East Conference, ended a successful three-day run at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The  global interest and potential of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) market has also led to the International Travel Catering Association (ITCA) holding its Middle East conference alongside the exhibition.

Source / Read full article: AME Info.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

6 September
MENA travel catering exhibition opens in Dubai
His Excellency Khalid Bin Sulayem, Director General, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, officially opened the inaugural MENA Travel Catering Exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The  global interest and potential of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) market has also led to the International Travel Catering Association (ITCA) holding its Middle East conference alongside the exhibition.

Source / Read full article: Traveldailynews.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

3 September
SriLankan Airlines celebrates Onam Festival onboard
Kerala residents flying home from the Middle East onboard SriLankan Airlines are in for a treat on September 5 2006, as the airline will serve Payasam, a sweet and tempting porridge, to celebrate Onam, Kerala’s most popular festival.
The conference will be held on September 5 and 6. This key industry conference will run alongside the first Mena Travel Catering 2006 exhibition held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), organised by Dubai World Trade Centre.

Source / Read full article: Strategiy.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

30 August
Catering to focus at Dubai conference
Hospitality experts from around the region will discuss key issues related to catering at the International Travel Catering Association (ITCA) Middle East conference being held in Dubai early next month.
The conference will be held on September 5 and 6. This key industry conference will run alongside the first Mena Travel Catering 2006 exhibition held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), organised by Dubai World Trade Centre.

Source / Read full article: TradeArabia.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

13 August
Saudi Arabian Airlines invites bids for about 49% stake in catering unit
Riyadh: Saudi-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines kicked off a long-awaited privatisation yesterday by inviting bids for a stake of up to 49 per cent in its catering unit.
The chef himself has a typically simple answer for what Indian passengers seek at altitudes of over 35,000 ft.

Source / Read full article: Gulfnews.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

9 August
'Chef's Special' on the in-flight menu
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has signed on Indian culinary maestro Sanjeev Kapoor as the ninth member of its International Culinary Panel of world-renowned chefs, and has introduced the Shahi Thali put together by Kapoor from August 1 for its first-class passengers.
The chef himself has a typically simple answer for what Indian passengers seek at altitudes of over 35,000 ft.

Source / Read full article: TheHinduBusinessLine.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

13 July
BAS breaks own catering record
Bahrain Airport Services has broken its own record for preparation of meals at the Bahrain In-flight Catering Centre, which caters to the airlines using Bahrain International Airport.
The Aircraft Catering Centre produced 18,500 meals, surpassing the previous record of 16,500 meals per day, last Thursday. BAS produces on a daily basis a variety of over 100 different menus to its Airline customers.

Source / Read full article: TradeArabia.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

11 July
Pie in the sky still possible, but airlines are expanding their diet menus
In the late 1970s, a first-class dinner menu on a Pan Am flight from New York to Tokyo offered a study in gluttony: Beluga caviar, roast beef slathered in gravy, creamy potatoes, buttered vegetables, cheeses and ice cream with fudge sauce.
Today's first-class and business-class passengers can still find plenty to gorge on during long flights. But several carriers recently began sharing nutritional data for some of their menu items and are offering lighter alternatives. Surveys have shown that many travelers wish the airlines would hold the butter.

Source / Read full article: InternationalHeraldTribune.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

5 July
Etihad Airways to introduce rotating seats
In a major in-flight innovation, UAE-based airlines Etihad Airways on Tuesday, said it would be introducing seats, which could rotate 180 degrees in its First Class category, enabling passengers to hold meetings or dine and converse with each other across the table.
The new seats would be fitted in the latest Airbus A 340-500, which would be inducted in the UAE carrier shortly, said the airline, which claims to be the first to introduce such a facility in the world.

Source / Read full article: Hindu.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

29 June
Preparing own in-flight meals best bet for healthy fare
As we all are learning - often the hard way - complimentary food on most airlines in economy class is a distant memory.
The airline meals of recent years were hardly the gourmet endeavors of the 1950s, when airlines such as Pan Am and TWA made high-class meals standard fare for their passengers, but they did help satisfy passengers on long flights. As late as the 1970s, when airlines still were regulated, first-class airline offerings sometimes included duck and chateaubriand served on crystal and china, and even coach-class passengers got simple but balanced meals during the breakfast, lunch and dinner hours.

Source / Read full article: SanAngeloStandardTimes.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

25 June
Airline meals 'better than pub food'
Airline food now beats the quality and service found in most British pubs, according to a top chef.
Standards on planes are "simply higher" than the "pathetic" offerings often found on the ground, Marcus Wareing said.
The chef-patron of Michelin-starred Petrus restaurant in the Berkeley hotel, London, says airlines have either stopped serving cooked meals or "upped their game.

Source / Read full article: Telegraph.co.uk (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

20 June
Delta Air Lines to become only airline to serve 5 continents nonstop from New York
Delta Air Lines will be the only airline to offer customers nonstop service to five continents from metropolitan New York with the addition of new nonstop flights between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Mumbai, India, and Accra, Ghana.
Customers can enjoy Delta's award-winning BusinessElite service featuring [...] innovative food offerings designed by celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein, award-winning, original wine selections, and [...] economy class customers also will notice recent improvements on Delta, including new all-leather economy seats, enhanced food offerings and a complimentary cocktail with each meal.

Source / Read full article: Primezone.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

12 June
Gulf Air declared world champion of onboard catering excellence
The travelling public has once more confirmed that Gulf Air’s on-board catering is unrivalled. The airline has received the 2006 Skytrax Award for 'best onboard catering excellence' for a third consecutive year.
“The introduction of onboard chefs by Gulf Air a couple of years ago set a new benchmark for onboard catering standards,” said Gulf Air President and Chief Executive James Hogan.

Source / Read full article: AlBawaba.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

3 June
US Airways dropping peanuts
US Airways is pulling peanuts from its flights by the end of June, but this is no penny-pinching move so prevalent in the industry today.
The Tempe-based airline, the nation's fifth-largest, is bowing to concerns of travelers with severe peanut allergies. It will serve pretzels, crackers and other in-flight snacks, instead. Several other major airlines had already stopped serving peanuts after peanut allergy groups expressed their members' fears of a dangerous in-flight reaction.

Source / Read full article: ArizonaRepublic (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

28 May
Airline's wine picks nothing to sniff at
Finding the perfect wine to complement a fresh cut of beef or delicately prepared seafood can be a challenge.
Just as airlines invest millions of dollars in better seats in first and business class and in-flight entertainment systems, they spend money on good wines because it helps attract customers.

Source / Read full article: Chicago Tribune (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

24 May
SN Brussels Airlines revamps in-flight product longhaul flights
Passengers travelling to Africa enjoy from now on flat beds in Business Class, new comfortable seats in Economy Class and a new in-flight entertainment system.
SN Brussels Airlines launches today a totally revamped in-flight product on board of its longhaul aircraft connecting Europe and Africa on a daily basis. Thanks to the new flat beds in Business Class, the state-of-the-art audio and video entertainment system and the new Economy Class seats, SN Brussels Airlines is more than ever the number one airline in terms of comfort and quality..

Source / Read full article: BrusselsAirlines.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

15 May
Gate Gourmet and FreshOne Sign Innovative Production Agreement
Gate Gourmet, Inc. and FreshOne, LLC have entered a Catering Services Agreement.
As part of this strategic alliance, Gate Gourmet will prepare and package fresh, assembled food products such as sandwiches, salads and other ready-to- eat items. The pre-packaged items will be marketed and distributed nationwide in the U.S. by FreshOne to select grocery, convenience and specialty retailers.

Source / Read full article: Yahoo.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

12 May
Not prawn, that's cockroach in your meal!
Abdul Qadir (7), a resident of Southall, UK, has vowed never to visit India again.
The boy was travelling by the Air India Mumbai-Heathrow flight (AI 131) on January 18 this year, when he found a cockroach in the non-vegetarian food served to him, on board the aircraft.

Source / Read full article: Mid-Day.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

10 May
Malaysia's Navis to buy Nirula's for Rs 90 cr
NEW DELHI: Start getting nostalgic about Nirula’s.

After being in the market for a year or so, the country’s original western-style fast food chain, Nirula’s is finally tying up with Malaysia-based Navis Capital Partners to sell its operations.
According to sources, the deal is said to be in the range of Rs 85-90 crore. Sources say that the home-grown fast food chain was struggling to find a buyer for some time, primarily due to the high asking price. The asking price was said to be much in excess of Rs 100 crore.

Source / Read full article: The Economic Times (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

1 May
"In-fright meal cut open my tongue"
A horrified plane passenger told yesterday how he ripped his tongue on a piece of glass in his in-flight meal.
Douglas Gunn said blood poured from his mouth after he bit into his chicken salad. A nurse travelling on the British Airways London-Edinburgh flight gave him first aid.

Source / Read full article: DailyRecord.co.uk (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

24 April
Air Catering War to Break Out During May Holiday
SHANGHAI --With the May Holiday drawing near, wars among China's domestic airline firms and foreign counterparts become fiercer. The coverage is not only limited in the ticket price, but also spread into air catering.
China Southern Airlines Co., Ltd. (China Southern Airlines), leader of China's airline firms based in Guangzhou, declared on April 19 that it would hold an Air Gourmet Festival on about 6,000 domestic and foreign flights. From May 1 to 7, Shanghai passengers will have the opportunities to taste many kinds of Guangzhou's famous foods provided by China Southern Airlines

Source / Read full article: TMCnet.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

21 April
Airline caterer Gate Gourmet breaks even through improved productivity
The catering firm at the centre of last summer's dispute at Heathrow Airport has said it should break even during its current financial year.
Gate Gourmet sacked 700 staff last August at the airport in a row over changes to working practices. The move, which the firm said was vital to help it return to profitability, was quickly followed by a sympathy walkout by British Airways ground staff.

Source / Read full article: personneltoday.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

19 April
Cost of MAS 5-star meals ‘reasonable’
KUALA LUMPUR: The cost of in-flight meals provided by Malaysia Airlines is reasonable.
Malaysia's national airline said in a statement the cost of tea, coffee and nasi lemak was either lower or comparable with that served at top quality hotels and restaurants.
"Our in-flight meals are prepared under strict supervision for high standards of cleanliness and quality control," it said in response to recent media reports that nasi lemak, eggs and other foodstuffs were supplied to the airline at exorbitant prices.

Source / Read full article: nst.com.my (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

17 April
Giants to Vie for THY's Catering Tender
Given the number of passengers and destinations is high among the leading companies in Europe, competition in the Turkish Air Lines (THY) tender is expected to be intense.
After a 10-day postponement, major companies will have the chance to compete for the catering bid on April 28. Four wealthy companies competing for the tender, worth $70 million annually and renewed every five years are: Gate Gourmet USAS, LSG Sky Chef Sancak Catering, TAV-Do&Co and Sofra Group.

Source / Read full article: zaman.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

15 April
The Easter Bunny and other (travel) myths
There is no such thing as the Easter Bunny, not all flight attendants are attractive and we hate to dispel the myth, but there are no lowest price airfare guarantees either. So, let’s set the record straight about common misconceptions in the airfare market.

4. All airline food is inedible We know you’re not flying “for the food”, but if you think all airline food is inedible, think again.
Notable examples in economy class include Thai Airways, Austrian Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas Airways, Gulf Air, SN Brussels Airlines, and Swiss Airlines. A good tip can be to pre-order a “special” meal type in advance on the web.

Source / Read full article: cheapflights.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

10 April
EQT to acquire Select Service Partner from Compass
English breakfast to be offered on all flights
Air Berlin will begin offering exclusive gourmet meals in partnership with airline caterer DO & CO to complement their existing in-flight service from 1st May 2006. The gourmet menus will comprise hot meals freshly prepared each day and will complement the existing standard meals on offer, which will continue to be offered inclusive of the price of the flight..

Source / Read full article: businesswire.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

6 April
Air Berlin goes gourmet
English breakfast to be offered on all flights
Air Berlin will begin offering exclusive gourmet meals in partnership with airline caterer DO & CO to complement their existing in-flight service from 1st May 2006. The gourmet menus will comprise hot meals freshly prepared each day and will complement the existing standard meals on offer, which will continue to be offered inclusive of the price of the flight..

Source / Read full article: airberlin.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)
Also read: http://www.doco.com/media/presse_Stockheim_091205_e.pdf

5 April
Airline food is great - really!
Be careful what you dis, for it just may disappear.
It happened with folk rock and moderate Republicans. Now, more wrenchingly, it is happening with airplane food.

Source / Read full article: nydailynews.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

28 March
El Al preps for Passover
El Al is preparing for Passover by adding 13 pre- and post-holiday flights from the United States to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV). These departures are in addition to its 26 regularly scheduled flights between the U.S. and Israel.
Food preparation is taken very seriously at the Israeli flag carrier. In advance of Passover each year, El Al kitchens - and all the airline’s catering equipment - undergo a complete cleaning and rabbinical inspection. Every meal is prepared Kosher for Passover, in accordance with Jewish dietary laws, and under rabbinic supervision.

Source / Read full article: cheapflights.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

26 March
There's no free lunch (or much of anything else, on an airplane)
Four and a half years after the events of Sept. 11 changed nearly everything about air travel, airlines not only have eliminated free meals but are charging for dozens of services that once were included in ticket prices.
"Peanuts and pretzels -- other than that, you pay for everything," said Arlene Blosch, president of the regional chapter of the American Society of Travel Agents and owner of Travel Wizards in Bensalem, Pa., referring to just about the only freebie left on planes.

Source / Read full article: STLtoday.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

24 March
Airline meals you cook yourself
These days you can get everything on planes from wireless Internet access through to live TV channels. But as us Transatlantic jet-setters are so painfully aware one thing you just can’t get is a meal at the temperature you want it at when you want to eat it.
Maybe you will soon, for Brit design company PDD has come up with a new airline catering system it is calling Platinum, which features a heater, steamer and a chiller integrated into a plate.

Source / Read full article: TechDigest.tv (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

21 March
KAL Gets World No.1 In-Flight Meal Award Again
Korean Air received the prestigious `Mercury Award' from the International Flight Catering Association (IFCA) on March 10, 2006 for the development and service implementation of Bibim Noodles (Spicy Korean Noodles), one of Korea's finest traditional dishes, as an in-flight meal. The carrier was awarded the Gold Prize in the Food and Beverage category.

Source / Read full article: Seoul Times (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

13 March
Comings and Goings
For it's 60th anniversary, Cathay Pacific Airways has teamed up with some of Hong Kong's top Chinese restaurants to offer 100 special dishes on flights out of Hong Kong through the end of the year.
Instead of working with just one restaurant, as the airline usually does for its Best Chinese Food in the Air promotion, this year Cathay Pacific is working with seven Hong Kong restaurants.

Source / Read full article: NY Times (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

12 March
Gulf Air wins Mercury award
Gulf Air took the “Gold” in the on board service category and was also named the “overall winner” by the International Travel Catering Association (ITCA) for its innovation, quality in application and customer satisfaction within the wide sphere of onboard service.
In a gala ceremony held in Valencia, Spain, attended by Gulf Air head of inflight services Michael Kent, the airline won the awards for its famed Sky Nanny service.

Source / Read full article: TradeArabia.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

8 March
Chicken flies high on airline menus again
To start with, Jet Airways and Indian Airlines have asked to get chicken back on their flight menu.
With the threat of avian flu fading and no fresh case being reported in the last 15 days, many airlines in India are back with poultry products on flight menus.
The usual favourites like cheese omelette with chicken sausage and chicken breast with toast were sighted on many flights Wednesday morning.

Source / Read full article: RxPGNews (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

1 March
Singapore on list to feed Qantas
While Geoff Dixon isn't too keen on Singapore Airlines flying the US-Australia route, it sounds like he may not mind selling his inflight bacon and eggs business to Singapore's former catering and ground handling arm.
Word is that SingAir's one-time in-house catering service, Singapore Airport Terminal Services, has progressed to the next round of bidding for the Qantas catering service.

Source / Read full article: Sydney Morning Herald (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

27 February
Gulf Air offers exciting goodies for children
Children travelling on Gulf Air will now get a special treatment on board!
Gulf Air has just launched a new range of interesting goodies, games, toys and, a specially-designed children’s meal to make their journey more entertaining and engaging.
Complementing Gulf Air's award-winning Sky Nanny service, the new range of goodies have been compiled with guidance from members of the Sky Nanny team and exclusively designed for Gulf Air.

Source / Read full article: Al Bawaba (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

27 February
QAS, SATS sign deal for management services
Doha: Qatar Aviation Services Company (QAS) and the Singapore Airport Terminal Services Limited (SATS) have entered into a broad-based collaboration agreement, a Qatar Airways official, said here yesterday.
QAS is the principal ground handling operator at Doha International Airport (DIA), providing comprehensive services, including passenger, apron, technical ramp, baggage and cargo handling services, together with ground support equipment maintenance.

Source / Read full article: The Peninsula (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

21 February
Ratings boost for Gate Gourmet
Gate Gourmet, the airline catering group, is seeing benefits of its restructuring efforts after Standard & Poor’s on Monday upgraded the credit ratings of the parent group and its main subsidiary to B- from D.
The company, which was involved in a protracted dispute with sacked workers in the UK last year leading to strikes by other staff, had its ratings cut to D, for default, in January 2005 after it failed to make payments on its bank debt that were due at the end of 2004.

Source / Read full article: Financial Times (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

20 February
Airlines, railways scrap egg curry
NEW DELHI: After bird flu virus was detected in Maharashtra, India's poultry industry has been hit as catering services including those of several airlines and railways have taken chicken off their menus.
While the railways have stopped serving egg curry on certain routes, airline caterers have substituted poultry products with mutton, lamb and fish.

Source / Read full article: DNA India (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

19 February
Sky goes green: Airlines drop chicken from platter
Within a day of bird flu striking India, airlines — both international and domestic — have grounded chicken. As a precautionary measure, some airline menus are going fully vegetarian while others are serving alternatives like mutton, fish and prawn.
Jet Airways, the country’s biggest private airline, was the first to go vegetarian. “We will be serving only vegetable meals for all courses for a few days. Chicken is an important part of our menu but keeping passenger safety in mind, we have stopped all such meals from last night,” said Saroj Datta, executive director, Jet Airways.

Source / Read full article: HindustanTimes.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

18 February
BA shake-up threatens to slash pensions by a third
British Airways has tabled plans to slash staff pensions by more than a third in a move that could trigger a summer of strikes for millions of passengers.
The proposal was discussed in briefings with staff and union representatives last week, The Business has learned. A final decision will be put to BA’s workforce next month.

Source / Read full article: The Business Online (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

14 February
Saudi Arabian Airlines: Sky high meal results
Saudi Arabian Airlines’ catering service has announced that it served more than 15 million meals in the first nine months of 2005.
The airline’s catering division is reported to have had a great impact on the local market, as it purchases over 80% of its material from the Saudi market.

Source / Read full article: IPT Business (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

11 February
Air travel pioneer Laker dies at 83
MIAMI - Sir Freddie Laker, who changed the face of air travel with his low-cost trans-Atlantic Skytrain service that challenged the industry giants in the 1970s, has died. He was 83.
Laker pioneered the concept of cheap fares for the masses, and although his Skytrain venture eventually collapsed in 1982, he laid the foundations for the low-cost carriers that proliferate today.

Source / Read full article: TheEagle.com (opens in new window, may require free subscription)

9 February
American Airlines to replace galleys with seats on some planes
American Airlines, which no longer serves hot meals in the coach section on U.S. flights, will replace two galleys on about half its airplanes with seats to add as much as $34 million a year in revenue.
American, the world's largest airline, will start taking the kitchen areas out of coach sections of its 327 MD-80 aircraft in September. The change will make room for four seats per plane, adding the equivalent of 10 aircraft, spokesman Tim Wagner said today in an interview.

Source / Read full article: Chicago Tribune (opens in new window, requires FREE subscription)

4 February
Gate Gourmet boss jailed 12 months
(UK) - The finance director of Gate Gourmet, the catering supplier previously in dispute with British Airways, was jailed for 12 months today for stealing £30,000 to gamble on the money markets.
Ravinder Dhillon, 44, who was on a salary of £110,000, also allegedly billed the firm, which was losing £2 million a month at the time, for the services of a string of prostitutes.

Source / Read full article: lse.co.uk (opens in new window)

1 February
SATS wins PIA tender to manage Karachi flight kitchen
SINGAPORE : Singapore Airport Terminal Services has signed an agreement to provide technical services to Pakistan International Airlines, or PIA.
The services include the management of PIA's flight kitchen at Karachi, as well as to establish quality management systems and improve processes.

Source / Read full article: channelnewsasia.com (opens in new window)

31 January
American Airlines Announces New Premium Class Menus for Transcontinental and Select Brazilian Flights
FORT WORTH, Texas - American Airlines today announced new First Class and Business Class menus on all transcontinental flights, as well as on select flights from Brazil.
The menu enhancements continue a series of moves by American to invest in its premium cabin products that give it a competitive advantage over low cost carriers, as well as enable it to compete effectively with international airlines.

Source / Read full article: Houston Chronicle (opens in new window)

30 January
Alitalia to enter low-cost airline market if 38 mln eur Volare bid accepted
MILAN (AFX) - Alitalia SpA said in a statement issued late Friday that the Volare airline, for which it has reportedly made the highest bid in an auction, will become the group's low-cost leisure operator.
Alitalia confirmed its 38 mln eur bid for the low-cost operator, filed with the company's administrator, and said it is waiting for final clearance for the deal. The company would not take on any debt from Volare.

Source / Read full article: forbes.com (opens in new window)

28 January
America West and USAir: Everything That Rises Must Converge
When the going gets tough, band together. US Airways and America West completed their merger late last year, pulling together two major airlines best known for low fares.
But with mergers, the devil is in the execution. Combining two big businesses can lead to streamlined service, or organizational chaos. To see how things were going, we flew a round-trip on US Airways in January, keeping an eye out for signs of the new regime. We found that travelers will need to keep their eyes open, especially at airports.

Source / Read full article: frommers.com (opens in new window)

24 January
Dunkin' drinks for JetBlue
With all the attention that airline food and snacks are receiving, JetBlue has decided that the key to a happy flight is good coffee and will soon start serving a Dunkin' Donuts brand roast.
For the cheap flight passenger there are few luxuries waiting on board. However, when JetBlue found out through a recent survey that most people felt airline coffee was worse than what they kept in their kitchen, the airline decided to take action.

Source / Read full article: cheapflights.com (opens in new window)

23 January
BA Cuts U.K. Inflight Service
British travel buyers are waiting to see if there will be any impact from a range of cost-cutting measures being pressed by British Airways CEO Willie Walsh.
The measures include converting services from airports outside London to a no-frills style operation, reducing sales and marketing payments to British travel agents and culling 35 percent of management.

Source / Read full article: BTNonline.com (opens in new window)

18 January
One dead, three hurt in catering plant fire
Thai Airways International's catering plant under construction at Suvarnabhumi airport caught fire while about 200-300 people were working there last night.

One died in the blaze and three were injured. Chokchai Panyayong, THAI's vice-president supervising the airline's investments at Suvarnabhumi airport, could not confirm whether the fire would delay the opening schedule of the airport tentatively set for June.

Source / Read full article: bangkokpost.com (opens in new window)

6 January
Extra airline charges lighten fliers' wallets
Forking over for airline meals was just the beginning. Paying a la carte for everything from a choice seat to a checked bag is a trend that's taking off.

Fees for services and amenities that used to be free are proliferating as airlines seek ways to cover higher operating costs and increase revenue without sending ticket prices soaring.

Source / Read full article: azcentral.com (opens in new window)

2 January
Decline of the In-Flight Meal Leaves Airline Caterers Hungry
Getting a free meal at 30,000 feet, in coach class at least, is going the way of the biplane. And that's causing turbulence in the airline catering business.”

Spending on food by major U.S. airlines has dropped by nearly 30% since the end of 1999, forcing big catering firms such as Gate Gourmet International and LSG Sky Chefs to slash operations and cut thousands of jobs to survive the drop in demand for their services.

Source / Read full article: latimes.com (opens in new window)