Pre-order meal program launched at AMS
Launch airline for the new delivery program is Transavia
A new pre-order inflight retail program has been launched in the Netherlands by dnata, iFLEAT, an airline innovation and technology company and Thuisbezorgd.nl, a food delivery company.,
The partners will bring high-end, meals and snacks to airline passengers flying from Schiphol Airport through the 'Takeaway' app up to one hour before boarding. Passengers can choose from a range of fresh salads, poke bowls, sushi platters and hot meals and have their order delivered to the aircraft before departure.
Transavia, part of the Air France-KLM Group, launched the service from Schiphol Airport in September, with a planned roll out to more Transavia destinations in the near future.
Robin Padgett, Divisional Senior Vice President of dnata's catering division, said the initiative opened up the global airline food and beverage market to high-street brands, labelling it a step-change in the inflight dining experience.
"App-led food delivery services continue to grow immensely across the world, with the ease of use, choice of cuisine and loyalty driving incredible consumer uptake,” said Padgett, in today’s announcement. "By partnering with the leader in this field, we're able to deliver exactly what customers want to their seat. Passengers are no longer restricted to what's available in the air.
"This model enables our airline partners to offer their passengers a wider choice of fresh, healthy food and reduce wastage on-board."
Jaap Roukens, the founder of iFLEAT, added: "My focus has always been on improving the passenger experience. With this new service offering and through technology, we're putting choice in the customers' hands and delivering a revenue-generating service for airlines, while also reducing food waste on board.
"We're excited to now expand this pre-order service to dnata's more than 120 locations across the world."
The time taken between placing an order and delivery to the passenger on-board is in-line or quicker than expected delivery times in many city environments.
dnata and iFLEAT are now planning a further rollout of the service which is a complement to existing inflight retail and catering services.
