En Route International scales new heights with strategic global expansion
This is a special feature from the May 2025 Post-WTCE/Awards issue of PAX International on page 28.
The En Route team at WTCE 2025
At this year’s World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE), En Route International made it clear that its ambitions are global and its strategy is solid. The company, which rebranded just more than a year ago, is seeing rapid year-over-year growth, adding key personnel across regions and continuing to position itself as a specialist in passenger solutions, supply chain services and product sourcing.
For Nick Wiley, Managing Director of En Route, the company’s transformation over the past 12 months feels both natural and necessary.
“It feels like we have had this new brand identity for much longer,” Wiley tells PAX International during an interview at WTCE. “It belongs. It felt good last year, and I have never questioned it since.”
The rebrand serves as more than a fresh look—it is a platform that has enabled the company to better communicate its core business segments: passenger solutions, sourcing and supply chain services.
“We did not have any dramatic expectations about how it would transform us,” Wiley says. “But it has helped us talk more clearly about our expertise, to position ourselves as specialists.”
Nick Wiley, Managing Director, En Route
An Americas and APAC player
En Route is currently tracking £70 million (US$89.5 million) in turnover and expects that figure to grow to £90 million (US$119.5 million) by the end of the financial year. With a consistent annual growth rate of around 30 percent, Wiley says the company projects a potential leap to £120 million (US$159 million) in turnover within the next 24 months. That success is being driven by calculated investments in new markets and infrastructure, particularly in the Americas and the APAC region.
“We have retained our nimbleness through the rebrand,” Wiley says. “And we have expanded our team significantly—from 95 to 120 people over the past year. We will likely add another 25 globally before the year is out.”
The Americas operation is a strategic pillar of En Route’s future. The company has appointed a leadership team in the region, including Steve Mitchell as Director; Everly Byrd as Supply Chain Manager; Pamela Roybal as Technical Manager; and Lisa Marie-Pitts as Senior Account Manager.
Meanwhile, in APAC, En Route has made strategic culinary appointments with James Stack stepping in as Head of Food and Anuj Ohlan as Senior Food Technologist, supporting En Route's investment in strengthening its global operations.
“Our intention is to strengthen our supplier base, identify manufacturing partners that meet our international standards and work with ambitious airlines that demand consistency of product,” Wiley says.
Tech-driven efficiency
Supporting this human capital investment is a technological backbone designed to increase operational efficiency. The company is developing advanced software for demand management and category optimization, while also upgrading its back-office tools with new invoice and workflow systems to streamline finance and accounting.
Wiley says the systems allow En Route to engage more effectively with caterers and airlines, managing supply and demand planning with precision and improved logistics execution throughout the network.
En Route’s promise to airline customers remains grounded in realism and reliability.
“We do not sell the dream—we sell what we have the capability to deliver,” Wiley emphasizes. “That honesty is a core part of our value system, and it leads to long-term relationships that scale.”
En Route has launched a range of 100 percent natural cold-pressed juices, recognizing wellness and conscious consumerism as rising themes in product development
Customer-centric product development
WTCE is a pivotal event for En Route, not just for showcasing innovation but for refining its messaging and forming connections. “It is not about the quantity of meetings—it is the quality,” Wiley says. “And the quality has been great,” he told PAX International on the show floor last month.
Part of that messaging is repositioning the company’s capabilities in the minds of airline customers.
“We used to be known as the bread and cheese people,” Wiley jokes. “But we have grown well beyond that. It takes time, but we are starting to see the results.”
With a growing workforce and a targeted expansion strategy, En Route is better able to engage in meaningful conversations with both existing and prospective airline customers.
Navigating market trends
En Route is acutely aware of the changing dynamics of onboard service expectations. Premiumization continues to shape the post-pandemic airline landscape, especially as carriers elevate offerings in Premium Economy cabins.
“Premium Economy is an interesting space for us,” Wiley says. “Airlines want to clearly differentiate it from Economy, which means we cannot just double the cheese portions for Premium service. It pushes us to be more creative and responsive to the customer’s brand values.”
Wellness and conscious consumerism are also rising themes in product development.
“Passengers are increasingly mindful about what they consume and where it comes from,” says Wiley. “There is a health element, an ethical component and an expectation of transparency—especially considering the ticket price of air travel today.”
To that end, En Route is currently developing a new health drink that is non-alcoholic, caffeine-infused and free of artificial additives.
“It is meant to give you a buzz without the fuzz,” Wiley says.
This evolving approach to product innovation reflects En Route’s commitment to not just keeping pace with the industry—but helping shape it.
Looking ahead
With a bolstered team, expanded regional footprint and sharpened focus on scalable, tech-enabled operations, En Route is entering a defining phase of growth. Wiley says he is confident that the company’s current trajectory will not only meet but exceed its commercial ambitions.
“The next 12 months are shaping up to be very exciting,” he says. “We are positioned as a specialist in passenger solutions, sourcing and supply chain services. And we are committed to pushing forward the En Route way— delivering excellence across our network, engaging with caterers to manage supply and demand planning, and logistics execution.”
