Video Clip: SATS highlights strides in sustainability at ACA Leadership Symposium
Céline Hourcade, Vice President, Global Head of ESG at SATS highlights SATS latest sustainability initiatives and presence at ACA Leadership Symposium and WTCE
The airline catering industry gathered in Amsterdam in February for the first-ever Airline Catering Association (ACA) Leadership Symposium. In attendance was Céline Hourcade, Vice President, Global Head of ESG at SATS, who joined the company in May 2024.
“It was a great opportunity for me to meet the industry that I’m entering right now,” she says.
Hourcade spoke on the panel “Sustainable or Bust” at the Symposium, addressing sustainability challenges in inflight catering, covering cabin waste management, local sourcing, electrification and workforce shortages.
The message that Hourcade hopes to communicate to peers through her presence at the event in Amsterdam is collaboration—especially in the area of sustainability initiatives. In an interview with PAX International during the event, Hourcade highlighted the importance of SATS’ industry partnerships and knowledge-sharing opportunities.
“We cannot just do things in silo,” she says. “We have an insights team that is doing all the market trends research in-house. We do quite a lot of testing with clients on the food side, creating new menus and meals.”
Fish head curry by SATS
She adds that SATS also organizes workshops with its clients, especially on the sustainability side of things, to promote future-thinking discussions on areas for change and improvement.
“I'm quite amazed by all the initiatives that have been already done and achieved within SATS and the catering business, especially in terms of sustainable packaging and management of food waste,” Hourcade shares.
She adds that reducing food waste in the kitchen “just makes business sense.” SATS also handles inbound cabin waste and ultimately works to reduce the waste that is going to landfill or incineration.
“We are working with lots of start-ups based in Singapore to look at how we can improve that waste management,” she explains, revealing one such company’s initiative is taking dirty plastics, which are more difficult to recycle than clean plastics, and using them to create bitumen to pave the roads.
SATS aims to achieve 100 percent sustainable packaging by 2030
Personalization and prospects
Hourcade says that the level of personalization in meal options onboard varies by region and airline, depending on passenger expectations. She says SATS sees a big potential for growth in both the Asian and Indian markets. As a leader in delivering authentic flavours at scale, SATS ensures that airlines can offer a rue taste of Asia with every meal.
SATS produces a variety of cuisines, including Asian and Western-style meals, but she notes that passengers in the Asian and Indian markets are expecting cuisine tailored to regional tastes.
“They like the comfort, the familiarity, the authenticity of the food,” Hourcade explains.
In addition to gatherings like the ACA Leadership Symposium, Hourcade taps WTCE as an industry event that drives collaboration and opportunities for connection.
SATS will return to Hamburg, Germany for WTCE this month, its fourth consecutive year attending. Hourcade says visitors to the caterer’s booth can expect a showcase of its culinary skills and capabilities in delivering the best of Asian cuisines and authentic tastes.
SATS’ in-house insights team researches market trends and collaborates with clients to test and develop new menus
