WTCE issue: Catering trends ready for takeoff
This is a special feature from PAX International's May 2024 WTCE issue, on page 94.
Flying Food Group
partners with SAS
Flying Food Group is a privately owned provider of inflight meals for many of the world’s premier airlines. During its 40th anniversary year in 2023, the company announced several new partnerships.
“We celebrated last year the 40th anniversary of the company and we are pleased to be getting closer to the pre-COVID level and to continue our expansion with the trust of our great long-time customers,” Nicolas Rondeau, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, of Flying Food Group, tells PAX International.
Rondeau says the business partnerships with these global airlines
indicate they are each dynamic
and looking for the best catering options in each market.
“We started a great partnership with Starlux when they [launched] their first-ever LAX route, followed by SFO a few months later,” Rondeau says, adding that this “show[s] the strength of the relationship we have built for years with our long-time customers that enable them to trust our service in more locations.”
Flying Food Group began catering Starlux’s daily long-haul flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Taipei, Taiwan in April 2023. Soon after, Flying Food Group’s San Francisco (SFO) facility was also brought on to cater to passengers on select Starlux flights departing from that airport.
Reflecting on 2023 and looking ahead to 2024, catering trends are clear to Rondeau.
“The trend is now focused on great quality, authentic menu components with fresh great quality ingredients, with an eye on sustainability and greener products whenever possible,” he explains.
In the next couple of years, Flying Food Group will focus on its post-COVID recovery, building on its four decades of industry experience and expansion.
“We wish to continue to grow the company as we have done since its inception, over 40 years ago, with great service and continue to focus on high culinary offering to our customers,” Rondeau says.
Last year, Flying Food also onboarded SAS at John F. Kennedy (JFK); ITA Airways at Washing- ton (IAD) and SFO; Turkish Airlines at Newark (EWR), JFK and Chicago O’Hare (ORD); Zipair at SFO; and ANA at LAX. See Flyng Food Group at booth 1A81.
