Airlines

The International Travel Catering Association unveiled a new structure with the 2007 Mercury Awards Ceremony February 15, eliminating the overall winner and adding some new categories.

A total of 26 entries were judged this year. In the future, Mercury organizers plan to bring in sea and rail entries for a separate category. This year, the group also added an individual award for outstanding achievement.

The winners received Mercury Award replica statues in an afternoon event on the final day of this year’s ITCA Conference. The following is a list of the winning entries in each category.


Category	Winner	Entry

Onboard Service	Asiana Airlines	The Team of Charming Airline crews provided passengers with mask packs for comfort along with make-up sessions and nail care
Food and Beverage	Monte’s Bakehouse	Hot, Posh Pastries Hot pastries serviced in recyclable, branded cardboard sleeves for easy handling. Snacks consisted of pizza and panini
Equipment	Hobart	Dishwash System The company worked with LSG Sky Chefs to develop a multipurpose dish system, separating, tanks, pumps and filters from the warewash machine. The changes allowed more recycling and resulted in reductions in carbon dioxide emissions
Skills Development	Air Fayre	Operational Excellence Programme Air Fayre a U.K, based caterer, developed a program that recognizes the needs of a multi-cultural workforce and added computerized images of products. The result has been reduced training time and complexity in packing procedures
Systems and Processes	Air Canada	Air Canada News - Cabin Crew Signage The airline replaced its system of paper bulletins and added a lively mix of entertaining items called Air Canada News, which was mixed in with product and service information. The new approach held crewmembers’ attention and eliminated confusion
Inspirations	Quodpod	Quodpod Long-haul economy meal service in individual pods, and a housing which holds two hot and two cold dishes, which can be eaten alone, or in combination. The product replaces conventional hot meal trays for use in induction ovens
Individual Award for Outstanding Achievement	Air Fayre	Maurice Osterow