Onboard Hospitality May - August 2023

Cheers to you!

Raise a glass with us in Hamburg

WTCE PREVIEW

ONBOARD DRINKS

ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL

TABLEWARE TRENDS

EDITORIAL

EDITOR

Stuart Forster stuart.forster@onboardhospitality.com

DIGITAL EDITOR

April Waterston april.waterston@onboardhospitality.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Jo Austin (For Taste of Travel enquiries: jo.austin@onboardhospitality.com), Julie Baxter (julie.baxter@ onboardhospitality.com) Bev Fearis & Jessica Pook

CONTRIBUTORS

Neal Baldwin

Charlotte Flach

Roger Williams

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Steve Hartridge

PUBLISHER

Sue Williams sue.williams@onboardhospitality.com

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Celebrating together

The Onboard Hospitality team are keen to meet with you there, to hear all about your latest products and services. We saw some of them during the judging of the Onboard Hospitality Awards and are looking forward to announcing the winners at the Taste of Travel Theatre on June 6.

You are welcome to join us there and can read about contenders in this edition. Jo Austin, a former editor of this magazine, has pulled together a fabulous line-up of Taste of Travel speakers and topics, which you can also read about in this issue, along with a host of WTCE-related tips. Of course, no drink is more closely associated with toasting success than Champagne. In the pages that follow, we spotlight sparkling wine, non-alcoholic drinks and own-brand beverages. We also look at onboard accessibility, ethically sourcing milk and eggs along with recent tableware trends – and much more! Here's to looking each other in the eyes, shaking hands and clinking glasses together in Hamburg.

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We have learnt that events such as conferences and in-person meetings should never again be taken for granted. There really is something to cherish each time we come together to do business, as so many of us will in Hamburg.

Stuart Forster EDITOR Onboard Hospitality

guilt-free bubbly Enjoying

Champagne and other forms of sparkling wine have traditional associations with luxury and success. A glass of ‘bubbly’ has long been a welcome drink favoured by many First and Business Class passengers. And changes to production processes and other measures mean it is becoming ever easier to sip sparkling wine without feeling guilty about the environmental impact.

Efforts to become more sustainable have resulted in increased emphasis being placed on working with local suppliers. That helps to cut transport miles, reducing emissions and can represent a commitment to support local businesses.

In line with such thinking, British Airways announced in March that, over the following year, for the first time, it would introduce four award-winning English sparkling wines to its Club World cabin. Rotating every three months, BA’s Business Class passengers will be able to sip Digby Fine

English Brut Non-Vintage (NV), Balfour Rosé de Noirs, Simpsons Chalklands Cuvee Brut NV and Winston Estate NV. “We know English sparkling wines have attracted international acclaim over the years and are only growing in popularity, so we’re really excited to offer our customers English sparkling wines in our Club World cabin,” comments Sajida Ismael, Director of Onboard Experience at British Airways.

Qualitatively and in terms of quantity produced, English winemaking has taken huge strides forward. A generation ago, few aficionados would have favoured English sparkling wines over those from traditional production regions.

Yet weather patterns associated with the Champagne region of northeast France four decades ago have become typical for southern England. Similarities in soil minerality and maturing vineyards are now helping English wines win plaudits.

Stuart Forster looks at some of the efforts that allow passengers to appreciate sparkling wine without feeling guilty about the environment…

Carbon neutrality

In 2016, Champagne Drappier became the first carbon-neutral wine estate in the Champagne region. “It came from the observation that, obviously, there were climate changes and because we are vineyard farmers we're are really in the forefront of seeing the evolution,” says Charlene Drappier, a co-owner, citing changes to the dates of harvests and frosts as two notable examples of climate change.

Around the turn of the century Michel Drappier, Charlene’s father, first had the idea of tackling his family business’s carbon footprint when such concerns were not fashionable. “In the early 2000s, people were talking about organic. That was something in the wine business. But it was only tackling the vineyards, not taking into account all of the many steps that can use a lot of resources such as energy and water,” says Charlene before outlining actions taken.

Drappier installed photovoltaic roof panels and acquired a fleet of electric tractors and goods vehicles. Michel Drappier designed a bottle 15% lighter than those that traditionally hold Champagne. The business is commitmed to recycling and permaculture.

Charlene acknowledges that being a family-run business plays a dominant role in long-term thinking regarding how it is run. Vineyards start to become productive only around 10 years after they are planted. “Everything we do, it’s worth it only for the next generation,” she observes.

Biodiverse production

Nonetheless, her family has planted rarely used varietals in an effort to maintain biodiversity. And amid all the sustainable measures that the company has introduced, Charlene sees the greatest achievement as successfully converting more than 30 hectares to become organically certified and not going back on that despite adverse weather in 2021 resulting in a disastrous harvest: “We can be very proud of having stuck to this commitment and still extending the organic certification on our vineyards.”

In 2022, Piper-Heidsieck, Charles Heidsieck and Rare Champagne – members of the familyowned EPI Group – became the first Champagne houses to achieve B Corp certification. Beyond adherence to sustainable practices and ongoing efforts to cut carbon emissions, that involves a commitment to gender equality and advocacy of social inclusion.

Climate change is also affecting vineyards in Italy. To counteract its impact, Bottega has adopted measures such as growing of grass in the middle of vineyards plus new foliage and pruning management systems. The company’s prosecco is available aboard 65 airlines and 160 cruise ships.

In addition to utilising renewable energy,

Clockwise (from above): Wood barrels in the cellar of the Drappier Champagne house; Manual vine pruning in a Bottega vineyard.

There were climate changes and because we are vineyard farmers we're really in the forefront

water is recycled and organic manure is spread on Bottega’s vineyards. The polythene that packs empty bottles during their delivery is recycled and converted to the film that stretches around filled and ready-to-ship packaging.

“We also positioned six hives with 300,000 bees in the vineyards in the Prosecco Hills. These insects play a very important role in maintaining biodiversity and their presence is also a thermometer to measure the healthiness of an area,” says Sandro Bottega, Managing Director of Bottega SpA.

Nova Scotian sparkling

The winegrowing heritage of Nova Scotia, Canada, can be traced back to 1611. Yet it was only in 1982 that the Grape Growers Association of Nova Scotia was established. It represents one of the world’s coldest grape-growing areas and is regarded as an emerging wine region.

“In Nova Scotia we are starting to experience more variable and sometimes extreme weather such as drought, hurricanes and warmer summers and winters. In the last three warmer growing seasons pick dates for sparkling wine have been getting earlier to maintain our signature freshness,” says Bruce Ewert, L’Acadie Vineyards' owner.

“The long-term benefit of organic vegan agriculture is a strengthening of our vineyard’s climate change resilience. For example, cover crops to protect the soil and healthy vines in an ecosystem of diversity make us stronger,” adds the winemaker.

vine’s roots. And you avoid pesticide residues

in 2021 the organic winery

Welcoming passengers to Canada’s Maritime provinces, L’Acadie Vineyards’ Vintage Cuvée is served on the Via Rail train between Montreal and Halifax. The traditionally made sparkling wine was the region’s first. And in 2021 the organic winery became North America's first to be certified by Biocyclic Vegan International.

“Organic and vegan agriculture is better for the world – it is better for people, animals and the planet. Organically grown grapes tend to be more flavourful for a number of reasons, not the least of which are the soil micro-organisms around the vine’s roots. And you avoid pesticide residues in your wine,” he adds about his production choices qualitative benefits.

“Motivation should come from the heart, since it is more work and riskier. It should Canadian

“Motivation should come from the heart, since it is more work and riskier. It should come from the rationale that it is the right thing to do,” concludes the Canadian winemaker of organic production.

Fans of sparkling wine and responsible agriculture may well be tempted to raise a glass and toast his success. •

Fans of sparkling wine and be

Clockwise (from above): A bottle of L'Acadie Vineyards' sparkling wine; Manually harvested grapes used for making Bottega prosecco; Michel Drappier with a bottle of his family's Champagne.

Organic and vegan agriculture is better for the world...for people, animals and the planet

THE GLOBAL LEADER IN SOUS VIDE

Excellent culinary experience matters, even at 35,000 feet. Find out why the world's top 10 airlines trust us with their business- and first-class guests.

Our classically-trained chefs develop sous vide products that allow onboard providers to serve restaurant-quality meals faster, more economically — and with consistently excellent results.

Let us tell you more about our history as the Masters of Sous Vide and our latest innovations, including the next generation of plant-based sous vide.

Monty's Bakehouse

Providing more sustainable food options onboard could increase passenger loyalty

Asurvey of 1,000 participants carried out across UK, Europe and the USA in April 2023 found that 79% of consumers* favour flying with airlines who offer more sustainable food options. Onboard catering is an area where airlines can ensure a great passenger experience. Food is one of the most memorable and tangible parts of the flight experience, so it’s a great opportunity for airlines to be remembered for all the right reasons.

Recipe for success

56% of passengers* believe it is important for food to be offered in sustainable packaging whilst 41%* think airlines should prioritise replacing single-use plastics with sustainable packaging. Monty’s Bakehouse is recognised across the industry for fully recyclable, environmentally friendly packaging, and is a partner you can trust to make sustainable packaging a reality. Designed to reduce waste and maximise

convenience, our oven-able packaging hails a new era for sustainable onboard catering. Paired with a multi-awardwinning repertoire of food options, from our signature lattice to folded pizzas, as well as sweet treats and entrees, Monty’s Bakehouse could be the perfect choice to help you enhance customer experience and loyalty.

Try it for yourself at WTCE

Talk with the Monty’s Bakehouse team in hall A1, stand 1C60, where you can see and taste our range. Get in touch today to arrange a meeting via mbsales@montysbakehouse.co.uk or visit our website, montysbakehouse.co.uk

*Attest survey of 1,000 nationally representative adults aged 18-68 across UK, Europe and USA. •

FULLY-COOKED SOUS VIDE PLANT-BASED CHICKEN @CUISINESOLUTIONS

sous vide opens the way to quality and safety onboard

Gerard Bertholon is Cuisine Solutions’ Chief Strategy Officer and will be at the WTCE Taste of Travel exploring the growing popularity of sous vide

at Cuisine Solutions we specialise in sous vide cooking, a technique that is becoming increasingly popular for some obvious reasons. In French sous vide means ‘under vacuum’. It's a technique that involves cooking at precise low temperatures and over time to achieve perfect textures and moisture levels.

Most conventional ovens control temperatures by 10- or 20-degree variations but in sous vide we can adjust to cook by one-degree variations. This allows us, for example, to cook some proteins for 20 hours and still keep them medium rare.

Sous vide cooking techniques can really improve not only the quality but the safety of products. The process pasteurises the food so by the end all vegetive forms of bacteria, listeria and salmonella are destroyed.

The quality is good too because when you cook at a lower temperature, you

end up with products that are juicier and tastier. You can still sear the proteins before cooking to develop the Maillard reaction, and this adds more flavour and aroma to the sous vide cooking process and finished product.

consistent results

The attributes of sous vide are good for airlines because they bring a consistency that has been known to professionals for a while. Until recently, sous vide was a technique only used by professional chefs. Now it is moving out into the catering sector and even to home cooking where sous vide has become the fastest growing cooking trend in the US right now. It is popular because it allows people to batch cook healthy and delicious food easily.

Plant-based dishes

Sous vide also allows us to be creative and enhance the quality of plant-based foods, whose popularity is growing. I’m in charge of global research and development and the culinary team that trains our customers on how to use our products.

We have four plants in the US, one in Thailand and one in France, which gives us the ability to give solutions and sell the same product all over the world, which is exactly what airlines want: one solution, not just in one country but all over the world.

I want people to really think about the ingredients they use and make good choices. I look forward to discussing all this at WTCE. • cuisinesolutions.com

Bespoke brands ride the waves

Cruise lines are creating own-label drinks that bring pizzazz, interest and ultimately sales onboard. Neal Baldwin explores the trend

As major cruise lines look to differentiate their offer, they are turning away from big-name alcoholic brands in favour of exclusive partnerships with small producers.

P&O Cruises is the undoubted leader in the field. Keen to cash in on a growing consumer trend towards drinks that offer something unusual, it made own-label alcohol an integral part of the PR story when unveiling its two newest ships. Both feature their own onboard distilleries, producing a unique gin and rum respectively.

Visit the distillery

The move is a classic cruise industry tactic: create a fantastic marketing story that adds to the onboard pizzazz; offer guests something new to see and do while at sea, and drive opportunities for sales. Passengers can see the distillery in action as the small-scale stills are a shiny feature in the main bar of each ship. Guided tours explain the production process, while there are tasting sessions and cocktail-making lessons using the spirit too. As well as the spirits being available in multiple bars

onboard, the exclusive Marabelle Gin and Golden Tide rum are retailed too.

P&O Cruises makes a considerable effort to promote its ‘Britishness’ to guests so it chose to collaborate with small UK producers Salcombe Distilling Co. and Shorts Boy Distillery to create its unique gin and rum recipes. Paul Ludlow, President of P&O Cruises, says: “Our partnerships are based on a shared affinity with the sea, a commitment to sustainability and a passion for exclusively crafted drinks.”

Building affinity

Adding some onboard theatre is a good enough reason to drive the own-label bandwagon but P&O’s strategy is indicative of a wider trend for brands to build an affinity with customers by linking the ‘story’ of the drinks to the ships' itineraries or the overall vacation experience.

Jersey-based Shorts Boy Distillery worked with the cruise line to craft the own-label Caribbeanstyle dark rum, infusing it with seashore botanicals found in the UK, such as pepper dulse seaweed, to make it a good fit for Arvia’s Caribbean sailings.

Likewise, Salcombe Distilling's recipe for the Marabelle Gin includes heather and sea kelp from the Scottish isle of Iona.

of a strategy to eventually offer a full suite of sustainably produced own-brand products across its 18-ship fleet.

“We’ve got big plans for our ’66 range and want to make sure every guest is able to enjoy it, whatever ship they sail on,” says Wes Cort, NCL’s Vice President of Food and Beverage Operations.

marketable story, but also

However, drinks industry expert Richard Dennis, Commercial Director at Watermill Wines, says there’s more to own-label alcohols than PR. “Making own-label products can really make sense financially,” he explains. “The retail partner, in this case the cruise lines, can take a slice from both sides of the equation. They work with producers to create a marketable story, but also benefit by squeezing the unit price. As retailer, they can set their own margins and can decide to undercut well-known brands to sell more onboard, or sell at a premium price as a bespoke product. They are ideally placed to promote it onboard,” he adds.

Financial benefits

With the financials stacking up, it is no surprise others have followed suit. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) unveiled its new premium ‘66 by Norwegian drinks range in October 2022 with an own-label gin on its newest ship, quickly followed by a ‘66 Pilsner in January this year. The move is part

“We are adding ‘66 Bloody Mary in time for our new ship, Norwegian Viva, launching later this year, and we are working on a ‘66 prosecco product. Bloody Mary is amongst our most popular cocktails onboard, and we’ve partnered with Miami drinks brand Filthy, which is already creating waves in the sustainable beverage industry. Our values aligns well. For our ‘66 prosecco, we are partnering with Bottega.”

Gin and pilsner

Holland America Line (HAL) launched its De Lijn gin to mark the company’s 150th anniversary in November 2022. “We wanted to produce a blend that not only captured our Dutch heritage but also used botanicals in a modern way to make it unique to our brand,” says Anthony Stice,

Key is picking a relevant producer who makes something worth drinking

Facing page: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is working on a full suite of own-brand beverages for its bars Above clockwise from top left: NCL's bespoke gin; Carnival's bespoke RedFrog beer; P&O uses its bespoke spirits in cocktailmaking classes

HAL Vice President of Dining and Beverage Operations. “We call it a ‘Nieuw’ Western Gin, our take on the fast-growing New Western Dry Gin category; we selected a bright and floral profile, finishing it slightly over-proofed, ideal for mixing cocktails.”

The move was quickly followed in January with HAL Pils, an exclusive lager from the Seattle-based Pike Brewing Company. The beer is available in bars across the fleet and retails in six-packs.

Onboard brewery tours

Elsewhere, Carnival Cruise Line is sticking to own-label beer, which sits well with its blue-collar American clientele. The giant US company was the first with an on-ship brewery, in 2016, aboard Carnival Vista and repeated the concept in 2018.

The line employed its own brewmasters to create exclusive ales and in 2019 upped the game by partnering with Florida-based Brew Hub to massproduce and can a range of the beers now served across all 23 ships and in retail. Six varieties are now available, ranging from a traditional wheat beer to a toasted amber ale.

Carnival offers 90-minute brewery tours during sea days. It has extended its own label since 2019, creating a pre-mixed hard seltzer of vodka and fruit juice plus a pina colada.

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean has dipped a tentative toe in the own-label world, though its Chilla Thrilla tropical ale. The mango and guava brew, produced with Florida brewer and pub chain Funky Buddha, is served in cans exclusively to guests during calls at the cruise line’s CocoCay private island in the Bahamas.

But as palates become more discerning, brands only have to look to Princess Cruises to see the potential pitfalls of own-label products. The company's Seawitch West Coast IPA was introduced to mark the line’s 50th anniversary in November 2014 in partnership with San Jose’s Strike Brewing Company with a promise that it would be available across the fleet. Mixed reviews and sketchy availability meant the product was quietly shelved two years later.

As industry expert Richard Dennis explains: “It’s no surprise that beers and spirits are most popular for cruise line ownlabel, because these are the two categories that have really been able to promote their artisan credentials to consumers more generally. Wine producers haven’t been able to tap into that as yet. The key to success is picking a producer that is relevant to your brand, has a story, and – most importantly –makes something worth drinking.”  •

Above: Holland America Line's De Lijn gin

Below: Holland America Line's bespoke lager

Going easy on the booze

There is a growing move towards moderation – and even abstinence – when it comes to alcohol consumption.  A study by The Portman Group found that almost one in three (32%) of UK drinkers now ‘semi-regularly’ consume lowand no-alcohol products compared to one in four (25%) in 2020.

“It is no longer just the ‘alcohol rejectors’ buying into the low/no sector, but also those who are seeking to reduce their alcohol intake,” says Andrew Mallinson, Commercial and Marketing Director at Mavrik Drinks.

Despite going alcohol-free, consumers still want something sophisticated. “This is why we’re seeing

a trend in consumers opting for a non-alcoholic drinking experience that’s more deliberate, occasion-based, elevated or generally fulfilling some of the enjoyment that one might get from an alcohol beverage,” adds Anita Visvanath, Senior Category Manager at Retail inMotion.

Consumer habits

This trend is also translating into onboard drink consumption habits. Visvanath notes that: “Post COVID-19, following home cooking and home drinking trends, people have become more willing and motivated to experiment and try new drinks.”

Although alcohol alternatives have been around for a while, the sector is going through a period of growth and innovation, says Giulia Brunasso, Brand Manager at Sei Bellissimi: “They are not just an alternative to high alcoholic beverages, but a different way to experience flavours and ingredients.”

In particular, “mocktails, or non-alcoholic mixed drinks, have been around for a long time, but in recent years, they've seen a surge in popularity – mocktails are suddenly everywhere,” adds Brunasso.

Thanks to brands such as Heineken and Peroni, alcohol-free beer is also seeing strong growth. However, alcohol-free wine has not yet seen the same uptake or enthusiasm, with the exception of sparkling wines.

Charlotte Flach investigates which drinks are trending onboard and finds there’s a big take-up of low- and no-alcohol beverages…

Non-alcoholic drinks – made using full-quality alcohol that’s later removed and mixed with different flavours – have given rise to more interesting teetotal beverages, explains Visvanath, while the rise of low-alcohol drinks is yet another way that moderation is manifesting.

A trend towards health-conscious and mindful drinking has also seen “a move towards less sweet and healthier adult drinks, be they sophisticated soft drinks, kombuchas or low-calorie, low-sugar cocktail alternatives,” adds Mallinson.

Generation game

Key markets leading the change are concentrated in the US and Europe – specifically in France, Spain, Belgium and Germany – according to Retail inMotion.

In terms of age, it appears that younger consumers are driving the demand for non-alcoholic beverages, being more health- and wellbeing-focused than previous generations. “Generally speaking, people in their 20s to 30s are not drinking as much as older age groups for various reasons – mainly health

consciousness but also price,” explains Visvanath.

But while evidence suggests that Gen Z and Millennials are foremost in turning their backs on alcohol, data is also indicating that moderation is sweeping across all generations under 60.

“There is no doubt that millions of adults are now more aware of the damaging effects of alcohol and are seeking to cut down – whilst the massive and disturbing growth in the incidence of diabetes is leading hundreds of thousands of adults to cut down on their alcohol and switch to low-calorie alternatives,” Mallinson says.

Non-alcoholic or low-alcohol options also promote inclusivity, an important consideration in capturing socially-conscious Gen Z consumers in particular, as well as catering to overlooked markets.

“Whether it’s for health, religion or even previous issues with alcohol, people don’t always wish to discuss their choices,” says Brunasso.

“By offering an alternative, we have the opportunity to make great tasting and exciting beverages for everyone."

Photos (from above): Mavrik Drinks is based in Hampshire, England; Alcohol-free wine has seen low uptake; Mocktails are now widely available

Emerging appeal

As consumers come back to pre-pandemic expectations for the inflight experience, airlines can differentiate themselves to be in tune with customer demands. That can take the form of partnering with smaller brands that pay attention to the provenance of their ingredients to offering healthy choices to increase customer satisfaction.

Travellers in their 20s and 30s are often aspirational, meaning Instagrammable packaging can play an important role. Meanwhile, research from Global Data reveals that nearly one-third (30%) of people say they would buy a drink purely because they were curious about its flavours.

Therefore non-alcoholic drinks need to be positioned as “more sophisticated and flavourful, with colourful cans and festive packaging designed to help non-drinkers blend in,” says Brunasso.

Beyond beer, there are a variety of exciting non-alcoholic options emerging onto the market, says Mallinson, including "Caleno and Everleaf alcohol-free spirits, Nix and Kix, and Fever-Tree’s wonderful range of superior sparkling soft drinks".

Non-alcoholic gin, Aperol spritz, flavoured sparkling wines and seasonal mocktails are all options to look out for.

Although the sector has a way to go, the trend is catching on. “Converting customers will take

a bit more time on board, though most airlines seem keen to expand and explore non-alcoholic options,” says Visvanath.

Bright future

The future is bright for low- or no-alcohol drinks, with the latest Kantar report showing that the retail value of low/no alcohol in the UK in 2021-22 was £250 million, with expected growth to £400 million within two years – and potentially to £1 billion within six to seven years.

“The future growth of low/no alcohol drinks is forecasted and highly likely to become very mainstream in the coming years,” says Mallinson. “Several airlines have just taken onboard some low/no brands and Mavrik non-alcoholic cocktails are about to be launched on 90 CrossCountry trains. We can only see travel companies seeking to encourage this switch more and more.”  Relatively few no-alcohol brands have yet established themselves, meaning opportunities exist if their flavours are right. And airlines should be willing to embrace non-alcoholic onboard. Adds Brunasso: “Airlines can lead by example and fully embrace this trend because the growth in recent years has been very positive and will always continue to grow.”

And that’s a sentiment to which an increasing number of people are willing to raise a glass. •

Non-alcoholic or lowalcohol options also promote inclusivity

Above from left: Alcoholfree pilsner from Krombacher; Mocktails look like their boozy counterparts, meaning they are inclusive and can be enjoyed by people who do not or cannot consume alcohol

Beet it

UK-based James White Drinks started producing non-alcoholic juices in 1989. Its Big Tom tomato juice is ideal for mixing Bloody Mary cocktails. Made from organic beetroot juice, its nitrate-rich Beet It Sport shots are consumed by elite sportspeople. Apple juice makes up 10% of the longer Beet It drink, removing the earthy flavour of beetroot. It is healthy, flavourful and refreshing. Beet it with ginger is available for passengers who prefer an exotic twist. jameswhite.co.uk

Drinks with a difference

Say goodbye to basic beverages and embrace alternative soft drinks onboard. Here we detail five drinks...

cloudy apple

Cawston Press’s Cloudy Apple drink is made with 51% fruit juice and sparkling water. It features the juice of pressed Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Gala and Braeburn apples. The cans carry natural fruit sediment and offer a refreshing and natural drink.

cawstonpress.com

er reBel

Water is available in a range of sizes and its 320ml can is ideal for inflight service trolleys. High in vitamin C and low in calories, this refreshing beverage can be enjoyed by vegan passengers. Coconut water aids rehydration, making it ideal for consumption in an environment where people are prone to dehydration drinkcococabana.co.uk

The epitome of refreshing, Gunna's 'Ginger Rebel' ginger lemonade offers an aromatic twist on classic lemonade. With a blend of lemon, lime, ginger and mint flavours, it promises a uniquely sweet, sour, bitter and spicy profile. One can is just 73 calories. gunnadrinks.com

karma drinks

Not only are Karma's range of drinks made with natural ingredients, proceeds from each can go to families in Sierra Leone, where the company works with the community to help deliver social and economic independence.

karmadrinks.co.uk

Getting onboard with wholefoods

the airline industry doesn’t have the best track record for serving up healthy food onboard. But with the rise in popularity of wholefoods and clean eating on the ground, is this changing inflight?

“The mindset of consumers is shifting and their demand for healthy food is increasing,” says Sebastian Schäfer, Manager Culinary Excellence at LSG Group.

“For airlines, it is important to present a food offering that is really appreciated as it increases passenger satisfaction and reduces food waste.”

Historically, the average passenger travelling for leisure was looking to indulge rather than make healthy choices. But that’s changing, says Gwendal Hamon, Food Development Director at En Route International.

“More and more consumers are seeking healthier, good-for-you, choices on the go. Understanding of what is 'healthy' has evolved significantly too into a wide variety of food territories that have opened the door to endless new options,” she says.

Passenger tastes

Passenger preferences and behaviour are being driven by a number of factors, according to Gottfried Menge, gategroup VP of Culinary: “Customers are becoming more aware of the products’ values and origins, and with a trend towards foods which are organically produced, where nutritional values are preserved, and there are benefits for the mind and body.”

Health and wellness are high on the agenda, particularly following the pandemic. “Consumers are seeking immunity-boosting ingredients in foods and selecting items from healthier ranges,” says En Route's Hamon. Examples include ginger or turmeric

As consumers look for healthier options on the ground, Charlotte Flach asks industry experts which trends are making their way onboard…

Trends are towards organic produce where nutritional values are preserved and there are benefits to mind and body

‘shots’, which have been growing in popularity; popped ‘superfood’ snacks and freeze-dried vegetable crisps.

Despite this, flyers are less willing to experiment onboard than in a classic retail environment such as in the supermarket, says Moritz Kolb, Retail Program Manager at Retail inMotion, who adds: "This is why we focus on familiar dishes and products. At the same time, we are seeing increased demand for high-quality products.”

Local foods which are seasonal and sustainable are growing in popularity, as consumers want to identify where products are coming from. “We are using more regional and seasonal products because customers' behaviour has changed, and it’s important to bear in mind that the behaviour of a traveller is different from someone staying at home,” says Menge.

“Shoppers are reaching for products that are perceived to be more sustainable, eco-

friendly and have a lower carbon footprint,” agrees Hamon. “This desire to make more sustainability-conscious food choices is also fuelling demand for upcycled food, using ingredients that would otherwise have been discarded,” he adds.

what’s trending?

Vegan options, special grains, seeds and bowl foods are popular. “Wholefood products like vegan wraps with falafel, tomatoes and mozzarella or goat cheese are highly appreciated by passengers,” says Kolb. “In addition, bowls with rice, beans, salad, vegetables and more toppings are becoming very popular.

When it comes to snacking, customers are prioritising taste, opting for “dried fruits and mixed nuts, which are rated because they are both healthy and full of flavour,” says Menge.

Demographics should be taken into consideration too, adds Hamon: “Business travellers often opt for healthier snacking choices onboard because of the frequency of their travel. Fresh, seasonal fruit can help passengers stay hydrated onboard and is often a popular wholefood snack.

a lot of passengers will be

are ways to make these options

“We have to consider passenger activity too. For example, on long-haul flights, a lot of passengers will be watching a movie. So salty and nostalgic treats such as popcorn can be a popular choice and there are ways to make these options healthier,” suggests Hamon.

Airline adoption

In a recent survey by GlobalData, over 60% of global respondents said they now expect or like to see plant-based alternatives on the shelves of their local retailers. How long will it be before this trend is reflected in the airline product offering? Kolb

Vegan options, special grains, seeds and bowl foods are all popular

Demographics should be taken into

says: “This is a rather slow development, as it is not necessarily driven by the airlines but should rather be viewed holistically.”

“Partnerships with specialised companies like NotCo, an expert in meat and dairy alternatives, is helpful here for LSG Group.

The team develops the range with the help of artificial intelligence –a powerful tool here – and we can rely on their specific product expertise,” adds Schäfer.

There is plenty of evidence that points to younger people making healthier lifestyle choices and it’s important that airlines react to changing demand.

“There is a growing desire

from Gen Z and millennials in particular who are demanding a broader range of snacks, be that snacks that are high in protein, vegan or wholefoods,” says Hamon.

“By 2030, this demographic will make up the majority of the global population, so it’s important for airlines to act now and introduce a broader range of wholefood snacks that offer exceptional taste and quality,” he adds.

One major challenger is the higher price point of products aboard aircraft but this can be overcome. “Focus on variety, health benefits and authentic and memorable storylines about the origins of the product which consumers will find compelling,”

There is a growing desire from Gen Z and millennials who are demanding a broader range of snacks

Cracking the code

When we talk about sustainability and food, we are often quick to jump to plant-based alternatives for animal products. But moves are also being made to improve farming practices.

Instead of removing animal products from menus, catering decision-makers can bring pressure to bear by ensuring, for example, that dairy products are farmed and sourced from sustainable and ethical producers.

Far from egg-cellent

Around 60% of the world’s eggs are farmed in battery cages. Keeping chickens caged is seen by many as

completely unethical, not least because the space available means they can only just about stand up. Within the EU and some US states, battery cages are banned but even in ‘enriched’ cages hens have only slightly more space.

Confining chickens to cages also increases the risk of food safety threats such as salmonella and E. coli contamination. “Numerous studies show that factory farms that confine animals in cages have higher rates of the dangerous bacteria that often end up in meat and eggs,” said Hannah Surowinski, The Humane League's Global Corporate Relations Manager.

“On factory farms, where the vast majority of eggs come from, billions of egg-laying hens globally are subjected to a life of extreme suffering.

The need to source ethical and sustainable animal products is moving up the consumers' agenda. April Waterston explores the issues

The birds spend their lives in a crowded space about the size of an iPad, unable to fully extend their wings or even raise their heads all the way,” she added.

Pledge cage-free

Sourcing eggs from cage-free hens is one way to meet growing consumer demands for ethicallysourced ingredients. For caterers, “it is really as simple as changing how they purchase their eggs — either asking their supplier to sell them cage-free eggs or shopping around for different suppliers who can meet their needs,” said Surowinski.

“For producers, it requires a bit of an investment, converting battery cage housing to large, open-space cage-free aviaries, but it's a shift that is well underway. Just last year producers reported tearing down battery cage housing to convert to cage-free for over eight million hens. So that’s a great sign that things are moving in the right direction.”

Both LSG Group and gategroup have pledged to only use eggs from cage-free hens by 2025.

“We want to direct our focus to sustainability topics that are central to our business and where we can also make an impact at the same time," said Erdmann Rauer, CEO of the LSG Group. "In doing so, it is important to understand precisely how these topics are linked to our operations and our broader value chain. Our cage-free egg pledge is clearly a factor in this process. We expect our suppliers to have the same high standards our customers expect from us."

Francisco Moreno, gategroup’s Chief Operations Officer said: “This [pledge] is an important step for making gategroup a more transparent, sustainable company. We have always cared about maintaining a sustainable, ethical supply chain – but we have a responsibility to do more.”

Cracking on

“We generally strive for ethically sourced foods in all areas, and we are constantly looking for better, more sustainable suppliers,” said Simon Frischemeier, Head of Sustainability Management and Chief of Staff to the CEO at the LSG Group, noting that as purchasing products globally means tackling problems locally.

When it comes to dairy, local sourcing is best, combined with building relationships with trustworthy and ethical farmers. It is currently tricky for smaller, ethical dairy farms to keep up with demand for mass-produced food. Yet progress is being made with research into the most humane ways to farm milk from cows underway. Farms are trialling different timescales before separating calves from their mothers, rather than separating them at birth. A variety of accreditations exist for farms to prove they prioritise animal welfare and sustainability. "As a responsible business, the sustainability credentials of our produce and our suppliers in hugely important,” said Sinead Ferguson, Food Development Manager, En Route International. “This principle applies to the dairy products we use and all others in the supply chain.

"The entirety of ice cream production from our major supplier happens on site. As organic farmers, they work to the highest possible standard of environmental land management, sustainability and animal welfare for their herd of cows. The farm is Red Tractor approved and has been Soil Association certified organic for over 20 years, meaning the highest possible standard of land management, sustainability and animal welfare.”

There’s no use in crying over split milk in terms of past practices but suppliers, buyers, caterers and consumers can all now help to foster change. Better 'lait' than never? •

Suppliers, buyers, caterers and consumers can all help foster changes in farming

Goblins and the permacrisis

Lance Hayward talks to global recruitment and mentoring experts for tips on attracting talent in an age of permacrisis and goblin attitudes…

collins Dictionary named ‘permacrisis’ as 2022’s word of the year. The term describes ‘an extended period of instability and insecurity’. The Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year was ‘goblin mode’ – a term describing a trending behaviour pattern which ‘rejects social norms and behaviour (and) is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly or greedy’. It's a trend that has apparently become common post-pandemic.

the challenge

Whether you recognise these phenomena or not, our industry is certainly facing its toughest 'people' challenges ever. Most organisations had to cut deep into their experienced teams, operating only with a skeleton staff. Those departing took with them years of knowledge and experience essential for operational and commercial stability. Those that remain came under intense pressure in an extremely stressful operating environment.

Faced with the prolonged period of instability and insecurity, many of the core staff retreated into self-preservation mode, seeking new roles in industries that had less pressure, better working conditions and greater security. Combined with the fact that record numbers of predominantly millennial staff are opting out of work altogether, this has left the industry facing a significant scarcity of talent across many departments.

This shifting resource dynamic, combined with the fast-track ramp up has left many organisations struggling to rebuild the essential infrastructure of experienced staff members that were for many decades taken for granted.

Demand surge

Since the pandemic restrictions were lifted in 2022, the Talent Search and Mentoring division of The Hayward Partnership has

had its busiest year since its launch in 2014. There has been a real surge in demand for new talent – particularly in the UK, Europe and the US – and our team has been pleased to support busy HR departments by searching, pre-interviewing and shortlisting credible candidates for a wide range of roles.

We have been working closely with several CEOs and managing directors on mentoring too, to support those in leadership positions; and we have also forged a deeper relationship with Oxford Brookes University by supporting its graduate and post-graduate MBA programmes through lectures and workshops on personal branding, entrepreneurship and business strategy.

In collaboration with the team's recruitment and mentoring specialists, Roy Wilson, Mike Pooley and Sandra Pineau-Boddison, we have drawn on our global network of independent experts to share some of the things we know now matters most to talented individuals. On the following pages, we offer five key strategies for talent acquisition in the travel catering and retail industry which can really make a difference to your recruitment efforts. These strategies identify key elements you need to focus on to secure the best teams: Retention, Rebuilding Critical Skills, Training, Coaching and Mentoring, and Awareness Campaigns to attract new blood into the sector.

Undoubtedly, there has been a profound shift in the work environment and employee preferences. Businesses need to both understand and embrace these new realities of permacrisis and recognise the goblin mode attitudes impacting our people as the workplace evolves rapidly in our industry.

There has been a profound shift in the work environment and employee preferences which employers must embrace

Strategic thinking...

Five key talent strategies to consider: 1 Retention

Identify and focus on the root causes of attrition and retention. HR professionals, fully supported by leadership teams, must have a bigger voice and should push for this change.

Appropriate and fair remuneration and feeling valued through positive feedback and recognition remain constants. However, work-life balance is increasing in importance, as is placeof-work flexibility, cross-training and a sense of purpose through community involvement. An organisation's emphasis on sustainability, best practices and ESGs is also moving up the agenda.

Really successful teams have worked out that time should be set aside for ‘Work’ and ‘Life’ without impinging on each other. But there is also a blurred segment in the middle when work and life merge for enjoyable social times with colleagues. This builds that informal organisational ‘glue’ that fosters loyalty and ownership to the organisation and each other. Clear parameters and boundaries need to be set to ensure an equitable balance between the aspirations of the organisation and the staff.    2

Rebuilding cRitical skills  Audit and identify the key functional roles that form the critical spine of the team. Organisations need to assess the individuals currently in these roles, or the resource gaps that exist, and develop a recruitment strategy that produces a balanced team of experience plus new talent from outside the industry. With fierce competition for a smaller pool of talent, it is imperative that a ‘gold standard’ recruiting process is delivered. It must focus on the interview processes, testing requirements, company familiarisation and feedback loops to make applicants feel valued and informed. If businesses use the latest tech evaluation tools, they need to ensure they are balanced by a quality human interaction with the organisation too. Declare and stick to the time schedule. The successful candidate will begin their role with a positive view of the company which should then transition into a quality onboarding programme. Unsuccessful candidates will have also gained valuable insights.

3

tRaining

Training programmes are key to retention, providing a clear path for development and progression. With increasing pressures on food, energy and labour costs, and difficulties in filling vacancies, this element invariably falls off the priority list. In most cases, however, it’s a false economy as it results in costly and inefficient agency or interim staff backfilling the ongoing staff turnover. Technology has a part to play here. Most of us learned the value of YouTube during the pandemic to teach ourselves all sorts of new skills. Now organisations could invite back those experienced individuals who left – and pay them – to share their skills and techniques with the new starters using informal and engaging video formats.

4 coaching and mentoRing

External, confidential, experienced mentoring provides senior executives with an opportunity to talk more freely about the issues they face and the solutions they are considering. This is an area that relatively few companies think about investing in. For key roles, pairing semi-retired or retired, experienced individuals with new starters in a coaching and mentoring programme is a two-way engagement that typically benefits both the mentor and the mentee and, of course, the organisation itself.

5 awaReness campaigns

Proactively reach out and build relations with educational institutions relating to catering and hospitality plus elite management. Support their programmes by offering personal branding, coaching, industry lectures and case studies.  Explore the opportunity to link up with the IFSA Scholarship Foundation Program. Our industry has much to offer bright young talent. It offers much for people interested in working in customer services, global retailing and supply chains as well as international cuisine. There are also lots of opportunities for those who want to work in logistics, manufacturing, information technology, finance and commerce. Yet we are not very good at promoting these significant opportunities. Often, people join the sector because they stumbled upon it by accident. •

How to...

become a B Corp business

Niche Free-From Kitchen's Marc Warde looks at overcoming challenges on the way to B Corp certification...

DeciDe if iT’s fOr yOu

B Corp certification, by B Lab, verifies that a company “meets high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.” It takes a long time to achieve and must come from an authentic desire to make the hard changes necessary.

Creating real change in big organisations such as airlines is no small task, so it must start at the top and engage everyone in the organisation so they are all part of the change that must follow. You can tell when an organisation is merely paying lip service to the goals rather than being truly authentic and engaged.

Assess WHere yOu Are

Assess your company’s level of environmental impact. Understand and share the truth so you can look for ways to engage your people and improve. That means examining every facet of your business, ignoring no detail. When absolutely nothing is left, start over again because the process involves constantly searching for ways to improve and reduce your impact on the world. Facts are facts, flying and most other forms of travel are polluting. Although we know that, we still want to travel. So we must

do everything we can to reduce its impact or our children and children’s children will pay the price.

Define yOur ApprOAcH

What is it you want to achieve in your business and leave behind? Define your company’s approach to creating a positive impact. Mission statements may seem old school but can bring people towards a set of unified goals. A written corporate mission statement can be public facing or formally shared with company employees.

Keep AsKing quesTiOns

You can ask many questions to help guide you. That includes

getting feedback from engaged stakeholders about your social and environmental performance. Consider what your company does to promote ethical decision-making. Think about a legal framework to ensure that your social and environmental performance is part of your decision-making, regardless of company ownership.

WOrK TOgeTHer

It’s cathartic and encouraging when you engage your people in finding long-term solutions that make a difference. Remember we are all in this together and collaborating with your competitors to make change is encouraged. •

VISIT US AT WTCE 2023

BOOTH #4F18

Creating the leaders of tomorrow

Stuart Forster looks at the International Flight Services Association (IFSA) Foundation’s scholarship programme, which helps promote the onboard services industry as a career option…

More than 300 recipients have been presented with scholarships by the IFSA Foundation since its inception in 2000. Over the past 23 years, scholarships totalling more than $1.5 million have been awarded around the world.

Offered worldwide

“We continue to focus on global communication regarding the IFSA scholarship programme,” comments Sandra PineauBoddison, Board President of the IFSA Foundation. “The majority of applicants are US-based, more recently we have received applications from countries including Bangladesh, China, France, Ghana, Korea, Sri Lanka and Türkiye.”

That list of nations is by no means exhaustive. Applications have also been received from candidates in Hong Kong, Japan and Jordan plus several European countries, including Germany, Ireland, Italy and the United Kingdom.

“We work closely with universities that have a degree aligned with the onboard services industry to market the scholarships. The goal is two-fold, to provide financial support to help students fund their education and to market the onboard services industry as a future career option,” added the IFSA Foundation Board President.

Leading institutions

Currently, scholarships are being promoted at institutions including Oxford Brookes University in Oxford, England, and the EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland. Within the USA, the IFSA Foundation has connections with the Culinary Institute of America, Drexel University, Grand Canyon University, University of Georgia and University of Houston in Texas.

The sponsors include major players

from within the industry, including Delta Air Lines and Flying Food Group. The Sue Ling Gin Charitable Trust Scholarship is named after the founder of the latter.

“We are always looking for ways to give back to the communities we serve. The IFSA Foundation allows us to do that in a unique way –supporting education and career development specific to our segment of the industry,” explains Michael Henny, Managing Director of Onboard

Service at Delta Air Lines.

“This is an exciting industry and we’re thrilled to see students interested in being the next generation of experts in onboard service. It’s great to be able to help foster that interest and build a pipeline of future talent,” adds Henny of seeing people benefit from Delta’s donation. “I am sure all of us in the industry benefit from supporting the IFSA Foundation.”

Recipients perspectives

“Being named a 2022 recipient of an IFSA Foundation Scholarship has not only assisted in alleviating the staggering costs of pursuing a medical education but it has also helped me continue to defy the odds and chase my dreams.

"It is truly an honour to represent my mother, a flight attendant, as well as the onboard service and healthcare industries as a recipient,” says Victoria Humphrey, who was pleased to be awarded the 2022 Gate Gourmet/ gategroup Scholarship.

“Words cannot even begin to describe how grateful I am to the IFSA Foundation for supporting me and truly believing in the beauty of my dreams,” adds Humphrey, a Dermatology Resident receiving a graduate medical education in the Harvard Combined Dermatology Residency Training Program.

To anyone considering applying for an IFSA Foundation scholarship, Humphrey offers an unequivocal and upbeat message of approval: “The IFSA Foundation is committed to supporting future leaders across the globe – whatever your dream, just apply, you could be next!"

Sarah Klatt-Walsh says: “I was in a new senior management position at SWISS and felt that I needed additional executive-level education to successfully carry out the role. As I had previously been an IFSA Executive Board Member, I was well aware of the IFSA Foundation and the scholarships it offers.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the J.J. O’Neill Scholarship being offered to international students and decided to apply for it.”

Underwritten by LSG Sky Chefs, the award provided the opportunity for individuals involved in onboard food service and catering to further their education in specified, continuing education programmes.

“It certainly gave my career a boost, as I was able to visit a recognised school and gain relevant education

which I could immediately apply within my new role. As a result, my confidence levels also increased and I generally felt more competent and comfortable as a senior leader,” explains Klatt-Walsh, who was the first recipient of the J.J. O’Neill Scholarship and is now the Sustainability Lead at FORMIA.

“It is a great opportunity to help finance your future education. And it can open doors in this amazing inflight industry as well,” she adds, recommending that people who have the chance to apply for an IFSA Foundation scholarship not to hesitate in applying.

For more information about applying for a scholarship or providing funding that will benefit people who are granted scholarships, visit the IFSA Foundation website. ifsa.apex.aero •

IFSA Foundation scholarships are a great opportunity for our industry

Man VERSUS machine?

As caterers adapt processes to do more with fewer staff, Julie Baxter asks whether robotics could provide some much-needed solutions…

In 2022 a team of former SpaceX engineers turned its attention to the food industry. In collaboration with US-based Stellar Pizza, they created food trucks ‘staffed’ by pizzamaking robots that can prep to order, cook and serve a pizza in three minutes.

From Miso Robotics, a robot arm called the Flippy 2 now works the fryer at US fast food restaurants and in the Middle East for KFC and Pizza Hut.

With kitchen staff in short supply, it’s easy to see the appeal but could it work for inflight catering?

Automation is already familiar in catering kitchens, speeding up inflight tray-loading, packaging and operational logistics; and on the culinary side, auto-stirring kettles are common, depositors deliver dosed amounts to a recipe and formatters can aid neat presentations. The newest kitchens increasingly include smart equipment too, such as that supplied by German thermal cooking specialist, MKN, where classical equipment has evolved into intelligent operating systems, embedding chef knowledge as simply as using a smartphone.

Marc Warde, chef and founder of Niche Freefrom Kitchen, says: “The advantage of automation and robotics in the kitchen is that when they work well they ensure absolute consistency on volume production, providing a perfect product every time. Certain manufacturers and caterers in our sector are using them, to varying levels of success, and I’m sure this will grow enormously as the cost falls. It can monitor and guarantee production yields better than humans. And the vital importance of nutritional data, allergen risks and accurate labelling means the precision it ensures is increasingly critical.”

Precision driven Warde identifies a cultural change in the role of chefs, driven by this need for precision: “Chef expertise is not just about adding a bit of this and a bit of that now, it’s about accuracy and consistency. The chef’s role has changed.”

Oliver Fischer, Director Group Culinary Excellence at gategroup, agrees and believes this cultural shift coincides with the rebuild post-Covid, driving change in catering kitchens. He says: “Robotics, automation and digitalisation are hot topics for our industry. We all need to make better use of the

people we employ. There is always an urge to buy a tool, say a robot, to replace people because we all love innovation but there are challenges for inflight.

“We have looked for some time at the Kaizen principles developed by Toyota for fully automating the manufacture of meals or setting of trays. It can be useful in dishwashing, food prep and logistics but it is only beneficial if you have a standard operating model – standard processes at every base, and can move suitablyskilled people around your network to where they are needed. We have 160 kitchens worldwide, operating in very different environments – standardising these is the challenge we are working on and that really will bring efficiencies."

He believes digitalisation of the kitchen is key to automating processes and cites gategroup’s latest initiative, the introduction of the Apicbase digital cloud tool to create inflight menus. The software can search a database of over 1,000 recipes to create concepts and culinary choices based on any specific airline brief.

Automation and robotics can bring absolute consistency and transparent precision

Options are instantly available, clear and compliant in terms of allergens, labelling and nutritional values. Using this technology, every gategroup kitchen can work to a standard and create the same product – tweaking it to suit local supplies, tastes and trends.

“The core R&D task used to involve a lot of time and people and numerous spreadsheets and documents. This is automation at its best – it is creative, has incredible know-how instantly at its disposal and its formulas are all very precise in terms of meeting legal and safety needs.

"The mysticism of menu creation is now entirely transparent and sharable worldwide for consistent execution,” says Fischer.

Digitising kitchen equipment, he says, makes it possible to automate the most boring and laborious (but essential) elements of the kitchen process, the admin, health and safety compliance, machine maintenance and auditing.

“We still need people in the process but they now have a far more proactive role. They are there to observe, intervene and manage the processes, giving live feedback and skilled insights to the digitalised process. It is no longer the case that we are arguing about what went right or wrong yesterday, our staff make changes for the better now, the auditing is live, the improvement happens today, not days later after an audit review. This applies not just to culinary but to drivers or dishwashers too. It creates huge efficiencies and also avoids costly mistakes,” explains Fischer.

Trucking on

LSG Group turned to tech to tackle the global shortage of truck drivers, developing the Intelligent Truck. A system of seven cameras provides a 360° surround view of the catering truck exterior and upward-facing cameras help avoid wingtip collisions. Images are displayed on 10-inch screens inside of the caterer’s 600 truck cabs. A single driver can now safely cater an aircraft without a second person needed as a guide.

For many caterers automation is not just about working with fewer staff but about giving staff

better jobs, improving health and safety plus adding more job satisfaction, to aid retention.

Fischer says: “Our kitchen staff are now more engaged in the full process. A robot can do some of the mixing and portioning but food is a highly emotional element of the inflight service and it is the finishing touches and the personal inputs that really make the difference, and for that you need engaged people taking pride in their role.

“Our industry has some quite specific needs. Any automated system has to be simple and very flexible. We have to be able to amend operations quickly, something we are expert at doing manually with our people.

"Any automation has to embed that flexibility too. Efficiency is not just about less handling on a standard day, it has to work on the difficult, unexpected days too and for that you need committed, well-trained staff,” he adds.

Boosting interest

Priority is being given to making kitchen jobs more interesting, so individuals' roles make more sense. This has required a training ramp-up which is also being driven by digitalisation. Gategroup now offers a broad range of online training so its employees and culinary community can build knowledge at a pace and time convenient to them.

Ultimately there is hope these will build to become a recognised apprenticeship programme, degree or other professional qualification, standardised across the industry to support retention and allow easier transfer of personnel and their skills around the world.

As yet, there is no inflight kitchen training programme for the pizza robots! •

We still need people in the process but they now have a far more proactive role

Sailing towards sustainability

The ferry industry claims to be at the forefront of sustainability in shipping. Stuart Forster looks at progress so far...

More than 4.27 billion passengers travelled by ferry in 2019, contributing $60 billion to the global economy. The ferry industry accounted for 1.1 million jobs worldwide, and, as in other transport sectors, sustainability is fast moving up its agenda.

Mike Corrigan is CEO of Interferry, the voice of the global ferry industry with over 270 members.

“When it comes to sustainability, ferry operators are the frontrunners in the shipping industry. New methods and technologies are constantly being developed and implemented to make

our operations more efficient and sustainable… Together, we work to promote large and small initiatives, all of which contribute in a positive way to reducing emissions,” he says.

Onboard changes

UK operator Wightlink launched its first Green Agenda back in 2016, replacing single-use plastic cutlery with wooden knives, forks and spoons, even though those were more expensive.

Keith Greenfield, Chief Executive, explains: “Every day our ferries sail through some of the most beautiful coastal waters in the country…We

are very conscious of our responsibility to protect the environment and do all we can to look after it."

The company also has initiatives to reduce food waste and promote recyclable materials as part of its mission to achieve net zero, and has plans to establish an on-site waste-processing centre.

Bottom-up initiatives

Denmark-based DFDS carries around five million ferry passengers a year and in 2022 tasked its onboard services team with identifying ways of reducing its eco-footprint.

By working with suppliers, the team is now using locally sourced or produced food, including sustainably caught fish, to reduce the supply chain footprint. Vegetable oil used in cooking is converted into biodiesel to power the company's logistics vans. And measuring food waste on Baltic routes helped cut waste from 13.5% to 9% in six months. That remains an area of focus for 2023.

Using six battery-hybrid ferries, Scandlines transported 3.5 million guests between Germany and Denmark in 2021.

“We have taken decisive steps to build a more sustainable transport business through sizeable green investments and key commitments for the years to come. Our effort to improve waste segregation across the business, to reduce waste and replace conventional food products with

organic, sustainable, fair-trade and labelled (fish) products will continue”, says Carsten Nørland, Scandlines’ CEO.

That includes serving made-to-order food and placing smaller amounts on the buffet at any one time. Leftovers are weighed as part of efforts to monitor food waste. And the steam cleaning machine installed in the M/V Berlin’s kitchen introduced bio-cleaning detergents, to reduce chemical use.

Among other initiatives, traditional tablecloths, clothing and plastic bags were replaced with products made of recycled material. And individual waste baskets, lined with a bag, were replaced with bins in common areas. Employees now sort waste on emptying.

Scandlines has invested in upgrading interior

Clockwise from above left: Stena reports its eco initiatives on its Green List; Tallink works with partners to reuse and recycle; Scandlines has cut waste by putting less out of the buffet at one time; DFDS has upped its local sourcing

New technologies are being developed to make operations more efficient and sustainable

fittings and ensuring an eco-friendlier profile of materials onboard. A trial, replacing paper towel dispensers with electric hand-dryers to reduce paper consumption was a success and is being rolled out further.

With 39 vessels on 18 routes in Europe, Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators. The Sweden-based company compiles sustainability initiatives on its Green List, which is shared publicly and has more than 70 entries. For example, the company has replaced recycled plastic bags onboard with ones made from paper. Salad bowls are made from bagasse while cups are also made from plant-based material. The company’s vessels are now cleaned with micro-fibre cloths and electrochemically activated water (ECA), minimising the use of detergents.

Additionally, ‘Better Choice Options’ are available across all onboard departments, including shops, bars and restaurants. They indicate the more sustainable products and include vegan, organic, recyclable and reusable choices.

“Stena Line has a history of being innovative in sustainability, for example being the first in introducing methanol as fuel," says Maria Tornvall, Stena Line’s Head of Sustainability.

"We aim to be a leader in sustainability and that means taking responsible actions in all areas on our value chain, where we can make a difference. We see sustainability holistically as an opportunity to contribute to a more sustainable future in all areas of business and daily work.”

New eco vessels

The introduction of the state-of-the-art P&O Pioneer, a new Fusion Class vessel propelled by fuel and battery power, is set to reduce cross-channel carbon emissions by 40%. It brings advanced sustainable technology to the Dover-Calais crossing between the UK and France.

While Finnlines, part of the Grimaldi Group, will have new Superstar vessels operating between Naantali in Finland and Kapellskär in Sweden from autumn 2023. These offer 5,200 lane metres for vehicles and carry up to 1,100 passengers.

Kristiina Uppala, Finnlines’ Head of Customer Service, Passenger Services & Newbuilding Developments, says: “The Superstars include a smart cabin system, where every cabin’s lighting and air-conditioning is remotely and automatically maintained. Both can be switched off for energy saving in unoccupied cabins.”

In addition to large windows, reducing the need for artificial lighting while maximising opportunities to view the coastline, the ferries have an efficient central vacuum cleaner system that helps maximise air quality. Also, conceived as paperless, the ships feature digital menus and travel programmes plus electronic shelf labelling in the onboard shop and at the buffet.

Tallink has made significant eco headway by embedding circular economy practices in its operations and is working with partners to reuse and recycle. The company has partnered with a local authority in western Estonia which provides employment by converting used bed covers and curtains into items such as shopping bags.

Katri Link, Communications Director at Tallink, explains that revised key performance indicators are coming into effect and says: “We will also continue to work with all our partners to review and revise where they can help us achieve our sustainability goals. This is only possible if we continue to work very closely together.”

The recognition that sustainability goals are most effectively achieved by collaborating and cooperating is becoming ever more widespread across all sectors of the travel industry. •

Above: Tallink has worked to embed circular economy practices into its onboard operations

Progress is only possible if we continue to work very closely with all our partners

Taking the holiday home

Amenity kits that celebrate destinations can be one of the best souvenirs of all, says April Waterston

When I go on holiday, or travel for work, I tend to bring a few things home as souvenirs: postcards, fridge magnets and, if they are given, amenity kits!

That ‘holiday feeling’ really can start as soon as you find your seat on a plane, and celebrating a destination through the amenity kit is a great way to boost the excitement, as well as promoting destinations passengers might like to consider next.

Walking On A Dream

One airline showcasing the destinations it flies to through its amenity kits is Qantas. Following the launch of Western Australia’s new global brand, Walking On A Dream, Qantas partnered with Tourism Western Australia (WA) to create a special-edition amenity kit that brings the brand to life onboard. Created in partnership with Watermark, the kits aim to

encourage travellers to explore WA, positioning the region as a ‘wondrous, other-worldly, dreamlike and aspirational’ destination. Tourism WA collaborated with Wongi artist, Kevin Wilson. He said: “Within my artwork I’ve aimed to capture the story of wandering, exploring and discovery – showing this through the abstractness of my work. I’ve also represented our ancient songlines, waterways and animals of the landscapes. My work explores the interconnectedness of all this and the reasons I feel our state is so special. It’s deep in culture and history, while also vibrant and expansive.”

Grounding the narrative is the connection Aboriginal people have had to these lands, waters and skies for over 60,000 years.The kits feature the striking and colourful art on both the exterior of the pouch and the eye mask. Inside is a pair of socks, bamboo toothbrush and toothpaste, earplugs and

Collaborating with local artists provides interest for kit design and celebrate the culture of the destination

luxury moisturising cosmetics.

“It’s so nice to be able to create some work that reflects our state for those coming to visit. I hope that the vivid, interwoven artwork sparks the adventure within and encourages people to explore our beautiful landscapes,” Wilson added.

Local colour

Collaborating with local artists not only provides a point of interest for kit design but can also celebrate the culture of the destination.

For example, Turkish Airlines’ latest short-haul Economy Class kits introduce unique designs in collaboration with the Istanbul Modern –Turkey's museum of contemporary art. Created in partnership with FORMIA, the vibrant designs showcase artwork from pioneering Turkish artists, inspired by the multifaceted culture, history and heritage of Turkey.

On Aircalin, FORMIA has also created new Business Class amenity kits showcasing the talents of local artists. Kits feature artwork from New Caledonian artists, selected following a competition to design the airline’s next amenity bag. Taking inspiration from nature, culture and spirituality, and with the use of rich, evocative colours and prints, each bag tells its own story.

“In each case, our aim was to ensure passengers arrive at their destination feeling refreshed and delighted with distinctive and characterful bags filled with responsible products to take home as a memento of their trip, and to use long after the journey,” said Marisa Pitsch, Chief Customer Experience Officer at FORMIA.

WESSCO has partnered with LATAM to showcase the work of two exceptional Latin American artists, Hamilton Aguiar from Brazil and Tomas Olivos from Chile for the airline’s kits. The two artists have created exclusive designs for LATAM’s inflight amenity kits, bringing a touch of Latin American art and culture onboard.

For Icelandair, the supplier created an ecofriendly amenity kit collection called “Dýralíf” meaning wildlife. This collection aims to celebrate Iceland’s unique wildlife and natural beauty, and features four designs that celebrate unique natural inhabitants, with the Icelandic horse and raven themes currently available onboard.

Young explorers

Children can be introduced to their holiday destinations through kits too. KIDZbranding worked with Icelandair to produce a ‘Treasure Iceland’ kit, inspired by the destination. The items incorporate the colours of the northern lights, as well as elements from Icelandic myth and folklore. Five relatable mascots were introduced, each with their own personality and these feature across the brain teasing/learning games, sticker activity sets and eye masks. Two plush mascot animals – an Icelandic horse, Freyja, and seabird, Katla, can become beloved friends accompanying children home after their Icelandic adventure. •

Above L-R : Watermark's partnership with Western Australia for Qantas; and FORMIA's contemporary art inspiration for Turkish Airlines Below L-R : Kits celebrating Iceland, Latin America and New Caledonia

Cutting out

the middlemen

Globalisation has made it a lot easier than it was, say 20 years ago, to order products direct from China. It’s now an option that airlines should seriously consider for certain products.

Years ago, if you wanted to buy from a supplier in China, there was a lot of time and effort involved. You had to go to the library or the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and explain that you wanted to buy or produce. You had to go to China, visit factories and build a relationship.

Verified suppliers

factories…

Now you can find lists of verified suppliers online. With one email you can have an answer about products the next day.  Nowadays a lot of Chinese factories have management teams that have studied in the West and speak perfect English. Globalisation and support from the Chinese government have made it possible for factories to go outside of China too.

It’s also helped that a lot of people have realised that manufacturing in China is a lot more straightforward than it once was. To a great extent, stereotypes about poor quality and copying have been dispelled.

A lot of Chinese companies have realised that they can work directly with airlines. They’re more than just a factory base working to tight margins. Rather than being told what to do by trading companies they can go to airlines directly, save airlines money and improve their own profitability.

Benefits of scale

For larger airlines that order a full containerload of products, it can be beneficial to order directly from a factory.

For commodities like cutlery packs, cups or foil containers – things which don’t require an awful lot of design work – an airline can go

out to the manufacturer directly and will find those commodities are low-cost. You don’t want to be paying an additional surcharge for using a trader or supplier who is just going to go to the factory, buy the product, stick on a margin and pass it on.

Yes, there is a bit of extra work to be done but the benefit is that you make a significant cost-saving because you don’t have to use a third party to do the business for you. •

Roland Standaert, Account Manager at Avio Pack, outlines why he thinks more airlines should consider buying products directly from Chinese

Airlines can make a significant cost-saving if they don't use a third party supplier for buying

L for leather

Stuart Forster takes a look at the leather market and some of the alternatives available to suppliers working with the transport industry…

Leather’s natural durability, flexibility and strength make it an attractive material for upholstery aboard aircraft, trains and ships. Scratch-resistant, it can craft long-lasting seat covers and, importantly, is naturally fire-resistant. It offers comfort to passengers and requires relatively little care from cleaning crews.

Yet several alternatives to traditional hide leather are now being used to create products for the transport industry – including amenity kits. Vegan ‘unleather’ options include Piñatex, produced using the fibres of pineapple leaves. Mylo is made from mycelium, derived from the fibrous, root-like system of mushrooms, which can be grown in vertical farming facilities that are powered by renewable electricity.

Using biomaterials

Biomaterials capture the zeitgeist of our age by being both vegan and sustainable.

Recently developed leather alternatives include apple leather, known as Appleskin, made from leftovers collected during the production of compotes and fruit juices. Apple leather can mimic snakeskin and crocodile

leather, which are often used for the fabrication of upmarket products. Misel-tex, meanwhile, is made by soaking the skins of coffee beans –otherwise a waste product – to produce a pulp. Treated to make it as malleable and durable as traditional leather, Misel-tex is biodegradable. That means it can be disposed of responsibly, satisfying growing demands for the supply chain to consider the endto-end lifecycle of materials.

Some leather alternatives are now being crafted from polylactic acid (PLA), which is made from fermented plant starch and is compostable.

Synthetic leather

Of course, synthetic leathers have long been made from non-organic materials. The production costs and flexibility of polyurethane and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) make them appealing for use in everything from amenity kits to seat covers. They are also recyclable materials.

SkyLeather, a synthetic leather material manufactured by Autostop Aviation, is available in any colour and grain. Made from polyurethane, the product is 15% lighter than traditional hide leather. It is soft to the touch, offers

Recently developed leather alternatives include apple leather, known as Appleskin

high elasticity and SkyLeather’s durability provides resistance to heat ageing and abrasion.

“With an in-house laboratory, the seat cover manufacturing facility, adjacent to the SkyLeather production factory, delivers a one-stop-shop service, from material design to finished seat cover manufacturing, eliminating transportation costs and delays,” says Trish Sutton of the AJW Group, the owner of AJW Technique Interiors. The company supplies seat coverings and soft cabin furnishings to the aviation industry.

An alternative is produced by ELeather, whose parent company was recently renamed Generation Phoenix. Its seat covers, made from a material produced from recycled leather fibres, are used by more than 200 of the world’s airlines.

“We give new life to leather waste by transforming it into a sustainable, recycled material…We are proud of the reputation we have built as the leader in sustainable recycled leather for aviation, rail, bus and public spaces

customers and therefore ELeather will remain our product brand in these markets,” explains Agnieszka Kajfasz of the parent company’s name.

Market size

According to a report published by Precedence Research in February, the overall size of the global leather goods market is forecast to grow from $420 billion in 2022 to $735 billion in 2032. That market encompasses genuine leather made from animal hides, non-organic synthetic leather as well as the various forms of vegan leather which are now avialble. The research suggests that genuine leather accounted for approximately 54.1% of the market last year.

By comparison, a report published by Grand View Research indicates that the global leather market was worth $242.85 billion in 2022. Of that, it assesses the 2022 market share of genuine leather at 53.6%.

Long tried and tested, genuine

leather remains the choice of many within the transport industry.

“Customers know that they can rely on our quality of product, which is obviously really important in aircraft and aircraft seat manufacturing. They know if they put that product on their plane they can fly it for a long time with it looking really good. Some customers will fly our allleather interior for seven years – no maintenance, no spares, no engineers have to come and do replacements,” explains Archie Browning, Sales Director at Muirhead.

The Glasgow-based company introduced an active hygiene product during the pandemic. “Built into it is a chemical technology that will selfclean the leather within two hours,” says Browning, who emphasises the sustainability of leather by pointing out that hides are a by-product of the beef industry and would otherwise go into landfill.

Muirhead has also developed a LightCore, a product that is approximately one-third lighter than standard leather. Despite being used by humankind over millennia, innovation relating to leather continues, meaning that both the genuine product and a range of synthetic and biomaterial alternatives to hide look set to be used well into the future. •

Genuine leather remains the choice of many within the transport industry

It has become a very competItIve landscape but we love that

Simon Yaffe, Director of Client Services at Buzz, looks forward optimistically and sees luxury and sustainability as key in inflight products

everyone is back in the game and we’re getting great engagement from all of our airline customers, both old and new. It's an exciting time.

There’s a big call out for more luxury in particular.

We see a lot airlines talking about partnering with large, ultra-luxury European brands to bring brands that people have in their homes into the inflight experience or within the journey via the lounge experience.

Armani has partnered with Etihad Airways, for example. That’s the first truly global European luxury brand that has partnered with a mainstream, high-end airline for an inflight product programme. You can see it in their Business Class serviceware and textiles. It's a true luxury innovation.

Airlines are coming to us saying: "We need to contribute more to the customer experience." That plays right

into our wheelhouse of innovation so we really welcome these kinds of conversations.

sustainability as standard

We spend a lot of time talking to our customers about their sustainability goals. There are a lot of key callouts from airlines about working to carbonneutral positions or reducing carbon emissions, and many of those come with specific timelines which adds some urgency and drive.

At Buzz, we now take sustainability, as standard. We all know we have got to reduce single-use plastics and use sustainable materials, wherever the budget allows for it.

What we talk about more within our team is: ‘design for keeps’. If someone takes a product off a flight, keeps and reuses it, that's sustainable.

If it's a rotable product, the product has to deliver improved rotations

for the airline. It has become a very competitive landscape, but we love that because it means we have to stay one step ahead and keep innovating. We’re in a good place.

Ideation at Wtce

We’re expecting a big turnout of airline customers at WTCE and the return of many suppliers. I think we’re going to see more people spending more time with their trusted suppliers. The days of trying to get to everybody in 30- or 45-minute meetings are over.

We offer the dynamic opportunity to create true 360 solutions, thinking about the customer journey across all product categories and touchpoints – from pre-check-in to post-flight – so we're looking forward to customers spending two or three sessions with us, so they can walk our stand, talk to us and then get started on genuine ideation. buzzproducts.com •

Rail investment takes shape

The federal infrastructure bill passed in 2021 is bringing major investment to the US rail network. Amtrak is set to receive a total $66 billion, with $44 billion of that going to the Federal Railway Administration and $22 billion to improvement projects and fleet acquisitions.

Improvements to the customer experience are certain, along with new efficiencies in speed, comfort, accessibility and sustainability.

Land of opportunity

Amtrak is purchasing new long-distance and overnight trains for the iconic services which operate coast to coast and link major regions – trains such as the California Zephyr (Chicago - Emeryville), Southwest Chief (Chicago – Los Angeles), Coast Starlight (Los Angeles – Seattle) and Empire Builder (Chicago – Portland/Seattle).

Some of these services’ 800-plus rail cars are now over 40 years old, with the oldest in service since 1979. Ten manufacturers have submitted

proposals to replace them and Amtrak’s Chairman of the Board, Anthony Coscia, has said: “We are looking for new trains that improve safety, reliability, accessibility and efficiency while offering the features important to completely modernise train travel for the 21st century.”

As part of this effort, Amtrak is researching design elements and customer amenities to “evolve overnight and cross-country train travel in the coming decades".

Coscia added: “We believe in the future of our long-distance service, and we look forward to enhancing the customer experience across the Amtrak network, and further supporting US manufacturing.” More than 70 suppliers in 23 states will benefit from the investments.

Acela trains

New Acela trains, built by Alstom, are already being tested with their service introduction planned for later this year. Each will carry up to 378 passengers, compared to 304 on the existing

Roger Williams, Chairman of the International Rail Catering Group, looks at America’s investment in a new era of sustainable long-distance rail travel…

legacy fleet. Besides being 24% bigger, Amtrak says these new trains are faster. The Acela trains operate over the Northeast Corridor (NEC), the 457-mile route between Boston and Washington DC. This important business route also connects Philadelphia and New York City.

Trains complete the entire journey in around six-anda-half hours, making it the US rail operation's most comparable to an intercity service in Europe.

The NEC is an economic engine, estimated to carry a workforce contributing $50 billion a year to America’s Gross Domestic Product. Nearly one-third of the region’s jobs are located within five miles of NEC stations.

The region is also home to nearly a quarter of the country's top universities and a fifth of Fortune 500 company HQs.

Onboard comfort

The new Acela design includes shared wheelsets between cars so the ride is stiffer and smoother for passengers. A single-level walk between adjacent cars and extra grab bars also make it easier to walk through the train.

The seats are more spacious and feature a winged headrest to aid rest and relaxation. Each has its own power outlet, USB port and reading light and tables are now individualised. That means instead of having to negotiate with their neighbour about when to flip the table up, everybody has their own.

Add in larger, more spacious restrooms with contactless features and automatic door access for improved customer hygiene and safety, plus a lounge area for relaxing, and these trains are taking customer comfort to a new level, regardless

of the class of travel. Additional features include real-time information about the train location, train speed and conductor announcements. There’s a contactless storage option for luggage. Café Car enhancements include convenient selfservice options and accessibility features for people with disabilities.

Getting greener

Passengers will also welcome news that their environmentally friendly ride just got greener. “Rail today is the greenest way to travel,” Laura Mason, Amtrak’s Executive Vice President of Capital Delivery, told CBS Philadelphia.

“There is an 83% reduction in greenhouse gases compared to driving, 73% less compared to flying when you’re talking about the Northeast Corridor. These train sets, as a fleet basis, are 20% more energy efficient. And, on a per-passenger basis, it’s 40% more efficient. The greenest way to travel is getting greener.”

Seating made out of recycled leather, a robust recycling programme and new sustainable food and beverage offerings onboard further support this improved environmental approach.

Amtrak’s new Acela fleet will be America’s most environmentally sustainable fleet of trains to date. That helps set the standard for future longdistance train designs.

For rail customer service advice and research contact roger@thecateringexplorer.com •

Above: The new Acela trains bring speed, efficiencies and onboard comforts to the US rail network

New Acela trains are taking customer comfort to a new level, regardless of the class of travel

How to...

rethink rail

With long experience of inflight, Pep Manich Grau brought a new vision to rail hospitality with the launch of high-speed rail operator iryo, says Julie Baxter

set the goal

The launch of the Spanish highspeed rail service by iryo last year aimed to create a new standard of comprehensive and customisable dining on trains. Gastronomy and onboard comfort were key, and crew were at the heart of the service, explains Pep Manich Grau, Director of Guest Experience.

differentiate the offer

The goal was to do something different. To stand out from the competition but also bring innovation to the rail sector. This meant quality products and excellence in customer service achieved by bringing the operational (crew) and commercial (customer experience) teams under one management. This is something not seen in airlines but ensures all parts of the business have the same customer-focused priorities.

take control

A unique gastronomic brand was created: Haizea. Its menu features seasonal products, healthy options, leading brands of beverages and regional Spanish wines.

In the top cabin, Infinita, the new Infinita Bistró gastronomic tray-to-seat service is offered with five choices. Singular Only YOU and Singular ticket holders request the exclusive market menu at booking. A mobile bar service is also available or passengers can find tapas and local products in the Bar Haizea gastronomy area, designed for Inicial fare travellers.

fact file

HitachiBombardier ETR 1000s, known as Frecciarossas, are the most sustainable, quietest and fastest trains in Europe.

These are electric trains made of 95% recyclable

materials and powered by 100% renewable energy.

There are four 'comfort zones' or classes onboard: Infinita, Singular Only YOU, Singular and Inicial each wtih a different level of access to the catering offer.

focus on training

To ensure exceptional service, iryo has customer service points in the stations to support the passenger experience and loyalty programme, Yo, which brings upgrades, VIP lounge access and deals with Melia Hotels and Air Europa. Crew are all trained in 360º functions from ticket sales to boarding, customer service to onboard safety and go through a four week customer service and onboard best practice training programme.

pick your partners

The catering is supplied by Gate Gourmet on a fixed five-year contract. As part of the partnership, gategroup has trained all the onboard baristas with skills to deliver a high-end service. The Infinita and Singular Only YOU passengers also have access to individual work spaces and exclusive lounges created in partnership with Only YOU Hotels. •

Fly on the wings of perfection in terms of

and safety.

Security and safety are the most important values an airline can offer. A great number of checks are required before the captain and cabin crew are finally able to welcome the passengers on board. This includes making certain that travellers will receive a clean and hygienic service. With our professional warewashing systems for inflight catering, we at MEIKO are guaranteed to reach the recommended level in purity, hygiene and cleanliness. Sustainable, economic and efficient. From small business airports to large international traffic hubs: discover the versatility of our tailor-made warewashing systems.

www.meiko-global.com

Coming to the table

takes a look at tableware trends

Good tableware can really make a journey special. Yet, all too often, the savvy selection of well-designed, fit-for-purpose items goes largely unnoticed – perhaps that's a silent compliment?

The all-pervading emphasis on sustainability means all suppliers are exploring innovative and eco-friendly materials and designs that cut weight.

“In the Economy Class cabin, there is a lot of work being done to make the products more sustainable. Some airlines have already initiated internal directives to remove all CPET and aluminium casseroles; replacing these with sustainable, compostable materials or re-usable casseroles,” says Cindy Lam, Director of Clip.

Material choices

The story behind the choice of materials used is becoming ever more important not least because passenger perceptions count for a lot. Opinions

and feedback shared on social media can enhance or tarnish a brand’s image.

Suppliers such as GXFlight produce a range of biodegradable corn starch tableware which is lightweight and compostable; and space-saving modular and stackable designs have been seeing take-up for some time.

Linstol is supplying LATAM with biodegradable and compostable sugarcane bagasse lids for use on Business Class meals and side dishes, supporting the airline in its goal of eliminating single-use plastics. That partnership is also evident in bagasse cups with EarthCoating – a mineral-enriched resin that offers an eco-friendly alternative to polyethylene. Paper cups with EarthCoating are compatible with paper recycling systems.

In December, following lengthy testing of sustainability concepts, Etihad Airways introduced Economy Class tableware designed to improve the passenger experience while also being

Can sustainability, functionality and style really come together? Stuart Forster

sustainable. Made from recycled, high-quality plastic, the reusable tableware eliminates singleuse plastic from the service. The tray, platter, casserole, side bowls and lids are part of a closedloop recycling system that, at the end of their lifecycle, supplies material to make replacements.

Global-c undertook three years of research and development to produce the NeverLeak sustainable box for Qantas and their customised designs acknowledge Australia’s First Nations peoples.

Made from paperboard, Global-c has a patented EasyClick lock lid. Leakproof, NeverLeak is freezer-tooven safe and compostable. Plastic-free, the boxes present options when it comes to endof-life disposal.

Reusable

For many, rotable tableware is now the best answer to the sustainability challenge. Gategroup's deSter, Kaelis and skysupply count among suppliers of stylish rotable tableware that can be used time and again. And at buzz Simon Yaffe, Director of Client Service says: “There’s a great deal more cost at the product level and at the operational level of having to rewash, but it’s much more sustainable than disposing of all the single-use plastics.”

His team has worked on a high-end partnership with Armani/Casa for Etihad Airways newest Constellation Collection of tableware and Yaffe says this reflects a trend towards “more luxury” onboard. He argues that this is a reaction to the pandemic, during which people invested in beautiful homeware, raising appreciation of

tableware designs and influencing expectations during inflight services.

“We’re putting a lot of effort into those products that the customer touches,” he says, suggesting that more premium products will be seen onboard in the future.

Luxury trends

Clip has seen this upward trend building for several years and points to its Premium Economy designs for EVA Air, co-branded with Guzzini a few years ago.

The supplier most recently teamed up with English brand William Edwards, to create a bespoke bone china collection, and Robert Welch for stainless steel cutlery items, to feature in Starlux Airlines' new First Class cabin. “In addition to hospitality brands, luxury fashion brands are more than ever connected to the world of tableware. Hermès has historically had fine porcelain in its assortment…Dolce Gabbana Casa and Missoni offer beautiful ranges of stunning colourful porcelain," adds Lam.

Kaelis believes luxury and sustainabillity can go hand in hand, designing a new collection for Iberia using ultralight, versatile plates so the number of items onboard was cut while still raising the bar for the stylish service offered.

With something rather different, innovative German supplier silwy produces cups, bowls and glassware that feature magnets in their bases. Pair those bases with metallic nano-gel-pads and items impressively stay in place. Ideal at high speed, through turbulence or on rough seas. •

Careful design and material choice can ensure sustainability and style to go hand in hand

Above from left: Clip's partnership with William Edwards and Robert Welch for Starlux Airlines; and silwy's CEO, Christoph Fritz, with magnetic glassware.

TydenBrooks has been working with the airlines industry to provide easy-to-use high security seals & tamper-evident solutions for over 50 years. Here the TydenBrooks leadership and its industry partners explain just what it takes to make airline partnerships work

Celebrating our 150th Year innovating and manufacturing tamper evident security seals, in Europe we have focused on our airline customers to build-up a large portfolio of innovative solutions to tackle theft and eliminate shrinkages. Our team based in the UK carry a wealth of experience and expertise on areas such as in-flight catering, duty-free, airline cargo and much more.

As a one stop supplier of tamper evident security seals we offer a unique range of products to cover all aspects of securing the in-flight operation from the catering cart, the cargo hold, life-vests/jackets, cabin crew personal

baggage, passenger blankets, the cleaning programs and more.

TydenBrooks are the industry leading problem-solvers. Airlines reach out to us not only for our premium products but also for innovative solutions. With our partnerships, understanding the goals and objectives of the airline through open communication enables us to proactively bring solutions and new ideas to the table.

Personalised Service

Our commitment to providing a personalised customer experience is deeply ingrained into the corporate culture. We align ourselves with each airline partner to have a unique

understanding of their passenger needs and how we can help the airline provide the safest and best possible passenger experiences.

We learnt to understand that airlines want high-quality and sustainable products on-board their aircraft. TydenBrooks' competitive advantage is the exceptional level of professional care they offer. We always feel our team is committed to their customers and really understands their needs, achieving the highest possible level of quality, cost efficiency and, most importantly, consistency right from the production line at our UK factory.

Achieving success through innovation in a congested market sector for 150

years is not easy. The pandemic and cost of living crisis has presented TydenBrooks with many challenges in the security seal market. With each change made, we dedicate our efforts to enhance our relations with suppliers and better serve our customers.

In the security seal industry, TydenBrooks hope to maintain organic growth and continue with an added value approach in other markets worldwide, connecting the right people across the supply chain to deliver results. TydenBrooks has 150 years' experience behind us but are certainly looking forward to the future.

Spencer Davis – General Manager

TydenBrooks EMEA •

Access denied?

Being on top of your inclusivity and accessibility policies is becoming as critical to your reputation as clear sustainability credentials. Julie Baxter discovers how the onboard hospitality sector is beginning to wake up to this priority

The International Disability Alliance estimates 15% of the world’s population lives with adisability. That’s over one billion people that could require special assistance. And that's not just at the airport, station or cruise terminal but onboard too.

The Alliance brings together over 1,100 organisations representing people with disabilities worldwide. It works with the United Nations to support its Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which explicitly include a mission to promote the mainstreaming of disability: Goals many transport providers now

insist they actively support.

But IncluCare, which has developed a set of accessibility and inclusion verification standards for the travel industry, isn't so sure. Richard Thompson, its head, says: “The global spending power of the disabled market is an estimated $10 trillion per year. This is an important market, not least because only 17% of disabled people are born disabled. One of the main contributors to disability is ageing so the disabled market of the future could well be your current customers.

"We predict that within two years, stakeholders will be demanding that inclusion credentials are up to scratch, much as they do with sustainability now, yet currently many brands aren’t even aware they have discriminatory policies. The travel industry is

on thin ice and needs to improve. Inclusion is not just about the width of doors – it’s a culture, not a compliance,” he adds.

Airlines

Airports have upped their special assistance provision. Beeping buggies are now ubiquitous and schemes such as the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard – identifying those who may need help –are now widely operational. But airline offerings vary greatly and always need prebooking.

Despite years of campaigning, wheelchair users are still not confident about travelling, not least because of bad press around the transportation of their aids.

UK TV presenter Sophie Morgan is highlighting this with her new #RightsOnFlights campaign in collaboration with Disability Rights UK. She's calling for airlines to be held accountable for damage to mobility devices and wants a law change to fine carriers that fail to give proper service.

Morgan believes current charters and codes of conduct are not working and says: “Enough is enough. Disabled people need to be able to trust air travel. We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for our experiences to match those of non-disabled people. How many more people need to get hurt, lose vital mobility equipment or even die before we see change?”

The International Air Transport Association

(IATA) has countered with new guidance for its 300 airline members, designed to improve this track record. Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior VP for Operations, Safety and Security insists: “Airlines are committed to ensuring passengers with disabilities can travel with dignity, confidence and comfort. We established that new protocols to improve the transport of mobility aids were urgently required and this new guidance will improve service, and significantly reduce damage to these vital devices that are often an extension to the body of a passenger with a disability.”

He believes communication is key and the guidance sets out processes for information exchange at every stage of the journey.

Mobility onboard

But the risk of damage to mobility aids is just the start of the worries for those dependent on them. Once onboard, there are also the challenges of moving around the cabin, accessing seats, lockers and lavatories.

Some aircraft do have removable armrests to make seats more easily accessible and some carry aisle-accessible wheelchairs to aid access to lavatories. Newer aircraft even have wheelchairaccessible toilets but the biggest challenge for travellers is that they just don’t know what will or will not be on offer. Information provided is variable and not always

onboardhospitality.com

Enough is enough. Disabled people need to be able to trust air travel.

Above form left: Virgin Atlantic is working to support the visually impaired traveller; The worldwide Sunflower lanyard scheme alerts transport staff to hidden disabilities.

delivered on the day. The complaints mirror those already well rehearsed by those with serious allergies who need certainty around catering.

Accessibility is not just about wheelchairs and mobility aids acknowledges British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, Calum Laming. He says: “More than half a million customers require special assistance each year and we’re committed to making sure our service is accessible to all whether they have visible or non-visible disabilities.”

Most recently, the carrier became the first airline in the UK to produce a Visual Guide to Flying endorsed by the National Autistic Society. Using simple icons and text it describes the sights, sounds and smells passengers can expect en route, to take the anxiety out of the process.

British Airways has also embedded British Sign Language (BSL) in its customer engagement centres by partnering with SignLive, and is working with Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People to enhance accessibility support for passengers.

Crew engagement

Critical to any progress is crew engagement and a wider societal shift in attitudes towards difference. Leading UK disability charity SCOPE is trying to lead the charge on this through humour with its End the Awkward campaign giving straight-talking advice on how to make it easier to approach and interact with people who have disabilities.

Other experts at Ethos Farm and the Open Doors Organization have worked with BA to train staff and raise awareness of the challenges.

Emirates too has specialised training to support

travellers with hidden conditions and says more than 24,000 staff have now completed its Introduction to Autism and Hidden Disabilities course. Online modules cover recognising autism, practical tips on helping, empathy and information on the official support systems available.

Virgin Atlantic is working with Guide Dogs, a UK charity, to create a more inclusive air travel experience for people with sight loss. Again, crew receive bespoke training on how to approach someone with sight loss and how to help them with skill and empathy.

In the US, Airlines for America last year jointly committed to improving accessibility, recognising this as a fast growing traveller sector.

Delta works with disability groups to provide safe spaces in some airports for those with sensory challenges. It has a mock cabin for practice-run visits for anxious travellers and support dogs and runs disability training activities for crew.

United put the focus on supporting these

Clockwise from above left: Prioritising accessibility is becoming standard in rail design; Stations are becoming increasingly userfriendly and airline IFE can be tailored to support many impairments, as shown on United (below).

passengers through its redesigned IFE system, in collaboration with Panasonic Avionics. Created after more than 20,000 hours of research, the bespoke system includes audio descriptions for blind passengers, text-to-speech functions and –for deaf and hard-of-hearing customers – subtitles on movies and TV programmes. Passengers with limited vision can adjust the text size, turn on higher-contrast text and invert screen colours to cut glare. There is also a magnification feature that enlarges parts of the screen and a colour filtration to aid colour blindness. Passengers can also navigate the IFE using the text-to-speech function. The volume, speed and pitch of the voice can be changed according to preference.

Cruise beacons

This kind of drawing board consideration of disability needs makes all the difference. Cruise companies, traditionally popular with an older market, have been designing in accessibility for several decades and purpose-built cruise ships have wider promenades and gently sloping corridors rather than lots of stairs. Centrally located lifts cut distances to negotiate.

Ships operated by the likes of Celebrity Cruises, P&O Cruises, Cunard, NCL and Holland America feature accessible cabins on every deck, complimented by extra staff and precise assistance procedures. Electric doors and flat threshold entries give access to theatres, restaurants and shops and onboard pools usually feature hoists. Obviously they have more space than aircraft but ships are now designed to be barrier-free and, as a

result, the cruise industry has become a beacon of best practice for the disabled traveller.

Rail redesigns

Progress on the rails is being driven by a new generation of rolling stock which is being designed with accessibility needs in mind. Adjustable tables mean spaces can work for both wheelchair seating and standard seats, and wheelchairs can generally be stowed nearby, cutting fear of loss.

Carriage layouts increasingly maximise space for manoeuvrability while push buttons for door opening and locking, braille touch buttons and audio instructions are becoming standard. Toilets with extra wide doors, turning space and chair-level facilities also make life easier.

turning space and chair-level facilities also now

Thompson concludes: “Some transport providers are making a difference but there are still far too many disabled travellers being treated badly, especially inflight and on river ships which have been very slow to adapt. That has to change.

"It is not only good training that is needed but also proper procedures ready and in place to help these passengers both on a standard journey, and also when things go wrong. The pressure of social media and the live streaming of terrible treatment means reputations are now at stake if providers don’t get this right. They really do need to take note and act urgently.” •

at stake

Social media and the live streaming of terrible treatment means reputations are now at stake

Clockwise from above left: Signage in Braille; British Airways has upped Special Assistance training; Virgin Atlantic has partnered with Guide Dogs to support the visual impaired when travelling.

Human+Kind

An eco-friendly, vegan, cruelty-free skincare range focused on simple to use natural, active ingredients. Positions itself as ‘skincare with a conscience’ championing ethicallysourced and paraben-free products. Featured on LOT Polish airlines. bayart-innovations.com

Pure Potions

Thann

This is a natural skincare and spa brand with a focus on Asian innovation, natural ingredients and contemporary design. Products in the range include Shiso extract, enriched rice bran oil, aromatic essential oils and botanicals. formia.com

One Summer

Soeder Foerst

Seiun

A brand developed specifically for travel, this unisex range promises a sensory experience onboard - 'a journey within a journey’. The materials, ingredients and scents have been chosen to make travellers feel they are the centre of the universe. kaelis.world

An Australian brand set up by two sisters who wanted to create great products that also ‘give back’ to the community. The products are completely natural and vegan. They use recyclable materials for their packaging and a no-waste policy ensures production waste is repurposed. A recycling programme means containers can be part of a circular economy. planetalking.net

A range of Swiss sustainable natural cosmetics with highly active, palm-free ingredients. The products contain selected natural raw materials such as active ingredients from Swiss stone pine, moss and upcycled blueberry seed oil. They are featured in Swiss amenity kits and are used in a closedloop system, allowing reuse and refilling for items in the onboard lavatories. soeder.ch

FlyFit

This collection includes a Relax & Calm aroma roll-on and pillow mist with lavender oil, a plumping hyaluronic serum and protective vitamin C cream. The Travel Vitamin Health Booster offers essential vitamins and minerals to support health from the inside.

formia.com

Toiletries focused on natural ingredients and planet-kind formulas are dominating the amenities scene, says Julie Baxter

Feel-good factors

Passenger priorities are changing and the products finding their way into amenity kits are changing in response. Julie Baxter reports

The retail beauty industry has seen a shift in recent years and that change is quickly making its presence felt onboard too.

Beauty industry stats suggest the greatest growth in sector spending is now on skincare rather than on make-up, and Mintel research analysts note trends are towards self-care, not just beauty. The analysts say the medicalisation of many products has also got consumers looking more closely at claims and ingredients; and the on-going push towards sustainability has turned an anxious spotlight onto all those singleuse plastic tubes and bottles.

Airlines have been surprisingly quick to pick up on these trends with a plethora of new ‘natural’, ‘clean’ and ‘sustainable’ brand alliances making their way onboard.

WESSCO collaborated with Air Europe to bring Comfort Zone onboard, for example, a brand which prides itself on sustainable, or ‘conscious’ skincare with vegan products produced by a certified B Corp, committed to using only renewable resources and recyclable packaging, fully CO2 compensated.

For Icelandair the supplier partnered with Icelandic skincare brand Hannes Dóttir, whose clean formulas are made with 100% nutritional food and supplement grade ingredients; and for LATAM an all-natural, vegan range from certified B Corp, Feito Brasil, was the choice.

The team took the wellness theme to another level with JetBlue Airways, in a partnership with Wanderfuel, bringing a full collection of ecofriendly products from a variety of sustainable brands onboard, including Sun Bum, Sustain Natural and EO.

WESSCO says: “Sustainable amenities help alleviate the negative effects of travel by providing passengers with self-care products designed to refresh and rejuvenate them.”

Purposeful products

FORMIA notes a shift in interest from airlines towards partnering with purposeful brands which have shared values and common goals, whether in terms of their sustainability commitments or a focus on health and wellbeing. It matched Delta Air Lines with Grown Alchemist, a natural brand focused on wellbeing and the importance

Above: Natural brand Scence from Plane Talking Products.

of being 'healthy from the inside out'. The curated wellness experience touches passengers from the moment they arrive at the lounge, during the flight and beyond.

FORMIA sees demand for innovative performance-driven products too with specific wellbeing credentials, which has spurred a collaboration with Flyfit for a wellness collection including aroma balls, mists, serums and supplements to support good health.

Plane Talking Products is building its portfolio of amenities with two eco-focused collaborations with Scence, a natural brand about to launch onboard, and One Summer, an Australian ecobrand which also offers a recycling programme for its packaging so containers can be up-cycled or recycled, embracing the circular economy.

Conscious consumers

Managing Director, Alison Wells, says: “The skincare industry has seen a surge in sustainability-conscious consumers looking for eco-friendly and ethically-sourced products. In a post-pandemic world, customers want simplified, convenient products. Wellness is at the top of the agenda so natural and organic is a must.”

On sourcing potential partners, she adds: “We love niche brands which have a story to tell and are super flexible in their approach to partnerships with airlines. A brand partnership should be a win-win for all involved.”

While wellness, doing good and local touches are key, she also detects a trend around products that make passengers feel ‘special’ and this is supported by the continued popularity of luxury high-end toiletries onboard.

Audrey Christophle, Head of Airlines and Hospitality Business Europe for L’Occitane Group, partners for amenities on Lufthansa and Japan

Airlines. She says: "Increasingly, post pandemic, passengers are looking for a positive and relaxing onboard well-being experience. Our products are rich in natural ingredients and provide a luxurious and uplifting feeling onboard, the perfect antidote to a dry cabin."

Buzz has matched Air India with Malin+Goetz, in its collaboration with TUMI, to bring its uncomplicated luxury skincare onboard featuring natural ingredients and advanced technology.

And Kaelis, for Turkish Airlines, partnered with Qiriness, a French spaat-home skincare brand which creates natural products that inspire a luxurious ‘spa moment’ onboard.

Brands like La Prairie (on Swiss), Payot (on Air Astana), Aqua di Parma (on Air Canada and Etihad), Dyptique (on Qatar) all carry the cache of luxury.

Increasingly, the offer goes beyond traditional lip balms and moisturisers to include miniature eau de toilette, as with signature fragances from Diptyque in Qatar’s First kits, Bulgari in Singapore Airlines' First kits and Aqua di Parma in Etihad's Business kits.

Bringing the feel-good factor back onboard is clearly now an amenity kit priority.•

Above from left: Kaelis matched Turkish Airlines, with spa at home brand Qiriness; and Acqua di Parma was supplied by Buzz for Air Canada. Below: Natural brand Scence from Plane Talking Products.

Airlines are looking for purposeful brands which have shared values and common goals

Not just picky eaters

We’ve covered food allergies extensively in Onboard Hospitality magazine in recent years, and the dangers of risky allergens to some passengers is well known. The good news is, a huge amount of development has gone into improving the food we serve onboard to ensure it negates as many risks as possible for those who suffer with potentially life-threatening allergies. There is still progress to be made but a growing number of caterers are now offering allergen-friendly meals,

and crew training has increased to improve safety inflight.

However, we need to give equal attention to even the smallest of passengers. Shocking statistics suggest that children’s allergies have increased 300% over the past few years. Now, an estimated 8% of children in the United States, 7% in the UK and 6% in Europe are thought to have food allergies.

This has been attributed to overly-hygienic modern upbringings resulting in less natural exposure, as well as a lack of allergen exposure

As the number of children with food allergies continues to rise, April Waterston looks at how we can best cater for them onboard...

during weaning, when babies first start to eat. No one is 100% sure of the reasons for the increase but experts do however expect the number of children with allergies to rise further – and with it the demand for allergen-free children’s food both on the ground and inflight.

Just for kids

Foodcase International (foodcase.nl) and Niche Free-From Kitchen (nichefreefromkitchen.com) are two caterers partnering to tackle the issue. Together they have created Cub Food, a fun, allergen-friendly line of children’s meals designed for service inflight. Led by Cub, a friendly cartoon bear, the range aims to bring parents and carers peace of mind with dishes designed and tested to be safe against key allergens.

“The Cub Food concept truly represents the need of airlines looking for products and concepts which give an extra service experience onboard,” says Wilbert de Louw, Founder of Foodcase International. “Happy kids mean happy parents. Cub food for sure fills a gap in the market, there is a need, and it also helps us to diversify and differentiate ourselves from others in the market.”

Cub Food also provides educational and awareness messaging with children's stories and projects linked to the range and including references to food allergies and healthy eating.

“As an allergy-focused children’s brand we aim to help raise awareness around food allergies and promote education around the importance of safe and healthy eating habits for children with such allergies,” adds Marc Warde, founder of Niche Free-From Kitchen. “This can help to improve the overall health and wellbeing of children with food allergies, and help to prevent allergic reactions from occurring.”

Developing choice

Containing allergens or not, children’s food requires a different thought process to food development for adult menus. Growing children have different nutritional needs, and they have different tastes and preferences. The team behind Cub Food has tackled this through extensive testing – in their words: "By trying, failing and

trying again" – and by cleverly incorporating hidden vegetables in the meals.The product range is extensive and varied, promising something for everyone. Options include plant-based or meatbased burgers in a soft, gluten-free burger bun with ‘saucy sauce’, and plant-based or meat-based hot dogs, also in a gluten-free bun with saucy sauce.

There is a breakfast muffin and, reflecting the growing diversity of cuisines eaten by children, there is also a mix of dishes drawn from global

and trying again" and by cleverly incorporating hidden vegetables in the meals. For example, there is a Chow Down chow mein with chicken balls and spring roll, an Indian chicken pie with curly fries and plantbased enchiladas, filled with vegetables and a slightly spicy sauce, topped with a plant-based cheese sauce. Choices also include a Swedish-style pasta meatballs dish featuring plant-based meatballs in a creamy gravy served with gluten-free pasta, Crispy chicken balls with a mild Vietnamese sauce with noodles and naturally creamy, tomato risotto with hidden vegetables and chicken sausage. Despite the challenges, the product range is extensive and varied, promising something for everyone. •

Experts expect the number of children with food allergies to rise and with it demand for allergen-free meals

Above clockwise top left: Cub Food branding; Making veg fun; Cub Food at the testing phase. Facing page: Cub Food branded bags; an allergenfree boxed sandwich; and simple fresh flavours.

the need for new solutions triggers creativity and collaboration

As

Ihave come from outside the industry at a really exciting time for aviation sustainability. There is much to do, much to discuss but the level of engagement and commitment to solutions is high. The need for new solutions triggers a creativity and collaboration that we all benefit from. As a caterer offering a holistic end-toend service, we have been collecting a lot of data and know our CO2 footprint is not just about how we operate but also how our customers, the airlines, operate. Our impact isn’t just the impact of our units, products, kitchens and packaging but, as part of the current standard practice, we also account for the waste that comes off the aircraft.

For this reason, we are very interested in collaborating with the airlines to help them optimise the onboarded products, cut waste and set up recycling processes so that, together, we reduce environmental impacts.

act now

There is a lot of industry-wide debate on the complications of International Catering Waste (ICW) and a big push for smarter regulations but it’s not clear how long that will take and we cannot just wait. There are some things we can do today. Work on domestic flights, for example, with no ICW, and on behavioural and operational changes. Airlines are putting focus on the preorder and we are working to advise them on quantities, tray composition and the CO2 value of their menus so they can pass that on to their customers and encourage good choices. We need progress all along the product journey. Post-covid, sustainability is back on the agenda and airlines do want solutions. While the environmental footprint of airline catering is relatively tiny, investing in quality products and cutting waste can have a great impact. We are dedicating resources to continuous

analysis of food trends to ensure we are exactly sure what consumers want. The sector does also need investment in infrastructure to treat and recycle aviation waste. For this we need to look beyond the business competition to find solutions through openness, best practice and collaboration across the value chain: suppliers, airlines, airports and regulators.

act locally

I also believe local teams can find some great solutions within existing resources and help drive best practise. Every jurisdiction is different in terms of infrastructure, regulation and commitment to sustainability, so improvements have to reflect local conditions. We all want one significant change to transform things but in fact lots of small measures globally can add up to a big impact and should not be underestimated. •

the new Global Head of ESG at gategroup, Yulia Bolotina brings fresh eyes to the challenges of inflight sustainability

Happy Birthday!

Stuart Forster  looks at some of the anniversaries being celebrated by transport operators and suppliers in 2023…

Everyone loves an excuse to celebrate, so let’s raise a glass to some well-known brands reaching notable milestones during 2023.

Now an airline textiles expert, John Horsfall was established in 1863, predating powered flight by more than 40 years. Based in West Yorkshire – still less than five miles from the original mill – the company is now managed by the sixth generation of its founder’s family.

In the 1970s John Horsfall began manufacturing blankets for airlines and has subsequently diversified into airline soft products including pillows, table linens and sleepsuits. In 2021 it acquired the UK brand Orvec, known for Economy Class textiles and nonwoven products.

TydenBrooks was established in 1873, making this the company's 150th anniversary. E.J. Brooks transitioned away from being a lead toy manufacturer to producing security seals which led it to the airline world.

Linstol, meanwhile, turns 30 this

year. With 87 global airline clients, the company produces custom products ranging from amenity kits through headsets to pillows and towels.

In the catering sector, Flying Food Group is celebrating 40 years in business this year. “Sue Lin Gin founded Flying Food Group in 1983 with a single airline customer at Chicago’s Midway Airport after eating a stale sweet roll on an airline flight.  She knew she could do better, so she did,” explains Nicolas Rondeau, the company’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Congratulations to all those marking anniversaries in 2023

a global route network. The Finnish flag carrier is marking its centenary with special liveries depicting Moomin characters, revamped menus and even a music video featuring the all-female choir, the Finnair Singers (pictured).   The London North Eastern Railway (LNER) came into being on January 1 1923. The company operates train services in England and Scotland.

In 1938 a Mallard engine designed by LNER’s chief engineer set the steam locomotive world speed record of 126mph – a record which still stands.

Turning 100

Among operators, Finnair is chalking up its 100th year in 2023. Postal routes across the Baltic Sea have evolved into

As part of celebrations, in May a Hitachi-built Azuma train with special livery was unveiled in York. Fittingly, it was named Century.

Congratulations to you all! •

The 2023

WTCE in Hamburg

The

World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) returns to the Hamburg Messe from June 6-8 2023

More than 5,000 global attendees will be present at an event which counts as an industry leader for networking and, of course, for doing business.

Following the return to face-to-face meetings last year, WTCE turns 11 in 2023. It showcases sustainable solutions, the latest in culinary trends plus technology whose capabilities include enhancing passenger experiences, cutting waste and boosting revenue.

If you haven’t already done so, please consider adding a meeting with a member of the Onboard Hospitality team via WTCE Connect. That planning tool makes it possible to secure meetings in advance of the show and we look forward to meeting you in person. Please say hello to us at our stand – 1E100 in hall A1.

Awards announcement

You’ll find us near the Taste of Travel Theatre, which will be the venue of the 2023 Onboard Hospitality Awards between 4.30pm and 5.30pm on Tuesday, June 6. Naturally, we hope that as many of you as possible will be present to hear us announce the awards’ much-anticipated winners.

The ceremony presents you with an opportunity to network while enjoying food and drinks. We would like to thank our sponsors: Catena Zapata will be supply the wine in conjunction with Intervine, the Bellino is from Monte Vibiano, Heineken is providing beer and the delicious canapés are from Cuisine Solutions. We’re anticipating a fabulous event and look forward to seeing you.

The AIX

During the same three-day period as WTCE, halls B1 to B7 of the Hamburg Messe will host the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX). The leading exhibition for the passenger experience industry is billed as “the must-attend event dedicated to everything to do with aircraft interiors”.

More than 12,000 attendees will be present at AIX, including 600 exhibitors showcasing more than 1,000 onboard aviation products and services. The show was launched in 2000 and has evolved into the world’s largest and most comprehensive annual passenger experience event.

And before WTCE and AIX begin, the Passenger Experience Conference (PEC) takes place on Monday, June 5 in the Congress Center Hamburg. After the opening plenary session, PEC splits into two streams, Delivering for the New Generation of Passenger and Succeeding in the Green Revolution

We look forward to catching up with you in Hamburg. Here’s to the 2023 WTCE/AIX being a huge success. worldtravelcateringexpo.com  •

A beginner's guide

Making the most of WTCE

As he prepares to visit WTCE for the first time, Onboard Hospitality's new Editor, Stuart Forster, asks experienced attendees to share tips on how he can make the most out of his time in Hamburg.

Everyone has told me comfortable shoes are a must for this trade show in the Hamburg Messe. Lots of standing around and walking between stands distributed across the vast halls clearly make trusted footwear a no-brainer.

“Study the exhibitor list, work out who you want to see and divide them into halls A1 and A4. Although the halls are side by side they are also a walk apart, even in the flattest shoes,” says Jo Austin, Taste of Travel’s curator, who recommends scheduling meetings around the floorplan to avoid doing too much unnecessary walking.

Meeting people

“You meet so many friends and colleagues en route that you need to give yourself extra time to get from A to B too,” explains Jo, emphasising that those unplanned interactions can eat into time set aside for refreshments, downtime between meetings and bathroom visits – all essential if you want to stay effective through every day.

Jo is keen to see as many people as possible at the Taste of Travel Theatre and recommends attendees check the programme and use WTCE Connect to plan attendance at discussions and cooking demonstrations.

“Slot the Taste of Travel sessions you want to attend into your diary –you might get a free lunch or glass of bubbly!” she says. And the strength of the wi-fi signal around the Taste of Travel Theatre is another reason to visit, as is a chance to just sit and listen.

Polly Magraw, Event Director at Reed Exhibitions, also suggests that attendees should log into WTCE Connect: “Even if you’re not pre-scheduling meetings, you can use the tool to discover recommended exhibitors based on your selected registration preferences."

“If you have a VIP badge, don’t forget to visit the VIP Lounge for a break away from the show floor,” she adds referring to the multi-use space used for networking, working and relaxation.

With representatives of suppliers, airlines and rail companies arriving into Hamburg from around the world, you don't have to wait until WTCE gets underway on Tuesday to start catching up either. "Try and start your meetings

on Sunday or Monday,” suggests Simon Yaffe of Buzz Products. “You would be surprised how many meetings we have on those two days in advance of the Tuesday to Thursday mainstream,” he adds, emphasising the value of remaining available throughout the full course of the Thursday rather than heading home early.

review time

As a seasoned attendee, Simon suggests setting aside 30 minutes to review appointments towards the end of each day and then revisiting the people who were of most interest.

“It’s a great opportunity to ask followup questions while you are there and it’s still fresh in your mind,” he adds.

There are often fewer people at stands towards the end of each day, meaning meetings can be less formal.

Effective time management does not necessarily mean planning meetings throughout all three days. Blocking time to walk the floor, view stands and get new ideas is also beneficial.

Other people suggested that I should combine work and pleasure while strolling between stands to taste the food and drink offered by caterers and suppliers. Skipping breakfast or doing so around lunchtime were suggested to avoid consuming too many calories.

Suppliers tend to be generous in giving away samples of their products at WTCE. So much so that one past attendee suggests you bring a suitcase with sufficient space to transport home the samples that will inevitably be collected while visiting stands.

Accepting invitations to evening events means being able to spend longer getting to know people. In addition to off-site dinners and parties, the Onboard Hospitality Awards (16.30-17.30 on Tuesday) and the WTCE Official Drinks Reception sponsored by Heineken (17.00-18.00 on Wednesday) offer great informal networking opportunities.

With representatives of so many businesses present, even the bestplanned visit to WTCE is likely to leave people wishing that they could have crammed in more meetings.

Prioritising and maximising in-person meetings helps attendees make the most of a trade show that is renowned for helping to forge connections and ultimately close deals.

worldtravelcateringexpo.com •

Prioritising in-person meetings helps attendees forge the connections WTCE is renowned for

Taste of Travel Theatre

Join us in Hall A1 for the outstanding WTCE seminar programme moderated by Jo Austin

June 6-8

10.45 - 11.45  ANXIETY AT 35,000 FEET   Marc Warde, the restaurateur and Director of Niche Food & Drink and Niche Free-from Kitchen, will talk about food safety with a panel of industry specialists, and ask two airlines how they are dealing with the increasingly challenging issue of special diets and allergies onboard.

12.15 - 13.00  SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY THROUGH THE BURNT CHEF PROJECT – featuring fine cuisine with an award-winning chef  The Burnt Chef is a social enterprise/not-for-profit that supports vulnerable people with mental health issues in the hospitality business. Chief Ambassador for the project, Scot Turner, will chat while

Adam Simmonds, one of Britain’s highest-profile and most awarded chefs, presents his finest cuisine.

14.00 - 14.45  DIGITISING THE ONBOARD RETAIL OFFER

In this session, you’ll find out how easyJet has implemented portable streaming technology to transform retailing capabilities onboard, improve product offerings, reduce waste and create new touch points across the passenger journey.

MODERATED BY: Maryann Simson, Director, Jetway Communications

Director, Jetway Communications

15.00 - 16.00  INNOVATING SUPPLY

PRODUCT CIRCULARITY

15.00 - 16.00  INNOVATING SUPPLY CHAINS – HOW TO OVERCOME BARRIERS AND EMBRACE PRODUCT CIRCULARITY

Join Matt Crane, founding member of the Aviation Sustainability Forum,

of the Aviation Sustainability Forum,

onboardhospitality.com

core principles of the circular economy

for a one-to-one open discussion with James George, the circular economy expert. James’ expertise in the circular economy was fostered over years of work for the Ellen Macarthur Foundation and he is well-versed in the core principles of the circular economy and ways to commercialise it to make economic sense.

16.30 - 17.30  ONBOARD HOSPITALITY AWARDS  Join the Onboard Hospitality team for the gathering the industry has been waiting for! This year’s award winners will be announced at the Taste of Travel Theatre. With thanks to Catena Zapata in conjunction with Intervine, Cuisine Solutions, Heineken and Monte Vibiano for the food and drinks served.

DAY ONE: JUNE 6

10.00 - 10.45  THE CHALLENGES OF GROWING SUSTAINABLE INTERNATIONAL RAIL CATERING ACROSS EUROPE

Four leading rail caterers compare their strategies for developing onboard customer hospitality while complying with evolving requirements.

MODERATED BY: Roger Williams, Chairman, International Rail Catering Group (IRCG).

11.00 - 11.45  THE FUTURE OF PLANT-BASED ONBOARD

Chef Gerard Bertholon, Chief Strategy Office of Cuisine Solutions and Maître Cuisinier de France, will cover everything from plant-based 'lamb' to 'shrimp' as well as the new rules around clean labels. There will be delicious samples to try.

12.00 - 12.45  BRINGING THE FUN BACK TO AIR TRAVEL

For some airlines, the concept of enjoyment of travel is in their DNA. Three airlines and a supplier will

DAY TWO: JUNE 7

WTCE PREVIEW: TASTE OF TRAVEL / 87 Programme details correct at time of going to press

debate how they are working towards a better inflight experience, including sustainability, wellbeing, catering innovation and entertainment for kids.

MODERATED BY: Alison Wells, Owner and Managing Director, Plane Talking Products.

13.00 - 13.30  CONSCIOUS COOKING

Steve Walpole will display his talents during a responsible cookery demonstration.

13.45 - 14.30  HOW TO DRIVE INFLIGHT RETAIL FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF PASSENGERS

In a revealing presentation by students from Wiesbaden Business School, this session will explore why Gen Y and Gen Z are not satisfied with current offerings of inflight purchases and duty-free shopping. The session and its research is generated by e-commerce specialist Omnevo.

MODERATED BY: Joe Harvey, Business Development Lead, Omnevo.

DAY THREE: JUNE 8

14.45 - 15.30  IS SUSTAINABILITY INCREASINGLY RELEVANT IN RECRUITING AND RETAINING TOP TALENT?

The panel will discuss changes and opportunities in the workplace and the evolving jobs market. As organisations in our sector become increasingly focused on the importance of strong sustainability credentials for their brand reputation, the panel will look at how those credentials also impact recruitment and retention.

MODERATED BY: Mike Pooley, The Hayward Partnership.

15.45 - 16.30  BE A PART OF THE RYDER CUP OF WINE!

Join the fun in a comparative wine tasting event hosted by Intervine. The session will feature wines from around the world.

17.00 - 18.00  WTCE Official Drinks Reception sponsored by Heineken.

10.45 - 11.30 WINNING TACTICS FOR BOOSTING THE APPEAL OF YOUR PASSENGER'S JOURNEY

Whether you are looking to introduce buy-on-board, enhance your onboard product or strengthen your amenities, this is your go-to session. Expect lots of free giveaways.

MODERATED BY: Nick Wiley, Managing Director, En Route

11.45 - 12.30  LIVING THE HIGH LIFE:  WHAT COMMERCIAL, PRIVATE AND EXECUTIVE AVIATION CAN LEARN FROM EACH OTHER

What can be learnt to enhance the First Class service on airlines from private aviation? And what influence can commercial aviation have? The session will also look at hybrid models,

smaller jets plus improving service on the ground and in the air. Is it time to partner up and bring some of the executive jet experience to airlines?

MODERATED BY: Marc Warde, Director of Niche Food & Drink Ltd and Niche Freefrom Kitchen.

onboardhospitality.com

products onboard

The 18-page guide is available to download from the WTCE website. It includes handy tips for product suppliers to consider before going into meetings from June 6-8 at the Hamburg Messe. “WTCE is geared towards matching airlines and suppliers together to form long-lasting relationships, but there is a right and wrong way to approach inflight supply. We created this guide, with former British Airways buyer, Kelly Stevenson, to help businesses better understand how they can engage and work collaboratively with airlines,” said Polly Magraw, WTCE Event Director, explaining why the Guide to Getting Onboard was written.

“Kelly has a wealth of experience, making this report a hugely informative read that will help businesses navigate the pitfalls and arm them with the right information from the outset. It is invaluable to brands and businesses looking to supply products and services to commercial airlines for the first time," she added.

Useful tips

The guide outlines considerations relating to doing business, such as understanding the products that airlines want, the lead times involved and which class of cabin your products and services are targeting. Attempting to place them in the wrong class is likely to hinder a deal being done.

• Understand why you are doing business. Profit, so often a key driver, may be a secondary motivation factor in working with an airline. As

part of a broader marketing strategy, generating brand awareness among First Class passengers may be your priority.

• Before signing a contract, it may be beneficial to reach an agreement to review the price after a set time period. Reassessing costs, including inflationary pressures and exchange rate fluctuations, can be important to avoid pressures and provide security to your business.

• Sustainability and corporate social

responsibility play significant roles in acquisitioning strategies. In addition to providing products that meet form and format expectations, conveying your story honestly can help secure deals.

• Ensure that you meet with the right people at the WTCE. Plan ahead and make appointments using the WTCE Connect tool.

• Download the Guide to Getting Onboard to read details and more tips.   worldtravelcateringexpo.com •

New products

Exhibitor preview

Hygiene of Sweden

wellbeing

Sustainable and innovative hygiene solutions will be showcased. Blind testing showed that 94% of users preferred non-alcoholic sanitiser. Wipes, sprays and foams are available with Hygiene of Sweden's nonflammable non-alcoholic formula. hygieneofsweden.com

Foodcase International

cUlinarY

Ater a year of focusing on developing its impact relating to sustainability, Foodcase will be showcasing new packaging solutions and delicious ambient concepts. Gourmet freefrom alleregen meals are available too. foodcase.nl

cuisine Solutions

cUlinarY

This year speciality items from France, Thailand and the USA – the location of Cuisine Solutions' three plants – will be spotlighted, with a focus on plant-based dishes. Options for onboard dining, lounge meals and buy-on-board snacks will be presented. Plant-based crab cake is in one of the dishes you can expect at WTCE. cuisinesolutions.com

The silwy magnetic system prevents falling during turbulence or sudden braking. Magnetic tableware pairs with flaxible, metallic nano-gel-pads or specially developed metal accessories. The magnets can be embedded into glass, plastic or porcelain. silwy.de

silwy serviceware

eGRet AVIAtION trolleYs

Most trolley manufacturers offer aluminium alloy-based trolleys. Egret Aviation has noted that airlines often prefer to use trolleys that strike a balance between their weight and durability. It manufactures ultralightweight trolleys and recently received EASA ETSO authorisation for its M1 series. M1 trolleys are lightweight and look modern. The trolleys are high-class equipment that suit customers who are looking to create a premium image. egret.aero/en

Aire Inflight serviceware

Based in Dubai, Aire Inflight has been serving the airline industry for more than 18 years. The company now supplies eco-friendly and biodegradable products. It currently provides products including an rPET baby amenity kit, rPET blankets, rPET soft toys and biodegrabale amenities made from wheat straw in ecofriendly packaging to Emirates Airlines. Stop by the Air Inflight stand to see products, including shaving kits, socks and eyeshades. aireinflight.com

INteX textiles

From its head office in China and its European sales and marketing office in the UK, Intex offers its clients a complete range of high-quality passenger comfort products and prides itself on providing excellent customer support and service. Expect to see blankets, pillows, duvets, headrest covers, table linen, amenity kits and more. intexcomfort.com

Azusa corporation Ltd. cabin eQUiPment

Azusa Corporation Ltd was established in 2003 and over the past 20 years has been designing and manufacturing original equipment. Those include headphones, blankets, amenity kits, tableware products and more. Visit the stand to find out about new, environmentally friendly and sustainable products that help reduce waste.

azusagroup.com

Buzz Products design

Buzz will be showcasing luxury brand collaborations and sustainable solutions for amenity, skincare, textiles and meal serviceware. Collaborations with Armani/Casa, TUMI and Acqua di Parma will be on show at the Buzz stand. buzzproducts.com

Products Worth Flying For

For more information on our extensive range of onboard products,please contact us:

MILK Kids

Milk – the UK-based agency that specialises in creating engaging children’s amenity kits for some of the world’s biggest brands in the airline, travel and leisure sectors – will once again be exhibiting at this year’s WTCE. The Milk team will be on their stand for the whole threeday event and will be showcasing the company’s credentials along with some of the recent projects that it has created for leading global travel brands. fresh-milk.net

SOLA serviceware

After just celebrating its 100th anniversary, Sola is excited to return to WTCE once again this year. The team will be showcasing their latest cutlery designs and innovations, as

GIP serviceware

GIP is on a mission to replace all plastic and aluminium with eco-friendly alternatives. It has developed a range of 100% compostable products made from plant fibre. GIP's cups are plastic-free, leakproof and can be custom designed for hot or cold beverages. See compostable casseroles made from plant fibre, which are oven-safe for airline specifications, and a space-saving trayless solution at WTCE. gipusa.com

well as other products like bread baskets, tongs, oven racks and vaccuum flasks. The Sola Duo-flask will be on display with new improvements. sola-cutlery.com

SKYPRO

Uniforms

SKYPRO is currently implementing a Strategic Sustainability Plan. The company's prime objective at WTCE is to focus on progress made in the field of uniform recycling. Outreach will focus on demonstrating the various stages of the recycling process and the materials that result. This will showcase the sustainable practices employed while producing SKYPRO's uniforms made from recycled materials. wearskypro.com

Freshorize

HYgiene

Serving the airline Industry for over 20 years, Freshorize specialises in hand soaps, lotions, sanitisers, interior aircraft cleaners and its new luxury wellbeing line, XÉN: Relax and Revive. Freshorize's award-winning 3-in-1 hand soap has revolutionized onboard lavatory products and is available in custom-branded fragrances. freshorize.com

SPECIAL MEALS ARE THE FUTURE

Libero Special Meals brought to you by Foodcase: Revolutionising In-Flight Dining for those with special dietary needs, food allergies, special diets and introducing delicious Free-From Meals for kids.

Are you an airline or airline caterer committed to providing exceptional service and care to your passengers with special dietary needs? Look no further than Libero Special Meals, the industry's award winning, leading provider of allergen guaranteed meals, specially designed for individuals with unique dietary requirements. With our state-of-the-art production facility, strict allergen management practices, and inclusive modern approach to special meal codes, Libero is here to transform your passengers' in-flight dining experience. Safer than any flight kitchen, no alibi labelling, no may contain statements, full ingredient decks, allergen information and nutritional information on every pack.

When you choose Foodcase Internationla and Libero Special Meals as your provider, you gain more than just exceptional meals. You gain a safer, knowledgeable reliable and dedicated partner who understands the intricacies of special dietary meals and food allergies in a modern way and how that works in the airline and travel industry and within your supply chain. We work closely with our clients to ensure seamless integration of our services, from menu planning to logistics, guaranteeing a hassle-free experience for your airline and your passengers.

Gut Springenheide

culinary

Gut Springenheide's artisanal production process means dishes are lovingly crafted to preserve flavours and nutritious, natural ingredients. A new egg creation will be showcases at WTCE, Appenzeller Chive Egg Rolls. They are a tasty treat and a visual delight. They are perfect for breakfast, as a starter or even as a side dish. gutspringenheide.de

Lockdown Liquor & Co. Beverage

Leading premium blended cocktail company Lockdown Liquor & Co uses the best ingredients to craft award-winning cocktails that deliver simplicity, consistency and speed of serve. Along with the bottled range, a premium canned cocktail selection Easy Liquor, including Ginger Cosmo, Margarita and Rum Punch, is offered in 125ml cans that offer a perfect single serve, are lightweight and recyclable. lockdown-liquor.com

skysupply design and amenities

Visit skysupply's WTCE stand to see the latest amenities and innovative designs. The brand philosophy is to focus on sustainability as much as the onboard experience itself with customised products for each client, designed to reduce the airline industry's ecological footprint. Visit the stand to learn about skysupply's new brand philosophy. skysupply.de

Intervine

culinary, Beverage & serviceWare

Stop by the Intervine stand to sample sparkling wines, coffee, ready-to-drink cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages. Savoury and sweet snacks, pre-cooked proteins and meals will be showcased along with sustainable tableware, trash bags and cutlery. Extra-special wines will feature during the daily happy hour. intervineinc.com

LIMeFILGHt tecHnologY

LimeFlight is a solution that effortlessly streamlines airlines' inflight logistics operations. By aligning load planning, meal planning and inventory management across all stakeholders, LimeFlight ensures everyone can access the same up-todate information, delivering a seamless and economically advantageous end-to-end solution. LimeFlight is used by airlines worldwide to identify optimal uplift locations, flexibly plan galleys, plan and manage inflight meal services, manage inventory with global real-time tracking of stock, adapt quickly to changing situations and enable data flow. limeflight.com

EXPERT IN

Branded Fragrances

Brand Partnerships

Innovative Solutions

COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY

Bottles made from: Recycled-PET

ECO Friendly cabin cleaning range

Highly e ective biodegradable cleaning products

98 / wtce PReVIew: New PROductS

IFPL Group aircraft interiors

IFPL Group – IFPL and Cobalt

Aerospace – will be showcasing their shared portfolio of aircraft interior innovations at WTCE. From award-winning drop-in LED mood lighting to wireless charging, the group will demonstrate solutions spanning light, power and audio. New products inclde wirelesscontrolled cabin lighting for the Embraer E-Jet family and a retrofit and customisable in-seat power system. ifpl.com

JOHN HORSFALL textiles

In its 160th anniversary year, John Horsfall is going back to its roots and showcasing its woven blankets. Woven textiles are where John Horsfall’s business began and its inhouse design team have driven a revival in the use of woven blankets for onboard comfort. The tighter spun yarn and smoother handle results in a blanket lasts a lot longer & sheds approx 68% fewer microfibres in laundry, when compared with a fleece. johnhorsfall.com

Monte Vibiano

food & beverage

Monte Vibiano will be showcasing Sei Bellissimi ready-to-drink cocktails made with natural ingredients and no preservatives, artificial sugar or flavours. The Bellini and Rossini come with their nonalcoholic versions, Bellino and Rossino. With growth in low- and no-alcohol drinks, they are an option for people who want the flavours and ritual of a cocktail without the alcohol. montevibiano.it

SAtS

food & beverage

SATS offers a full suite of inflight catering solutions tailored to the needs of any F&B programme in a range of cuisines but with a specialisation in authentic Asian flavours. In addition to ready products, SATS customises

solutions through its Global Innovation Hub. Together with network partners Monty's Bakehouse and Food Solutions, SATS looks forward to hosting you at WTCE. sats.com.sg

Kaelis

design and serviceware

Kaelis continues on Mission: Eco at WTCE and has a flourishing partnership with LSG. New products and services will be unveiled. The circular economy is at the

heart of latest developments curated for the modern era to enhance the passenger experience through innovative designs. kaelis.world

PLANe tALKING PROductS

serviceware/ amenities

Discover Plane Talking Product's wide range of inflight products at WTCE this year, including tableware, textiles, amenities and crew equipment. Browse its new 'innovation station' where it will be showcasing the latest developments in sustainable materials, pioneering rotable economy meal service design and material concepts, as well as the best options for the circular economy in inflight products. planetalking,net

ZIBO RAINBOW

Premium Business Class amenity kit manufacturer

Email：zbrainbow@sino-rainbow.com

Http: //www.ziborainbow.com

Virgin revamps its children's offer

Virgin Atlantic is rolling out new onboard meals and inflight packs for children this summer.

The airline has partnered with the creative brand, RowType, to design a new activity pack which includes a red branded reusable bag, UV400 sunglasses, a colourful sensory poppit toy, a journal to capture holiday memories, an additional activity book and colouring pencils. New children’s meal and refreshment options include chicken goujons, sweetcorn and potato wedges, Pip organic smoothies, giant cookies, cheese dippers and healthy fruit bowls.

For children travelling in Upper Class, there will be an additional entrée of creamy mac and cheese. virginatlantic.com

Oceania Cruises ups the culinary

Oceania Cruises, which positions itself as the world’s leading culinary-focused cruise line, has taken delivery of its newest ship, Vista, featuring three new dining concepts and an innovative beverage upgrade. The ship will host up to 1,200 guests with ‘The Finest Cuisine at Sea' mission delivered through 11 onboard culinary venues.

New to the mix are Ember, a signature restaurant featuring elevated American cuisine; Aquamar Kitchen, taking wellness offerings to a new level; and The Bakery at Baristas, an expansion of the line’s coffee bars. A new Moet & Chandon Champagne Experience will also debut at a pairing dinner, and an upgraded mixology programme will bring the art of the cocktail onboard. oceaniacruises.com

Procurall has won the contract to supply a new tableware programme for Copa Airlines. The new tableware has been designed around the Latin American Bistro theme, reflecting a straightforward dining experience with a touch of classic refinement.

The design was inspired by Copa’s ‘Hub of the Americas’ vision with a touch of terracotta colour to remind the passengers of the warmth of the Latin culture. Business class passengers will see the mix of modernity and tradition onboard from 2023. procurall.com

Former inflight product and catering specialist, Vanessa Hudson, has been announced as the next CEO of Qantas. She will replace Alan Joyce when he retires in November 2023 and has worked in a number of inflight and senior management roles. qantas.com

LSG stays positive

The LSG Group reports positive earnings despite some lingering post-pandemic-related challenges and news that the company will be sold to AURELIUS Group.

The carve-out sale, separates the business from its long Lufthansa Group connections but the leadership remains focused on growth in classic catering, onboard retail and food commerce. Future efforts will revolve around digitalisation, product customisation and increased value and convenience for customers.

First quarter 2023 results show consolidated revenue of EUR 523 million, compared to EUR 373 during the same period in 2022, roughly a 40% up and at 98% of pre-pandemic 2019 revenues. lsg-group.com

Stand: 1G20

Street Eats for special diets

En Route has launched a frozen calzone range designed to help airlines offer higher quality meals to passengers with special dietary requirements.

The Street Eats range of hot handhelds comprises three flavours: chicken tikka masala, cabbage tawa fry and vegetable pasties. The range covers special dietary requirements for followers of the Muslim and Hindu faiths, as well as vegetarian Jain, Asian vegetarian, vegetarian Oriental, vegetarian vegan and vegetarian Lacto-Ovo specific meals.

“We’ve introduced this frozen calzone range to tackle these issues and create a more diverse and inclusive suite of products,” said David Helm, director at En Route International. en-route.com

Frankfurt's GIC wins a contract extension from Bamboo Airways

Bamboo Airways has extended its catering services agreement with Frankfurt-based GIC International Catering for a further two years from June 1, 2023 A family business, GIC International Catering was founded in 2001 with the objective of delivering tailor-made products and services. The company

Buzz forges new Air India partnership with TUMI

Air India has unveiled a range of new amenities in a collaboration with travel and lifestyle brand TUMI, facilitated by Buzz.

The new offer includes a black vegan leather TUMI packing-case style kit with carry handle in First; a hard shell mini-case inspired by TUMI’s 19 Degree collection in

Business, with a vegan leather patch that can be initialised; and a TUMI Boxford zip pouch in Premium Economy. The partnership also features new sleep suits each made using the equivalent of 23 recycled plastic bottles diverted from landfill. Toiletries are from Malin + Goetz. buzz.com

is based in Kelserbach, adjacent to Frankfurt Airport, and has a presence in seven other German cities. In addition to Bamboo Airways flying Dreamliners to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City three times a week. GIC’s clients include Aegean Airlines, Air India and Sri Lankan Airlines. gicinternational.com

Turkish carrier Pegasus has extended its deal with Immfly. The tech provider will install its Equilux Aero (LUX-1) solution across the fleet, building on a first phase roll out. The goal is to further digitalise the cabin and future-proof them ready for added services. immfly.com

Training push for gategroup teams

Gategroup and its retail brand, gateretail, has expanded its Crewportal offer to significantly boost training and airline crew performance

The platform aims to improve onboard retail programmes and passenger experiences by providing user-friendly and easily accessible educational tools, online training, performance tracking, and certification programmes to help motivate and support crew members.

Fernando Guinea, VP of Gateretail, said: “We developed Crewportal to provide a bespoke digital platform for each partner’s content and delivery needs. It is a monumental step in our journey to deliver innovative digital solutions to airlines which unequivocally improve crew knowledge and engagement, thus improving their passengers’ experiences onboard.” gategroup.com

Newrest cuts the carbon footprint of its catering trucks with bio-fuel

Newrest has converted its entire Stockholm Arlanda’s catering fleet (13 trucks) for use with biodiesel, drastically reducing the operation's carbon footprint.

Domestically produced, the cleanburning biofuel is a renewable substitute for diesel, made from agricultural and natural resources

such as animal fat or plant oils. The change cuts CO2 emissions from transport from 28 to seven tons every month.

The next milestone at the base will be to investigate using the caterer's cooking oils as fuels to further complete the circular value of resources. newrest.com

Low alcohol on the rise Chat and surf deal

Sustainaholics is tapping into the trend for no and low-alcohol drinks with a new British range. With a focus on ethical independent producers, the company will bring together a number of suppliers targetting this growing market. sustainaholics.com

Etihad Airways has launched new Wi-Fly ‘Chat’ and ‘Surf’ packages onboard its wide-body fleet. All passengers will be able to access complimentary ‘Chat’ messaging throughout their entire flight with surf deals from $2.99- $19.99 etihad.ae

Pegasus wifi extension

Tourvest supports BA

British Airways has partnered with Tourvest to expand the retail offering on its Gatwickbased subsidiary, BA Euroflyer.

Where previously passengers had to pre-order fresh food or buy ambient snacks, now a range of new options are available to buy onboard through the Speedbird Café menu.

New to the mix are fresh Tom Kerridge Chicken Coronation sandwiches and the celebrity chef’s Sweet and Spicy Falafel wraps. Passengers can pair these with Jimmy’s Iced Coffee or Punchy soft drinks. Club Europe passengers are served complimentary drinks and a full meal service including seasonal dishes an a traditional English breakfast. britishairways.com

Bonza launches 100% Australian, on-demand menus with dnata

dnata has expanded its retail catering footprint in Australia through a new multi-year contract with the country’s newest airline, Bonza.

The contract will see dnata support the new carrier's operations and services – including the delivery of an on-demand, 100% Australian menu.

Carly Povey, Chief Commercial Officer at Bonza, said: “dnata has played a key

role in delivering the world’s first onboard menu entirely sourced from its home country, served on demand via the Fly Bonza app and delivered directly to customer’s seats. The creation and delivery of our all-Aussie menu is no mean feat and has resulted in the first ever catering facility in Bonza’s backyard - at the Sunshine Coast Airport. dnata.com

Free text messaging

Air Canada is now offering free inflight text messaging. The offer for all Bell Aeroplan members on wifi equipped aircraft includes Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express and some strategic partner airline through their loyalty schemes. aircanada.com

flydubai to debut VUE seating

Safran has named flydubai as the launch customer for its VUE platform, creating ‘The Business Suite’ on selected Boeing 737s.

Created in collaboration with JPA Design to be the ‘best-in-class business class seat’, each seat has a high degree of privacy, direct aisle access and a long lie-flat bed, setting new standards for single-aisle business travel in the region. It will include a door, a wireless charger and customised storage areas, with a 17.3-inch RAVE Ultra IFE screen manufactured by Safran.

The VUE platform was designed to offer widebody comforts while maintaining an efficient cabin layout. The name reflects its window-facing orientation achieved through a reverse herringbone seat layout. flydubai.com; safran-group.com

brews get onboard UK electric rail operator Lumo

Local

The 100% electric, UK-based train operator Lumo has partnered with local suppliers for its first ‘Train Beer’ and local tea and coffee brands.

The ‘Train Beer’ created by Leith-based Donzoko Brewing Company, offers a vegan-friendly, dry-hopped pale ale, served in an eco-friendly printed 330ml sleek can. The train is also serving tea and coffee from Ringtons, a proud Newcastle company with a 115-year history in the region.

Facilitated by Rail Gourmet, Lumo’s environmental positioning is supported by an onboard menu on which half of all items are plant-based food and drink. railgourmet.com

Textiles tracking Skypro win in Dubai

SKYPRO has become the official supplier of pilot uniforms for Emirates. A thorough selection process focused on quality and reliability of materials, efficiency of logistics and ability to support CO2 reduction targets. wearskypro.com

Weave Intelligence has developed tracking technolgy that can be embedded in products from blankets to headsets. The system can help airlines track product usage and product locations, and provide full global inventory visibility. weaveintel.com

Ghost kitchen brands get onboard with LSG

LSG Group is launching 20+ new food brands to airlines, directly sold on delivery platforms around the world through ghost kitchens.

Popular branded products such as Cloud 9 Desserts, Flatbread House and Holy Moly Mac & Cheese will now also be available for airlines to offer onboard.

The new meal options have been selected for their unique and clear USPs, to help airlines launch best-seller products based on actual sales data, hence cutting wastage and increasing sales.

Passengers can experience these dishes both inflight and on the ground, and most of the chosen brands have engaging social media content, including actions with influencers, to further leveraged visibility for airlines. lsg-group.com

SWISS trials AI counting technology

SWISS has launched a three-month trial of artificial intelligence technology to conduct its passenger counts aboard selected flights.

Working with an unnamed third-party supplier the trial installs digital cameras on certain aircraft to record and count embarking passengers. AI is taught overtime to improve accuracy by identifying body shapes, accounting for items or children being carried. If successful the system could be used ultimately to ‘enhance security’ and to ease the workload of cabin personnel. swiss.com

What: APOT FORUM

Where: Vietnam

When: November 9-12, 2023

The Asia Pacific Onboard Travel organisation (APOT) is set to meet in-person again this November, for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The organisation brings together professionals from airline hospitality, service and the supply chain and is planning its next networking event in Vietnam from November 9 to 12. Details of the event are yet to be confirmed but the conference is expected to feature a competition among catering chefs, excursions and a sunset cocktail party.

APOT positions itself as the only Asiabased networking event specifically for the travel hospitality industry.

Jeremy Clark, APOT’s CEO, says the goal of the organisation has always been to bring limited numbers of focused industry colleagues together for an unparalleled opportunity to

discuss experiences and share challenges over two full days. He says: in a superb stress-free environment. "This will be a return to the core values of APOT and we look forward to welcoming our international colleagues.”

Contact: ceo@apot.asia

APOT set for Vietnam Speciality calls

What: Speciality Fine Food Fair

Where: Olympia, London

When: September 11-12, 2023

Taking place annually, this UK food fair is an established hub of inspiration for artisan food & drink buyers and suppliers.

Designed to condense a year's worth of product sourcing into one show, the event features around 450 exhibitors including a new-to-market Start-Up Village for up to 200 foodie businesses looking for their big break, set alongside established brands.

Luxury drinks producers, mixer and non-alcoholic beverage providers and on-trend innovations exhibit alongside high-end bar snack producers. At least 10,000 buyers and suppliers are expected to attend including representatives from high-end multiples and creative independent retailers, airlines, cruise lines, wholesalers, brokers and distributors. An informative seminar stage hosts at least 20 debates, panels and presentations focused on food and beverage trends and industry hot topics. specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk

A World of Inspiration

to enhance the onboard exper ience

350 su pplier s

750 VIP onboard buyer s

4,900 attendees

1000s of inflight cater ing, passenger comfor t, onboard ser vices and products

Find out more at: worldtravelcateringexpo.com/obh1

The world view

We're going global every day by going social. Meet us in the virtual world via Twitter and LinkedIn.

Here's just some of the digital chat you may have missed... Follow us for more: @OBHMagazine and linkedin.com

Sky high Pokémon

The animated pocket monster brand Pokémon is taking to the skies with All Nippon Airways for themed flights filled with the fun and a sense of adventure the popular anime character, Pikachu, is famed for. The specially-painted Boeing 787-9 aircraft ‘Pikachu

Jet NH’ features limitededition designs on the cabin attendants’ aprons as well as on catering paper cups, napkins and headrest covers. There will be boarding music that brings the world of Pokémon to life and commemorative gifts for passengers.

@FlyANA_official

Dior style

Emirates has announced a collaboration with iconic beauty brand Dior and sustainable haircare brand Davines for a bespoke beauty hub for cabin crew at its Dubai Headquarters. Cabin crew will be able to get expert recommendations on makeup application tips, nutrition, fitness, skincare, haircare, and male and female grooming best practices. Dior and Davines products will be used exclusively for the personalised demonstrations in the beauty hub.

@emirates

Finnair's got talent

Finnair has published an exclusive new music video to celebrate its centenary later this year.

The new song, performed by the Finnair Singers, brings the fun of flying to the ground as listeners can get set for take-off with the sights and sounds from a Finnair flight.

The Finnair Singers have been singing since 1949, uniting the airline’s employees with their love of music. Starting as an all-male choir, they are now an exclusively female choir, celebrating the rise of women within aviation.

@finnair

British originality

British Airways is championing British Originality across its customer experience and has now premiered a new onboard safety video staring airline employees, some famous faces, and Brits going about their daily activities. The safety video plays on things synonymous with the UK from discussing the weather to eating fish and chips, and celebrates the timeless quirks and uniqueness of people that put the nation on the map.

@British_Airways

New Zealand is well known for its natural attractions and the respect its citizens show to the environment and now even hedgehogs have the power to stop air traffic!

An Air New Zealand flight was reported delayed recently because of a hedgehog on the runway. The critter was spotted crossing the tarmac as the Auckland to Dunedin flight landed, and the pilot delayed the plane’s taxiing process to ensure it was safe. An announcement onboard shared details of the hedgehog's plight and the reason for the delay.

@FlyAirNZ

Surprise, surprise

Passengers are being invited to surprise themselves while also helping to reduce food waste by buying a bag of fresh food leftovers on Swiss!

The Swiss Saveurs To-Go concept allows passengers on the last flight of an aircraft each day to buy a surprise bag filled with daily made artisanal Sprüngli products at a discount of up to 60%.

The surprise bag contains up to three fresh unsold products that are perfectly good to eat but otherwise destined for the waste.The surprise deal cuts waste but also encourages passengers to discover a new Sprüngli signature product at home and maybe buy it again on their next trip

@RetailinMotion

Looking good?

Seen all the movies? Played all the games? Now Saudia's IFE is offering passengers a new inflight option - sit looking at yourself. The upgraded SaudiaBEYOND system offers a wide range of innovative features - one of which is a digital mirror (front-facing camera) which the carrier says is available to help passengers look their best during the flight and for landing. But with over 5,000 hours of worldclass entertainment, F&B ordering from the seat and an extensive new content portfolio, looking at yourself may not be the first thing you want to do.

@SaudiaAirlines

Directing audio

Could the ubiquitous airline headphones soon be a thing of the past? Seat specialist Safran and its partner Devialet believe there could at least be an alternative, and that is audio built into the seat headrest.

Tackling the irritation of wearing headphones for up to 15 hours on long haul flights, the new Euphony system brings an individual qualitative sound experience to passengers without using headphones. It is thought to be the first integrated audio system putting speaker technology inside the headrest for directed audio which cannot be heard by the rest of the cabin.

@safran-group

A wild hold up

Knife-edge decisions

Stuart Forster  debates the post-covid supply chain challenges and emerging trends of the airline cutlery sector with one industry stalwart

Airline cutlery could be considered an unsung industry essential HOW DOES ITS FORTUNES REFLECT THOSE BEING FACED BY THE WIDER ONBOARD HOSPITALITY SECTOR

HOW IS THE CUTLERY SECTOR?

The pandemic left us with a supply chain crisis and rises in raw material costs and labour pricing. First, we had to get raw materials and then find the people we needed. You need a lot of labour for the production of cutlery as a lot is done by hand. The supply chain crisis meant containers got lost, weren’t available or cost up to 10 times more than normal. That was extremely frustrating. Shipping lines just dropped our container ‘somewhere’ and did not communicate – this had a serious effect on our clients. We managed to get production under control as we use several factories spread through Asia, so towards the end of 2022 things began to pick up.

HE

HE WHAT IS THE CURRENT CHALLENGE?

It is extremely difficult to get the right people. We need somebody who wants to do the job, someone who can see the wood through all the trees. Someone with persistence and patience. They also need to be able to work in a team. Finding somebody with all those characteristics is difficult. Airline business is longterm. A new design can take a year to 18 months to complete, unlike a hotel restaurant where they may want something completely new by Friday!

HE ARE SUSTAINABILITY CONCERNS IMPACTING CHOICES OF MATERIALS?

Luckily, in our case, stainless steel is 100% recyclable. We do not make a big thing about being sustainable or green but we have developed special, ultra-lightweight cutlery to compete with

single-use plastic cutlery. People are now using wood, banana leaves and coconut leaves. But why use exotic raw materials? You can recycle stainless steel and there are no chemicals added in the production process. So, it’s a 100% natural product.

HE

IN WHAT WAYS DOES THE TREND TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT CUTLERY CHOICES?

We see a trend towards a lighter product and have developed a hollow-handle type of cutlery.   We’ll have our lightweight cutlery at WTCE in Hamburg. It’s the lightest set on the market in the world and just 0.5 millimetres thick. We developed it to compete with single-use plastics. Ironically some people now say: ‘We think it’s too light, can you make it thicker?!’

HE HOW MANY TIMES CAN STAINLESS STEEL CUTLERY BE REUSED?

From a technical point of view, it goes on for a lifetime. Airlines use their cutlery anywhere from 10 and 1,000 times over depending on how much it’s scratched, the quality of the steel used in production, the thickness and the design. We have done testing on this but, practically, it is impossible to figure out how many rotations a range can do exactly. In the short term, steel is more expensive to buy and you have to take the cost of washing and repacking into account, but in

the long term stainless steel cutlery onboard will always be cheaper than single-use plastics.

HE

WHAT ARE THE CUTLERY SECTOR’S MOST SIGNIFICANT TRENDS?

Everybody wants custom-made things. They do not want to use anything straight from the brochure. If they have something classical in terms of plates and glasses, they want to have a matching design. And people want to embed their logo in the product so the brand is more present.  Clients mix and match our designs or show us their chinaware and ask us to find the perfect match – that is one of the most fun parts of the job. The bottom line is, we have full flexibility to change designs and specifications any way they want. Imagination from buyers helps us to work and produce a great product. Currently, many are just focused on getting back into business rather than finding something totally new. •

Hans Engels is Senior Export Manager for Sola with over two decades experience of the airline cutlery sector

TECHNOLOGY AND ONBOARD EXPERIENCES

5G in the EU | Sound strategies | Seating evolution

Big data in cabin design | Dealing with moisture

5G up in the air

Stuart Forster  looks into whether 5G use is really likely aboard aircraft flying in EU airspace this summer…

On November 24 2022 the European Commission (EC) made an announcement relating to mobile communications onboard aircraft and wi-fi aboard road vehicles. It was interpreted in some quarters as suggesting 5G services would be accessible by the coming summer holiday season.

That is because the date of June 30 2023 was mentioned, specifically in the context of 5GHz frequency being available for use on road vehicles.

“Airlines will be able to provide the latest 5G technology on their aircraft, alongside previous mobile technology generations,” said the publication. And Thierry Breton, Commissioner for the Internal Market, was quoted as saying: “5G will enable innovative services for people and growth opportunities for European companies. The sky is no longer a limit when it comes to the possibilities offered by super-fast, high-capacity connectivity.”

The way it was

Prior to 2008, the use of portable electronic devices (PEDs) was not permitted during flights due to concerns that they could cause interference to aircraft communication and navigation systems, notably Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. Innovation relating to avionics and the shielding of components facilitated the safe use of PEDs during flights.

Aircraft need a picocell, base station equipment that facilitates Mobile Communications onboard Aircraft (MCA). Compatible with the aircraft’s

avionics, it makes use of PEDs onboard aircraft possible under certain technical conditions.

“The frequency bands used onboard are subject to technical limitations that are described in the decision itself and were developed by the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT). These rules consider amongst other the safety and interference aspects,” explained an EC source.

Change is calling

The June date is one of the deadlines by when EU member states must authorise the use of frequency bands

to start operating onboard systems. “The final decision on whether passengers can actually make use of this new service lies with the airline – passengers must always follow the instructions provided by their airline – and instructions may differ one aircraft to another, depending on the aircraft’s readiness to support the service as well as the type of PED used by the passenger,” confirmed the EU official.

Aircraft equipped with MCA technology will enable passengers to make calls above the altitude of 3,000 metres. Airlines can choose whether voice calls are allowed during flights. •

5G will enable innovative services and growth opportunities

A sonic strAtegy should be A style guide for your eArs

style manuals set out guidelines to make sure all things visual are consistent with the brand. But what does a brand sound like?

A sonic strategy addresses this question and provides a unique tool to connect with customers. Creative questions such as the styles of voiceover, inflight safety announcement (for example, age and gender), promotional podcasts and boarding music should all be addressed in a sonic strategy. It’s a style guide for your ears.

a universal language

American poet and educator Henry Longfellow said: “Music is the universal language of mankind.”

This is particularly meaningful in the transport industry as language barriers can be a challenge.

The brain will associate music with brands, memories and experiences. Our echoic memory allows us to sing

songs and hum tunes that we never set out to learn, but know them and find them comforting and reassuring.

Promoting familiarity

A sonic strategy can promote familiarity for the passenger with the brand. A familiar tune or song can create trust and loyalty.

Examples include the Qantas use of the Peter Allen hit I Still Call Australia Home in ad campaigns and Singapore Airlines’ musical styling of the phrase Singapore Girl: You’re A Great Way To Fly. These were hugely successful and recognised as being associated with those brands by the consumer.

As Grammy and Oscar-winning film composer Hans Zimmer said: “If you talk to any director they’ll say music is 50% of the movie.” We ran an ad campaign for Stellar some years ago that was headlined "Before doing your next budget for music and audio, try

watching Star Wars with the sound turned down”.

soundscapes to suit

We recently created a boarding video for China Airlines. It is an important part of its branding plan and required a matching soundtrack that complemented the imagery of Taiwan’s natural beauty. As part of the China Airlines sonic branding strategy, we worked with our composer to create a soundscape that reflected the unique qualities of the video.

Using a mix of contemporary and traditional instrumentation and melodies, we created a very special audio soundtrack for the passenger boarding experience. We believe that a clear, focused sonic branding policy brings advantages to the overall brand awareness of China Airlines, and helps create familiarity and trust among their passengers as soon as they board. •

Brad Power, Creative Director at Stellar Entertainment, discusses sonic strategy as an element of branding…

How to...

create a sonic strategy

And here Brad Power outlines the steps that need to be taken to succesfully create a sonic strategy…

Define yOur requiremenTs

The production process depends on the requirement. Let’s say the client has decided to commission a bespoke piece of boarding music. The production process starts with a lot of questions for the creative IFE team. For example, should the music track be an instrumental or would a sung vocal be appropriate?

selecT a fOcus

Decide on whether the music should reflect the cultural and musical sounds of the airline’s home or reflect the destinations it flies to. For example, an airline that flies to holiday destinations may have a soundscape of relaxing guitars, lapping waves and seagulls to set the right mood.

cHOOse a genre

Explore the client's expectations of the musical style or genre. Formal or informal? Rock, chill, jazz? Look at examples of music the client likes or feels will fit the brand. The client may want to explore buying the rights to an existing song that allows a unique version of that song to be created.

creaTe a cOmpOsiTiOn

After the client’s expectations are defined, it’s possible to start on a composition. An effective piece of boarding music should be around 30 minutes long. That begins with creating two or three short demos. The tracks run only 60 seconds but give a client the feel

of the composition. Once the client approves a direction, work begins on the extended version.

WOrk WiTH TalenTs

Creative talents are key in developing audio that will be part of a brand’s sonic strategy. A creative composer, studio engineers, vocalists and musicians are involved in creating musical tracks. Pre-recorded announcements involves creating a script that reflects the brand and finding an appropriate voice.

THe cHallenges

One of the biggest challenges can be the approval process. Music tastes are subjective and a piece that one person loves might make somebody else feel differently. Airlines are big organisations with many stakeholders and the decision-making process can unlock a variety of opinions. Sometimes that results in timelines veering. •

PRAM is the trade acronym for ‘Pre-Recorded Announcements and Music’.

Arthur Glain

AdvAnced concept MAnAger, SAfrAn SeAtS

April Waterston discovers how SAFRAN is putting aircraft seating at the forefront of passenger wellbeing

Q: How can seating be used to enhance the passenger experience?

A : Seats impact the passengers' comfort and activities all flight and even impact their feelings of safety. Comfort is the first and probably the most important essential for the passenger experience, after safety, and the longer the flight is, the more this statement is true. The seat can also play a role in keeping the passenger entertained during the flight by offering connectivity, personal own device holders or enabling them to work efficiently, if they wish.

Q: How has aircraft seating evolved in recent years and how are things in the new post-Covid era?

A : I wouldn’t say things are back to exactly where we left them in 2020 but we can certainly see a continuity between those pre-pandemic trends and now.

One trend that has taken another dimension in recent years is the cabin sub-segmentation. Numerous airlines are keen to offer different experiences within the same cabin, better answering specific passengers' needs and increasing ancillary revenues. Elite front rows, for example, are now an important component of every new cabin design.

We are looking forward to sharing new ideas and projects at AIX.

Q: How do you design seats to improve passenger wellbeing?

A : Our Unity seat is a new generation of high-end forward-facing Business Class seats. Leveraging the benefits of its layout and its ability to provide all passengers with direct access to the aisles, it offers an innovative design, a spacious suite environment and multiple storage areas. The seat itself is extra-large compared to other seats in its category and it offers the comfort of a spacious fully-horizontal bed. Unity is genuinely designed for privacy. Meanwhile, our VUE seat is adapted

The U-Dream seat promises a flawless rest or sleep in Economy, Premium Economy or Domestic Business class. By introducing a new degree of freedom, the U-Dream headrest system provides passengers with a neck and head support like no other. It provides one extra degree of freedom against other solutions in the market which makes the whole difference in terms of side support: no need to bend your neck to get the expected lateral support.

Q: Tell us about Euphony.

A : Euphony is groundbreaking experience developed by SAFRAN and our audio partner Devialet. It is a ‘headset-free’ solution, delivering a high-fidelity audio experience to each individual passenger while ensuring other passengers in the cabin are not disturbed.

to long-haul flights on narrow-body airplanes. It is designed to offer passengers a similar experience to that of the most comfortable wide-body aircraft while maintaining an efficient cabin layout for the airline. VUE already has two launch customers, one on the Airbus A320 family and the other on the Boeing 737 family, and will enter into service in 2023.

It is not rocket science to install a pair of loudspeakers in a headrest, however, providing high-fidelity audio at an audible level while keeping the rest of the cabin perfectly quiet, proved a sizable challenge.

Concisely and without disclosing too much detail, we can say that thanks to patented algorithms, Euphony continuously adapts the audio output to the cabin noise level, frequency and content type making for a truly seamless experience for passengers.

Seat comfort is probably the most important essential in the passenger experience, after safety

Profile:

Arthur Glain develops future products and technologies focusing on the passenger experience. With over 10 years in aircraft interiors, he has built a strong background in airline branding, strategies and seating products.

Q: Explain the Devialet partnership. A : Devialet is today the most innovative acoustic engineering company. They have worked on a wide range of projects, in very diverse and sometimes incredibly challenging environments and consistently come up with impressive solutions. The low frequency-saturated cabin interior coupled with close proximity between users rendered our environment just as challenging. We worked with a number of acoustic engineering companies before selecting Devialet based on a very convincing proof of concept. We needed a partner able to come up with the right hardware but most importantly with the right digital signal processing, and this is what Devialet is all about – a tech company creating advanced algorithms to perfectly compensate any environment while delivering top tier quality audio.

Q: What passenger needs does Euphony address?

A : Our user experience studies consistently show that headphones create a number of pain points in flight. Physical fatigue on and around ears, difficulties communicating with others, wires getting in the way. In an ideal world, we would all rather be able to listen to our content the way we do at home, with no intrusive hardware, wirelessly, and with the ability to communicate with those near us. This is the goal we set ourselves when for Euphony from the start, in 2018.

Q: Tell us a bit about Project Sunrise?

A : Project Sunrise keeps passenger wellbeing at the center of everything. Without disclosing too much, the light in the cabin and on the seats will have a major impact on jet lag management and wellbeing onboard and after arrival. •

Weave Intelligence

Ian Linaker on how Weave Intelligence is changing aviation with Big Data and AI

Weave Intelligence is a revolutionary software developed to meet a specific need within the aviation industry. It delivers fully connected product tracking to help customers make sense of their operations and find better ways to manage their complex procurement problems.

"Airlines are very good at procuring products, but the understanding of the product lifecycle can often stop there, once it's on the plane," says Ian Linaker, Founder of Weave Intelligence. "There are so many products where it then becomes extremely difficult to know what you have, how many you have, how old they are, and importantly, where all the product is at any one time."

"Airlines have huge, costly black holes where money is leaving the airline." These black holes are points all across the airline network but "the airline doesn't know where."

Inventory visibility

Weave saves product usage costs, autonomously tracks product locations and provides full global inventory visibility. "Our in-product and on-product chips give our customers powerful, insightful reporting that delivers savings and real, tangible change in their supply chains."

Weave Intelligence is built from the ground up using the very latest in Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure and architecture, all connected through our cloud-based database and artificial intelligence (AI) platform.

"Weave humanises big data to deliver digestible, invaluable intelligence that our customers can use to achieve competitiveness, efficiency and a whole new level of accuracy."

The system makes it possible for clients to track and locate individual products wherever they are in the world, providing something that, as of yet, the airline industry has not had.

Digitisation in the food and beverage industry enables caterers to track their supply chain, stock levels, expiry dates and the movement of units. Until now, a comparable level of granular detail has not been available for textile products or other onboard items used by the airline industry.

"All airlines see is how many items they inject into the operation per year," Linaker says. Weave Intelligence solves this problem.

For example, for textiles, Weave uses a tracking technology to monitor the lifecycle of every textile product in circulation. Tags are sewn in at an airline's manufacturer and are not visible to passengers.

Weave Intelligence connects the dots across an entire network of provisioning centres and provides a full picture of the supply chain by analysing the traffic of millions of individually tagged assets.

"The moment you put a Weave tag into a blanket, you can track everything

Weave humanises big data to deliver digestible, invaluable intelligence that our customers can use

from the number of blankets you've got on hand to a product's age, its rotations, the overall equipment balance and location, as well as product performance."

change their routes."

to run out? Are they

differentiate between all of the different every tag is unique."

"For example, ‘Are there enough Business Class blankets in circulation? Where are they? Are we going to run out? Are they performing as expected?' Weave can answer all of these questions by tracking inventory automatically at a unit level. We can differentiate between all of the different stock keeping units (SKUs) because every tag is unique."

Before implementing Weave Intelligence, our team conducts comprehensive site assessments. "This ensures a seamless integration of Weave into existing systems and workflows, without requiring staff to

"This ensures a seamless integration

to handheld readers. The transmitted to an encrypted, cloud-

The terminals used to read the tags come in various sizes, ranging from full-size to handheld readers. The product data is then securely transmitted to an encrypted, cloudbased database. Access to this data is made available through Weave Intelligence's intuitive graphical user interface (GUI).

Weave's software then leverages this data to help its clients solve the underlying issues: “We have spent a considerable amount of time building a complex software along with an AI reporting platform that analyses huge volumes of data and tells our customers what is happening to the products.

By the end of 2023, I believe we will be the largest global network of connected outstations in the world, providing our customers with one single source of real-time inventory data.” •

The terminals used

Emotionally

intelligent thinking

Authenticity, emotional engagement and artificial intelligence are becoming buzz words in many industries and the onboard services sector is exploring opportunities to tap into these developments too, assessing how they are applicable to what goes onboard. Amenity providers, airlines and passengers are all starting to gauge the future with a different perspective, looking at how to offer more engaging and authentic experiences that match their passengers' values and lifestyle. ArtificiaI intelligence and data-driven solutions may seem to offer answers but we need to look carefully at what happens when we start to allow experiences and designs to be created by data scientists and computers.

Emotional intelligence

The growing importance of emotional intelligence is set to start playing a more and more crucial role in the design of onboard travel experiences.

A ‘designed’ passenger experience that resonates with users is much more likely to leave a lasting impression, and in today's competitive landscape, understanding and leveraging the power of emotional intelligence can make the difference between creating memorable experiences and ones that fail to engage.

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognise, understand and manage one’s own emotions as well as the emotions of others. When applied to experience design, it involves creating interactions that are emotionally engaging, empathetic, and meaningful for the user. Here are just some of the ways in which emotional intelligence can be used in passenger experience design.

Empathy mapping

This process involves stepping into the shoes of the passengers and understanding their emotions, motivations and pain points. By empathising with users, designers can create solutions that address the emotional needs and expectations, leading to more satisfying onboard experiences.

Emotional design principles

Incorporating emotional design principles into the development process ensures that the final onboard product evokes the desired

Tapping into passenger values and emotions can boost satisfaction and loyalty, says Dr Stathis Kefallonitis, founder and CEO of branding.aero

By monitoring emotional responses designers can identify pain points, uncover unmet needs and improve the solutions

emotions in passengers. For example, using certain colours, typography and imagery can evoke feelings of trust, comfort or excitement and that can help create an emotional connection with the user onboard.

Storytelling

Tapping into the power of storytelling can also create an emotional bond between the passenger and the airline experience. By developing relatable, engaging and emotionally-charged narratives, designers can immerse users in the experience and make it genuinely more memorable.

Personalisation

Personalised airline experiences which cater to individual passenger preferences and needs can evoke positive emotions in users.

Leveraging data and user insights to tailor content, features and interactions

can create a sense of belonging and enhance passenger satisfaction. It makes the experience feel bespoke and truly personal to the passenger.

Accessibility and inclusivity

Designing experiences which are accessible and inclusive for all users, regardless of their abilities or background, also demonstrates empathy and understanding.  By considering the emotional needs of diverse user groups, designers can create experiences that resonate with a wider audience.

Emotional analytics

Measuring and analysing passenger emotions throughout the experience can provide valuable insights into areas for improvement. By monitoring emotional responses, designers can identify pain points, uncover unmet needs and improve the solutions.

Memorable experiences

Understanding emotions can lead to better decision-making when it comes to designing experiences. By being aware of passenger emotions, airlines can positively impact customer service and develop a strategy that will satisfy and delight those getting onboard.

Incorporating passenger emotional intelligence into the design process can lead to more engaging, empathetic and memorable airline experiences.

By understanding and addressing the emotional needs of passengers, airlines can create solutions that not only meet functional requirements but also foster deep emotional connections, and it is these which will ultimately drive loyalty and satisfaction.  •

Leveraging data to tailor content, features and interactions can create a sense of belonging

Cabin humidity

Post pandemic inflight air quality has become more important than ever, Stuart Forster discovers the benefits of cabin humidifiers

Keeping aircraft cabin humidity as close to sea level conditions as possible benefits both crew members and passengers, and in recent months specialists in this field have seen an uptake in the use of humidifers onboard to help.

Notably, maintaining humidity means passengers are less likely to suffer from the fatigue caused by breathing dry air during long flights. And as dry cabin air impairs the senses of smell and taste, humid air means passengers are more receptive to aromas and tastes. This in turn impacts the salt and sugar content needed in food and drink served onboard and can impact the passengers' perception of the flavours served to them.

Good humdity control has a positive impact on people’s sense of well-being, particularly after long-haul flights. “The beneficial health aspects of humidification are undisputed,” says Ola Häggfeldt, the Chief Commercial Officer of humidity experts, CTT Systems. He suggests people sleep better, get less jetlag and suffer fewer infections caused by their immune system being weakened inflight.

Business jets

“In recent months CTT Systems has noted an upswing in the uptake of its humidifiers on large business jets such as the Airbus ACJ TwoTwenty and Bombadier Global 7500 plus VIP jets,” says Häggfeldt.

He explains that the CTT Humidifier Onboard System increases cabin humidity, improving the well-being of crew members and passengers. First they were installed on flight decks and then in premium cabins.

Based in Sweden

Headquartered in Nyköping, the Swedish company has manufactured humidification systems since 2000. CTT Systems became involved in its first

operations engineering programme, aboard the Airbus A380, in 2003. It is currently participating in similar assessments aboard the A350 and A350F as well as Boeing’s 777X and 787 widebody airliners.

“Almost all long-haul aircraft now have humidifiers on their flight deck,” explains Häggfeldt. In addition to more than 3,500 humidifiers, over 3,000 CTT AntiCondensation systems have been installed. The latter tackles condensation in the fuselage, helping achieve weight loss benefits which in turn reduce fuel burn and carbon emissions.

Attaining optimal relative humidity, it seems, influences both the well-being of people and the planet. ctt.se •

Good onboard humidity control has a positive impact on well-being

We're committed to honest & transparent

JUDGING...

Key to the enduring success of the Onboard Hospitality Awards is our unique judging process of which we are extremely proud.

Our judges

Our judges include experts with many years of onboard hospitality experience. They include buyers and decision-makers from airlines as well as chefs and caterers, industry consultants and professional travellers. This year alone, the international panel brought together experts from North America, Australia and Europe. People with experience of working on every continent are represented and involved.

OUR JUDGES...

Your peers

All entries are first voted for online by our international readership. This allows for informed peerto-peer recognition. Those eligible to vote are our readers – the buyers and suppliers of onboard hospitality – the people we believe are best placed to recognise a good product or service, or a true innovation. These are the people –you and your industry colleagues – who really are in the know; industry insiders with expertise in the field.

Following 15 years as crew for British Airways, Shelley has extensive experience of inflight service and a clear understanding of what passengers and crew want.

Now an independent consultant, Sue has 22 years' crew experience and four years in the BA supply chain team. She understands what works best at all levels.

SUE WAPLE

Formerly BA's head of inflight global supply chain, Karen has over 30 years' airline product experience, and is now an independant consultant and passionate sustainability advocate.

KAREN MACKENZIE

Restaurateur and culinary consultant Marc runs gluten-free restaurants, the Niche Free-From Kitchen and the special meals manufacturing business Libero.

MARC WARDE

With 20 years' experience at SWISS and Lufthansa Group product department, Benedict has worked across all classes and still flies occasionally as an active Maître de Cabine.

BEN FANCONI

A senior analyst at Valour Consultancy, David specialises in IFEC and aircraft digitalisation, including both cockpit and cabin solutions.

DAVID WHELAN

SHELLEY DAUNCEY

APOT Asia founder and CEO, Keerthi Hapugasdeniya is an international celebrity chef who also works with catering service providers to the airline industry.

HAPPY K

Nik runs a consumer airline food site inflightfeed.com and writes on airline food trends. He also offer consultation services to airline catering companies around the world.

NIK LOUKAS

Ryan is the chief operating officer of Future Travel Experience and spends his days deep in the detail of aviation technology and trends. He leads the debate in tech innovation and support for start ups.

RYAN GHEE

An experienced and pro-active industry commentator, Mike runs his own board advisory business, delivers executive coaching, and is a partner at The Hayward Partnership and The Aviation Sustainability Forum.

MIKE POOLEY

Expert conclusions

Our thanks go to all those who got involved and voted online. Together you help make these awards the most authentic and accountable in the business. The results of the online votes were collated and fed into the work of the judging panel. Our judges then combined the results of the online vote with their own assessments, made when they met in person as a distinguished panel. At this day-long judging event they also had the chance to see entry samples first hand. They formed a powerful knowledge bank, with a wealth of expertise around the user experience and onboard service practicalities. We thank them for their support and dedication to the often difficult task of identifying the very best products.

With over 30 years' experience, Mike has led a number of prestigious onboard design projects - as former Head of Design at British Airways, as a consultant and now as Brand Experience Director at Acumen Design Associates.

MIKE CRUMP

The Hayward Partnership's experienced founder and managing director, Lance provides management consultancy and interim services to the travel catering and retail sector worldwide.

LANCE HAYWARD

Senior consultant at The Hayward Partnership, Sandra has over 25 years of airline experience, most recently as senior VP customers United.

SANDRA PINEAUBODDISON

Judging day brings together experts with vast experience from around the globe. They work tirelessly with a serious commitment to identify worthy winners every year

Roger has specific expertise in rail catering and is the chair of the International Rail Catering Group. He has 40 years of high-end travel catering experience in over 20 countries.

ROGER WILLIAMS

AIR FRANCE moves its long-haul cabin upmarket with its B777-300 launch concept

Curves&comforts

Air France was determined to create a new travel experience for its guests, designing its latest cabin concept around the passenger, and with the focus on all the latest technology and its maximising sustainability credentials.

The rethink for long haul cabins on the B777300 ER was designed to provide a greater sense of privacy and new features in Business; bigger seats with 124-degree recline in Premium, and new ergonomically-designed, reinforced seatbacks in Economy. Customers in all cabins were given access to Air France Connect the, carrier's connectivity plan, with the option to send and receive messages and access information about flight connections for free. Two additional paid-for connectivity options are also available.

The Air France team worked with all stakeholders including experts in the customer experience, architecture and design, IFE and connectivity, engineering and production, operations and crew, working through multiple supplier workshops to find the best solutions. Whenever possible, Air France chose materials that were lighter, natural or locally sourced.

2023 CABIN CONCEPT AWARD ENTRY

Red acccent detail

Interior design

As customers board the aircraft, they are greeted by a back-lit winged seahorse, embodying the company's founding myth and rich history. The seats’ padding adds softness and makes the cabin feel cosy. Wool, brushed aluminium and full-grain French leather give a soft and natural finish set off by the embroidered detail of the company’s trademark red accent.

The Business seats are cutting-edge reverse herringbone design with significantly more foot room than seen before. The embedded technology includes wireless charging and Bluetooth audio, and ambient lighting is synchronized to dim when the seat reclines. For passengers travelling together, the centre seats include a privacy panel that can be dropped. First row seats have a huge space in front. All long-haul Business cabins will have fully-flat beds by the end of 2023 (90% today).

The seat was designed and assembled in France by Safran and features fabric woven in Germany (Bavaria). Leather features use Carriat (supplied and use by the most famous luxury design houses of France).

The Premium seat was assembled by Recarro

in Germany, and features fabric by Botany, a longtime, high-end expert partner of Air France.

In Economy, the new experience, refined and evolved the established cabin by systematically questioning every detail, every seam, to push up the quality of the product. Light and durable materials were used for the headrest/cover which, as elsewhere, was decorated with the red embroidered detailing.

Comfort

In the Business cabin (48 seats), the airline’s iconic redesigned seat features more enveloping curves and extra comfort. This seat’s design is based on the 3-Fs concept – Full Flat, Full Access and Full Privacy. This means the seat transforms into a real bed almost two-metres long; provides all passengers direct access to the aisle; and ensures optimal privacy. A new sliding door allows passengers to create a totally private space.

In the Premium cabin (48 seats), Air France has introduced its latest recliner-type seat model (already available on its Airbus A350) while further improving comfort and offering 96cm leg-room. The seatback reclines to 124 degrees and has been widened to provide greater privacy.

In the Economy cabin (273 seats), the seats were chosen to meet the highest standards of comfort on the market. Each has a wide 43cm seat pan, a 119-degree recline and 79cm of leg-room. The backrest is ergonomically designed to offer reinforced lateral support.

Technology

By the end of 2023, the entire fleet will be equipped with inflight wifi (97% today). Business seats feature a wide 17.3-inch 4K high-definition anti-glare screen with a noise-reducing headset, a new Bluetooth connection for use with own headphones, and power sockets. In Premium Economy and Economy, the seats have a 13.3inch 4K high-definition screen with the option of a Bluetooth connection, offering over 1,500 hours of on-demand entertainment. In Premium, a noisereducing audio headset is integrated into the seat and there are USB A and C ports. Economy backrests have a USB A port. •

technology includes wireless charging and fully-flat beds by the end of 2023 (90% today).

A new sliding door allows passengers to create a

2023 CABIN CONCEPT AWARD ENTRY

AIR NEW ZEALAND seeks to create the 'best flying experience on earth' with its Manaaki brand promise

Memorable & fresh

Air New Zealand is redefining the onboard customer experience with a focus on the future and its ‘Manaaki –taking care further’ brand promise. The carrier has redesigned its product offer through an innovative FACE programme (Future Aircraft Cabin Experience), tasked to deliver the 'best flying experience on earth'.

After 18 months of customer research, the team identified customer-driven innovations in product and experience to roll out from 2022 on the new B787 aircraft. All are designed to deliver a step change, putting people at the centre of the business and delivering a new level of care across all touchpoints. The team was empowered to think outside the norm and push the boundaries.

The concept is built around a new brand promise of ‘Manaaki – taking care further than any other airline on earth’ and includes new propositions for each cabin: Business Premier – ‘A world apart’; Premium Economy – ‘A little luxury’, and Economy – ‘Cabin of possibility’. Complementing these was a brief "to follow the creative territory of ‘The Land of Flight'", referencing native New Zealand flora and fauna and in particular the tui bird, whose colours and characteristics are reflective of New Zealand.

Cabin of possibility

Catering

All cabins offer a memorable, contemporary new dining experience, sourcing the finest fresh produce from the home nation.

In Business, meals begin with an amuse bouche, raising perceptions; followed by a choice of entrée and opportunities to customise the main meal ie choosing a superfood salad and adding a choice of protein. Breakfast is now a brunch-style offering, including creamy mushrooms, eggs benedict and espresso coffee.

Premium Economy offers entree, main meal and dessert of Business quality on fine china; while in long-haul Economy investment was made to increase the quality of the main meal. In shorthaul, the culinary team developed contemporary café style offerings and high quality bakery items.

The new serviceware collection uses E-Lite ceramics which have the same strength as bone china but weigh less.

The design has organic forms and playful touches. Economy serviceware has moved to sustainable single-use materials - bagasse and birchwood.

Interior design

The tui bird, ferns and native bush inspired the bespoke textures, patterns and colour paletteincluding iridescent teals; pearlescent whites and abstract macro feather patterns. The interiors include unexpected details revealed over time - patterns, textures and fibres that come to life under the curated ambient lighting, and cabin scenes that evolve through a flight. There are playful lavatory laminates and each cabin seat now has it’s own distinct identity.

Service/crew

Post-Covid, Air New Zealand has reset service, shifting crew mindset and actions from minimal contact to a focus on service delivery excellence. Crew were involved in every aspect of the reset with trials, feedback, training and engagement to focus on genuine, human interactions.

Comfort

In response to customer research the airline developed the Skynest concept – a world first innovation that offers a lie-flat rest experience comprising six bunks in Economy (pictured). This will deliver an affordable, restful and unique experience for long-haul in 2024. In Business the core need of sleep is delivered through a new Sleep Ritual service of amenities and supportive IFE.

Technology

A new IFE supplier, delivering on new B787 aircraft from 2024, will allow the airline to develop connected apps and content to support and entertain. Zentertainment will expand and digital menus will tell the stories of the food including via videos. Bluetooth audio will be available across the aircraft to pair with passenger devices. In Business, remote control access and second screens will be added along with ambient lighting features.

CSR

One of the airline’s key metrics for programme success was a reduction of weight while retaining operational durability. The new serviceware is 20% lighter and 28 million SUP items were replaced with bagasse and birchwood items. New blankets are a modacrylic and new pillowcases 100% RPT. •

2023 CABIN CONCEPT AWARD ENTRY

ALASKA

Cheers!

Alaska Airlines has become the first American airline to switch to paper cups, redesigning its service to remove more than 55 million plastic cups from onboard use each year. It is committed to building cabin concepts that support its core value: 'do the right thing'. In making the change and chosing paper cups, the airline also committed to ensuring the paper used for those cups was sustainably sourced, so all paper used is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Catering

All beverages served inflight are now served in Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper cups in the main cabin, and in reusable glassware for First Class services.

This step has eliminated all single-use plastic cups onboard and removed 55 million plastic cups annually from the service which the airline calculates has cut onboard weight by the equivalent of 24 Boeing 737 aircraft through the course of the year.

The move follows growing concerns around the use of single-use plastic because of its links to fossil fuels, landfill waste and pollution to

AIRLINES leads the way in cutting 55 million plastic cups from its onboard service

forChange good

waterways and natural spaces.

The change was designed to help the planet while also providing a positive experience for guests, allowing them to travel with greater peace of mind, seeing clearly that the onboard service of their flight was not contributing to the global single-use plastics problem.

the communities it serves and is focused on care: caring for the guests, caring for the employees, and caring for the planet.

In 2021, the carrier published aggressive goals on the environment, social impact and governance with the intention of getting to net zero carbon emissions by 2040. These goals included the replacement of the top five sources of onboard waste by 2025, one of which was plastic cups. The team began the process of eliminating the five largest sources of plastic waste in 2018 by removing plastic straws and stir sticks from inflight service – a first for any airline at the time.

In 2021, progress continued with the elimination of inflight plastic water bottles when the airline replaced these with Boxed Water, another first for airlines. Boxed Water cartons are made from renewable FSC certified paper, 92% of which is plant-based, saving an estimated 1.8 million pounds of single-use plastics on Alaska Airlines' flights annually.

The airline plans to continue this progress and remove other high-use components containing plastic over the next two years.

Going further

cup, the airline looked for constraints, had the ability

In selecting the new onboard cup, the airline looked for a plastic alternative that was lightweight, fitted its very specific galley space constraints, had the ability to nest within each other, and could withstand many different types of liquid, including alcohol (up to 45% ABV), without deterioration of the interior wall.

In addition, the team prioritised certified components.

The airline prides itself on supporting healthy ecosystems in

The team says: “Being the first airline to make a change is never easy. Any change requires broad collaboration with supply chain and inflight teams to ensure operational execution is possible. While the travel industry is a large contributor to carbon emissions, there are steps that can be taken to reduce the impact while still exploring our world.

"Many of our guests are actively looking to reduce their use of single-use plastics so by eliminating these plastic cups inflight we're extending our guests on-the-ground habits to the inflight experience as well as giving them great peace of mind.

“In 2021, Alaska established climate goals for its impacts in carbon, waste and water while defining a five-part pathway to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040 to keep the places we live and fly to beautiful and viable for generations to come. These decisions are in line with our core value of 'doing the right thing'.” •

AUSTRIAN AIRLINES brings its distinctive local cuisine onboard with its new Tastefully Austrian concept

Authentic Viennese

The Tastefully Austrian service and menu concept was designed for passengers on continental flights in response to their need, wishes and demands. Austria’s capital, Vienna, is the only city in the world to give its name to a distinct style of food, Viennese cuisine. The first Viennese cookbook was printed as early as 1768 and to this day, Austrian cuisine remains a key part of the nation’s culture.

Austrian Airlines is now bringing a piece of this Austrian tradition to the skies in an authentic and contemporary way.

Viennese cuisine is the focus of the menu concept and includes seasonal elements changed weekly in eight cycles to ensure variety for even frequent flyers. The regional, fresh and artfully presented food is adapted in different levels depending on the flight, time of day and route. The new concept aims to also cut waste and single-use plastics.

Catering

The catering concept combines individuality, culinary experience and Austria’s contemporary and authentic style. In Service Level A, the ‘one move service’, the packaging means passengers can eat at once or take-away. Service Level B is a

in specially developed packaging. Passengers can decide spontaneously when they would like to eat their fresh muesli or a handmade sandwich filled, for example, with cheddar cheese, tomato and onion chutney or smoked salmon and rocket.

On the longer routes, cold or hot dishes are offered according to the length of flight. For breakfast perhaps a poached organic egg or raspberry pancakes; later in the day, hand-cut leg ham may be offered with fresh horseradish, or inspiring poke bowls, a classic beef goulash or juicy salmon fillet with a mountain of lentils.

The diverse desserts come from the houses of K. u. K. Hofzuckerbäckerei Demel and DO&CO. Among them are Sachertorte, panna cotta coffee, apple strudel or K. u. K. Hofzuckerbäckerei Demel's raspberry yogurt tartlet.

Regional & seasonal

personalised to suit passenger tastes or

significant upgrade. It includes cold dishes, colourful breakfast bowls, delicious desserts and gourmet hot dishes. Service Level C offers international dishes outbound and classic, Austrian dishes inbound. And Service Level D brings restaurant flair onboard with a dip and bread trio plus warm pastries. Dishes can be personalised to suit passenger tastes or served as individual items.

The offer is adapted to the changing demands of passengers taking account of trends and issues such as sustainability, health priorities and lifestyle choices. The dishes are easy to understand, colourful, high-quality, fresh, seasonal and regional. The concept aims to combine tradition, craftsmanship and modern elements into a coherent passenger experience.

Selected fresh, regional and colourful ingredients and products of high quality are used throughout.

Bread and pastry culture is given new attention on medium-haul flights where the bread trio is served in its own basket alongside highlights of Viennese pastry cuisine.

On the shortest flights, ‘hand pastries’ are offered

On medium-haul flights, guests are offered a twostep concept. The two-course menu with bread trio and a light spread is reminiscent of elegant restaurant dining and can be personalised. Main courses include the classic Viennese tafelspitz or traditional schlutzkrapfen followed by Austrian apple strudel or Kaiserschmarrn.

CSR

Sustainability is an important part of Austrian Airlines corporate philosophy and the airline is committed to ensuring its contractual partners also live up to its ideals. In collaboration with its partners, it is customising each departure to take account of regional supply and freshness, and as a result 80% of the food processed by DO&CO comes from local suppliers. In this way, the airline is directly supporting local communities while helping to reduce emissions in a natural way.

Service/Crew

The Tastefully Austrian concept, created in partnership with DO&CO and K. u. K. Hofzuckerbäckerei Demel, is designed to give guests a wonderful, relaxed and satisfying flying experience that shows Austrian cuisine can be sophisticated and down-to-earth at the same time. It is delivered by crew renowned for their natural friendliness and charm. Tailoring the offer by flight ensures it is easily prepared and served with love and care by the crew. •

CANADA JETLINES

has debuted in Canada on a mission to be the best leisure airline in North America

Bright & bold

The launch brief was simple, to put the customer experience at the forefront of everything and create a bold, instantlyrecognisable brand that would stand out against the competition and give the airline a distinct personality.

This was achieved through striking, bright livery colours and the development of Frank –a character/logo who would engage in ‘frank conversation and speak honestly’ to the market. Designed as a smile in the sky, Frank is found on seats, trolleys, products and the aircraft exterior. The branding was to be forward thinking, fun and creative, they wanted customers to come to love Frank, and for Canada Jetlines to be established as the value-based leisure airline of the region, delivering a consistent experience built around comfort, convenience and leisure, as well as safety and security.

All Jetlines’ employees were encouraged to feel a sense of ownership and pride in the product and positioning. From maintenance departments and inflight service, to onboard product, sales and marketing and airport staff, all would work hand in hand to ensure positive brand promotion - always connected through Frank.

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The smile in the sky

Comfort

Comfort was seen as critical from the start. The team recognised that seat pitch and comfort was a high priority to its target customer. The Canada Jetlines Airbus A320 was therefore the first in North America to be equipped with the slimline Recaro 3530 seats, and a deliberate decision was made to reduce the number of seats from 180 to 174 to provide additional leg room and seat pitch. The chosen seat fabric was charcoal E-leather for its durable, breathability and resistance to wear.

aircraft livery featuring signature primary colours, orange, blue and white, and used these elements throughout the cabin. The charcoal grey E-leather of the seats was set off with a vivid orange headrest to highlight the premium seating. The Recaro seats were ergonomically designed to offer a recline of eight inches and a seat pitch of up to 36. Each seat had a power source and illuminated USB port. Branded curtains separate the cabin from galleys.

Service/Crew

Cabin crew recruitment focused on candidates who aligned with the airline’s vision to offer a consistent, genuine and outstanding service. The airline saw every customer touchpoint as an opportunity to deliver exceptional service, including through the Frank's Cafe service.

During each flight, the cabin crew pass through the cabin offering choices from Frank’s Café, the airline's new menu range. The offer is served from bespoke orange service carts which clearly identify the brand and inject a sense of leisure and fun to the cabin environment. Crew deliver a polished customer-focused service, and many items offered are one-of-a-kind products offered exclusively on Canada Jetlines.

The carrier is proactively developing a customer service training initiative for all front-line staff including its pilots, flight attendants, check-in agents, maintenance staff, call centre and catering teams to ensure a consistent level of service, language and genuine hospitality from the start to the end of the customer’s journey.

This material is also easy to clean so it supported the goal of maintaining hygiene and cleanliness on aircraft to the highest levels. In addition to its physical benefits, this material also had aesthetics that would add to the customer experience. The use of rich textures and sleek lines was designed to bring an element of luxury to the cabin environment – comfortable and relaxed.

This material is also easy to clean so had aesthetics that would add to the textures and sleek lines was designed to environment – comfortable and relaxed.

Interior design

The team wanted to create a fantastic first impression so choose a bold

Technology

Passengers receive a complimentary wireless IFE streaming service using Moment’s technology. The Flymingo Boxes deliver easy and convenient connections accessed via a QR code on the menu. Flight attendants have been issued iPads to support personalised service.

CSR

The light-weight Recaro seat (10 kg) and Egret trolleys were selected to cut weight and CO2 emissions, and a collaboration with ClearSky Global prioritises low-emission jet fuel. •

A330neo

Feel-good atmosphere

Condor is championing a new era of cabin design, created to provide a lounge-like atmosphere with maximum comfort above the clouds. The airline received its first A330neo in December 2022 and with it came the carrier’s determination to create an 'extraordinary' concept for its aircraft cabin interior design.

Condor wanted to create a more relaxed environment with the focus on a new feeling of comfort and more feel-good factors. It wanted to bring the stripes of its unique corporate identity, used on the outside of the aircraft, inside, and reflect its promotional campaigns in the cabin too, in a smooth way using more muted colours. The idea behind the new cabin concept was to create an atmosphere of wellbeing and the feel of a cosy living room. This was done through the use of a darker seat colour and wallpaper design. The cabin colour is a consistent marina blue throughout, complementing dark wood décor and leather in Business Class. The plan is to roll out this style out across the whole Condor longhaul fleet by 2024.

The stripes within the corporate identity were brought into the interior on the back walls, within

CONDOR is bringing its exterior branding into the cabin for loungelike comfort on its new

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the seat styling and on accessories, while the living room feeling was consistently restated through the use of the blues. Bringing the exterior design inside is an innovation which Condor believes it has delivered in an elegant and relaxed way.

brand panel has the new shape of a column, which also fits perfectly with the stripes. For optimal light conditions and a feel-good atmosphere, the cabin features mood lighting that can be individually adjusted for all classes to suit the time of day. This helps guests fall asleep easily and wake up more relaxed.

time that an airline has so consistently

The team believes this is the first time that an airline has so consistently brought a living room and feel-good atmosphere into the aircraft and has dared to bring so much dark colour into the cabin, from seat covers to wallpaper, carpets and curtain fabrics. The unique stripes have been incorporated in a subtle way, creating special decorative effects.

Interior Design

Visually, the new cabin product impresses with a stylish colour concept that focuses on the colours ‘Condor Marina’ and ‘Condor Earth’ as well as the subtle stripes as a recurring element.

This element includes a striped badge on every seat as well as uniformly striped headrest covers in Business and Premium Economy Class. The

Comfort

Thanks to the 1-2-1 seat configuration in Business Class, each seat has direct access to the aisle, giving passengers maximum privacy from their neighbour.

Improvements in seating give passengers a 180 degree lie-flat bed with 199cm length, plus enhancements to the surrounding living space and footwell. The new design aims to make the stay onboard something special and increase the anticipation of travelling with Condor.

In Premium Economy there is also increased legroom, with 89cm seat pitch – almost six inches more seat pitch than in Economy Class.

There is a net storage space with an extra bottle holder in both Premium Economy Class and Economy Class, a cocktail table, device holder, generous storage area and coat hooks. •

Livery stripes now onboard

ETIHAD AIRWAYS shows sustainability and style can go hand in hand for its new A350 cabin concept

Armani designs

Etihad Airways has launched a thoughtful, holistic and ‘best-in-class’ approach to its guest experience, designed to set its new A350 experience apart. The concept highlights how sustainability and style can go hand in hand.

The A350 fleet is one of the most sustainable flying – with 25% more fuel-efficient engines –and the design team was tasked with creating an elevated inflight experience to match. an elev

The goal was to design ‘remarkably thoughtful experiences’ inspired by Emirati hospitality while improving service efficiencies but continuing to lead in sustainability and quality.

For this Etihad partnered with global fashion brand Armani/Casa to bring stylish but lighter tableware onboard, and worked with Buzz Products for reusability, waste reduction, and closed looped recycling solutions for the Economy equipment.

Interior Design

The cabin interior has been inspired by the Abu Dhabi landscapes and starts with a signature welcome zone that uses dark wood panelling to hide the trolleys.

Business Class has a sophisticated style

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Emirati tones in Business for the new fleet

with touches of gold, stone, rich brown leather and soft textiles. It has 44 direct-aisle access suites with sliding privacy doors and a fully lie-flat 79-inch seat with ample storage. There is a large adjustable bi-folding table and integrated headphone hook. The signature sconce lighting projects palm frond shadows on the entrance and lavatory wall, where a mosaic motif and full-length mirror add style.

The 327 Economy seats feature ‘fixed-wing' headrests for support, bi-fold tables and net storage. The chocolate leather headrest and charcoal fabric create a contemporary feel. There are five rows of Economy Space seats with extra legroom.

Technology

Noise-cancelling headphones and an 18.5-inch TV screen in Business, and a 13.3-inch touchscreen TV in Economy provide access to the extensive IFE. Bluetooth technology allows guests to use their own devices, and in Business seats include a built-in wireless charging port and multiple charging sockets. Mobile and wifi connectivity is available throughout the aircraft. The cabin lighting emulates natural ambient light to provide an optimum environment for sleeping

and reduced jetlag. This is supported by the new dark-mode interface on the E-Box IFE.

The A350 offers the quietest wide-body aircraft cabin and also features dedicated prayer areas with privacy curtains and prayer timings and direction information are available.

Catering

The redesigned menus feature familiar favourites, UAE specials and flavours from the Etihad routes, all presented on new tableware. The beverage offering has been upgraded and expanded.

In Business the collaboration with celebrated designer Giorgio Armani and Armani/Casa brings refined silhouettes and elevated contemporary finishes, materials and embossed patterns, with the the designer evident in the cutlery, cruet, stirrers. In Economy, the reusable tray, platter, casseroles, bowls and their lids feature signature Etihad facets. Stainless-steel cutlery is wrapped in premium napkins and bespoke bamboo stirrers cut SUP use.

Comfort

The Armani/Casa collaboration brings the premium textiles to the Business turn-down service with a 20% larger pillow, matching pillowcase and duvet set and a new innovative memory foam mattress which is designed as a dress cushion for when it is not in use, to save storage.

The Economy upgrade includes new soft furnishings featuring a 35% larger pillow in a reusable soft fabric cover, complemented by a soft fleece blanket made from recycled plastic bottles.

CSR

Etihad’s first A350-1000 aircraft, named Sustainability50, stresses Etihad's commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

It is part of a programme running with Airbus and Rolls-Royce since 2021 which uses Etihad A350s to test new eco initiatives, building on the similar Greenliner programme for the Boeing B787s aircraft experience and enhancements.

The new Business tableware reduces equipment weight by up to 10% and is locally sourced.

The Economy equipment eliminates SUPs and will be part of a closed-loop, local sourcing and recycling programme within the UAE. •

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The goal of the Carefree Value Concept is to offer guests a stress-free experience from the moment they start looking for a flight until their arrival at the destination. The team wanted to tailor and enhance the onboard offer according to key needs expressed by its customers: flexibility, comfort and sustainability.

The concept team put its focus on people and the united love of travel. Research showed passengers wanted to feel free, broaden their horizons, explore and leave the everyday behind for a while. Yet many felt more tense than free when travelling, so Eurowings set itself the goal of making every journey smooth and relaxed.

They used direct customer and crew feedback to transform the product offered, differentiating it from the competition by focusing on products and service concepts along the entire journey and making its crew brand ambassadors responsible for consistent and memorable moments onboard.

Using real-time data from various sources, Eurowings measured, evaluated and predicted increasing customer satisfaction for every touchpoint. It based its holistic Value Concept on these in-depth customer insights.

The guest experience was elevated and improved

EUROWINGS is on a mission to position itself as the leading European ‘value’ airline for carefree travel

Stress-free & sustainable

through specific hospitality training. The Value Concept was woven into every product/service and interaction. Beyond just tracking long-term metrics like NPS, the emphasis was also on understanding and responding to more near-term changes that could be made to enhance service.

Technology

Eurowings set ambitious targets in customer satisfaction and NPSs. New insight reports now consolidate various sources of feedback used across the entire company. With the data gathered, Eurowings can challenge and align customer experience initiatives and identify new specific needs. The dashboards use powerful tools that provide real-time customer data, facilitating immediate improvement in KPIs such as customer satisfaction, overall spend and loyalty.

overall spend and loyalty.

Catering

Eurowings launched a new buy-onboard catering concept in November 2021. This featured a ‘New way of Life’ range that combined sustainable

products, those with local provenance and commercially-strong items, to increase the overall passenger spend. Reduction of food waste and SUP use was prioritised, and socially-responsible partners were identified. The insights showed the concept was positively received.

Interior Design

With the introduction of the new A320 and A321 Neo, adjustable lighting was available to set the mood and bring Eurowings’ signature burgundy into the cabin to set a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. Boarding music was composed to create a calm welcome that would awaken the holiday feeling in travellers. Announcements were revised using a new tonality for a dedicated ‘Voice of Eurowings’.

Service/Crew

Eurowings introduced a ‘Supportive Friend Masterclass’, a dedicated hospitality training programme for cabin crew in partnership with experts, MGI Learning. Cabin crew explored the company’s value strategy and were introduced to a special customer service toolkit to improve their handling of all requests and situations.

A new format of crew engagement and co-creation was established. The ‘Voice Of Crew’ expert group was launched in January 2023, with representatives from all Eurowings’ bases working together to improve the onboard experience.

CSR

Eurowings is investing in its target to become net CO2 neutral on the ground by 2030 and in the air by 2050. Key to this are the 13 new Airbus A320neo and A321neo which contribute to 50% less noise emissions, 15% less fuel consumption and 15% less CO2 emissions. Passengers are also encouraged to reduce and compensate their carbon emissions. The carrier is also investing in sustainable aviation fuel and off-setting. Onboard, only biodegradable cellulose packaging is used for sandwiches, and AI is helping cut waste by better predicting demand. Initiatives such as ‘Bring your own cup’ and ‘Happy Hour’ discounts for fresh food on the last flights each day further help to cut food waste. •

Iberia has used the arrival of its A350Next aircraft as an opportunity to make qualitative improvements in customer service. The team set 2022 as the year of recovery and a year in which to significantly improve product and service in all cabins. A lot of research was undertaken prior to launch and this showed customers believe comfort, technology and sustainability should be the priorities for next-gen aircraft. These became the three main drivers for the new A350 cabin to ensure the aircraft aligned with expectations. Numerous innovations were part of the design with the focus always on comfort, privacy, spaciousness, technology and efficiency. Aircraft weight was significantly reduced and the improvements in the IFE NEXT entertainment system are said to be game changing.

CSR

As the launch customer for this new Airbus standard, Iberia was able to take advantage of upgrades which ensure great operational benefits. This aircraft is equipped with the latest technology and is designed to fly with maximum efficiency. It was built with the most sustainable materials on the market, cutting total aircraft weight by one ton. Specifically, it includes lowspeed improvements as new flap positions allow

IBERIA has used its A350 launch to create a step change in customer experience for all cabins

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Neat touches

the pilot to select the optimal configuration for each take-off; and the retraction of the landing gear is faster which allows the aircraft to become fully aerodynamic faster.

The weight of the empty aircraft in the factory has been reduced through structural improvements and lighter equipment, which significantly improves operational performance even at the most demanding airports.

The bathrooms feature contactless taps and the surfaces are made with antibacterial materials that improve the hygiene of these spaces.

Comfort

The new standard is also good for comfort. The cabin is wider and has greater comfort and better features built into all of the three classes –Economy, Premium Economy and Business – adding privacy and space, with seats supplied by Recaro.

Comfort driven innovation

headrest and additional storage. The seat lies fully-flat and is 5cm longer than previously. The Premium Economy seats now offer more privacy thanks to the addition of ‘wings’ to the headrest. These fold and adjust on both sides for greater comfort. In Economy, the wider cabin has allowed Iberia to increase the width of each seat by one centimetre while still maintaining the same number of seats per row. The headrests here are now articulated and adjustable as in the other cabins. Below the IFE screens, the seats incorporate a stand to hold and charge passengers' personal devices.

Interior design

All the interior design details were developed with comfort and warmth in mind. Iberia has incorporated wood finishing into the Business class seats, and unique textiles plus leather elements in all classes. The goal was to create an inviting onboard atmosphere with a warm welcome for a comforting experience. In Business the number of each seat is projected on the aisle floor to make them easier to find in the dark and overhead bins in the central part of the cabin have been removed to enhance the sense of space.

Technology

A Business innovation is the freestanding door that delimits an enclosed seating structure where the customer has more personal space. All seats in this cabin have direct access to the aisle and the central ones – known as honeymoon seats – have an automatic divider. Each seat has an articulated leather

the central ones – known as honeymoon

The new IFE Next system has been developed in collaboration with Panasonic. It incorporates a more modern, interactive and intuitive design and uses the most advanced technology. The screens offer 4K resolution and incorporate night lighting. Screens are larger in both Premium Economy (now 13-inch) and Economy (now 12-inch). The Business and Premium Economy seats have a second screen that shares crew messages without pausing the content. They include a remote control for inflight entertainment with a touchable navigation panel and specific gaming functions. Connection via Bluetooth to personal headphones is possible in all cabins. In Business and Premium Economy cabins, noise-cancelling headsets are still provided. •

KLM rolls out a newlydesigned product and service concept for its new Premium Comfort Class

High-end & sustainable

The new KLM Premium Comfort Class has been designed with the focus on passenger experience and sustainability across the entire dedicated cabin. Positioned between World Business and Economy, the new class focuses not on improved product but on an improved end-to-end experience. It has been crafted to provide premium touches throughout the journey and is offered on KLM's intercontinental flights.

The new class targets both leisure and business travellers with improved space, privacy and plenty of added comforts in a dedicated cabin, at a competitive price.

The experience begins at the airport with a larger baggage allowance than for Economy passengers and with SkyPriority's fly-through-the-airport services to help passengers get onboard sooner.

Once onboard, they are seated in a quiet and dedicated cabin comprised of three to four rows of seats for 21-28 people. These feature extra wide and redesigned seats with a 97cm/38-inch pitch and 20cm/8-inch recline. Each has a personal 13.3-inch entertainment screen, noise-cancelling headset plus USB-A/C and 110 V power outlets.

Key to the concept was a design that combined

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New wider backrests

very sustainable credentials and high-end offerings for every element of the cabin.

Interior design

The new Premium Comfort Class seats were designed in collaboration with Collins Aerospace, with special attention to a new backrest which is wider (for more privacy and comfort) and looks modern and appealing.

The seats are also lighter than previous models, supporting the sustainability goal. They include a leg rest and were designed in-house in line with KLM’s brand style.

Catering

Passengers are served a high-end and distinctive catering concept with a choice of three meals, selected wines and liqueurs. Catering items are either reusable (special cutlery, bowls and plates made of light-weight polypropylene) or, if not reusable, made of recycled PEF. All items were assessed in terms of circularity and weight without compromising on aesthetics. The cutlery chosen is of a light-weight stainless steel, glasses

are light-weight and the tableware is rotable. The meal trays are made of polypropylane which can be recycled to create new trays (closed loop).

Lids used on hot meal dishes are made of bagasse, while any plastic lids are made of recycled plastic. Waste systems ensure onboard recycling processes.

The menus are mainly dishes already popular in Business with a choice of meat, fish or vegetarian followed by coffee, tea, a liqueur and ice cream. Between meals, there are snacks and cocktails. There is also an extensive complimentary beverage range available.

Comfort

Passengers receive a sustainable amenity kit made from recycled plastic and KLM is working with REPREVE® Our Ocean® to give 130,000 plastic bottles that wash up on beaches every year a new life onboard. The bag can be reused postflight. Contents include an eye mask made from recycled plastic and earplugs wrapped in paper not plastic, Happy Tabs toothpaste tablets and a bamboo toothbrush by Bamboovement. The pen is made from wheat straw, an agricultural residue. A business standard blanket and pillow with cotton pillowcase are also provided.

Service/Crew

The crew has been specifically trained on KLM's vision for this new class. Online training gave background information about choices made for tableware, design, sustainability, passenger profile and service schedule. All services have been filmed and are available for crew to view in their app if they need futher clarification. Working methods are detailed in the MyFlight app on their iPads to support consistent service levels. A lower passenger-crew ratio is boarded (compared to Economy) to facilitate a more personal approach to Premium Comfort passengers.

Technology

Noise-cancelling headsets are provided to passengers using the 13.3-inch entertainment screen, and there are USB, USBC and 110V power outlets so they can charge their own devices. Wi-fi connectivity is available for free messaging. •

more privacy and comfort) and looks

sustainability goal. They include a leg

MALAYSIA AIRLINES showcases its rich cultural heritage across its new B737 onboard service concept

Malaysia Airlines prides itself on promoting and showcasing its rich cultural heritage across all elements of its inflight services. For the B737-800NG cabin concept, it was determined to celebrate Malaysian culture and style while creating a sophisticated and tranquil cabin environment and unique passenger experience. The goal was to create an experience that immersed passengers in a world of serene elegance and cultural richness while also incorporating new technology and sustainability into every aspect of the journey. The vision was to meet the expectations of today's travellers and position Malaysia Airlines as a leader in sustainable and culturally-rich air travel. This concept thinking was applied to multiple elements of the cabin design, with each element contributing to the overall vision. The design needed to align with the established brand identity and appeal to discerning travellers seeking an elevated travel experience both in terms of comfort and aesthetic appeal. It needed to embody the essence of Malaysian hospitality and culture while embedding all modern passenger conveniences, technology and best practice.

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Comfort & convenience

Interior design

The new B737-NG aircraft interiors were designed with serenity and elegance in mind, creating a visually stunning and culturally rich environment. The goal was to transport passengers into a tranquil and relaxed world from the moment they stepped onboard. The trademark blue colour of Malaysia Airlines flows seamlessly throughout the cabin, setting a relaxed mood; while the batik motif debossed on the seat upholstery adds to the aesthetic appeal, highlights the local influences and brings the cultural richness of Malaysia into every nook and cranny of the cabin.

Service/Crew

The cabin crew's iconic kebaya uniforms were intricately designed and used traditional batik fabric to create a stunning representation of Malaysia's unique identity.

They were designed to be a true work of art that would set the carrier apart from other airlines and reflect its commitment to its home nation.

In a clever showcase of Malaysian performing arts talent, the cabin features in a new safety video which combines the enchanting Malaysian performing arts and culture with key aviation safety advice in an informative yet captivating way. The goal is to showcase Malaysian talents and identity in a unique and engaging way.

Catering

The inflight catering menu features Malaysian delicacies and signature dishes representing the best of Malaysian cuisine. The menus showcase the country's diverse culinary heritage and embody the essence of Malaysian hospitality. F&B product packaging supports the brand, adding an elegant cultural touch to the dining experience. The use of sustainable and eco-friendly materials further emphasises the airline's commitment to environmentally-conscious practices.

Technology

The wireless IFE system, MHstudio, offers over 500 on-demand entertainment options and personalised shopping experiences. Each seat also features individual charging ports (USB type-A and type-C), ensuring that the passengers’ personal devices remain fully charged throughout their flight. It is hoped this allows them to sit back, relax and indulge in a personalised entertainment experience that makes them feel truly pampered.

CSR

Malaysia Airlines is committed to reducing its environmental impact, and sustainable practices were prioritised for this cabin concept so they could be integrated into the cabin design.

For example, the B737-800 NG cabin refresh introduced lighter seats and wireless inflight entertainment. The subsequent reduction in the aircraft weight is resulting in lower fuel consumption and a smaller carbon footprint.

Up to 89.1% of the material used in the seats was also recyclable to minimise waste. The transition from seatback IFE to wireless IFE has made the seats considerably leaner and lighter, providing passengers with a more personalised and convenient entertainment experience while also being more sustainable. •

QATAR AIRWAYS took the FIFA World Cup tournament onboard with a celebratory inflight service

Branded touches

Qatar Airways has claimed a world first by fully integrating the 2022 FIFA World Cup into its inflight journey as it supported the build up and delivery of the Qatar-hosted international football tournament.

The airline was extremely proud when its home nation became the first Arab country to host the tournament and, as the official airline, wanted to integrate that pride into the inflight customer experience. This was the first and biggest world event since COVID-19, which added to the sense that it was a special moment for travellers.

The goal was to build an experience that would be remembered by all through the rebranding of products, incorporating stadium experiences into new dining concepts, redefining technology onboard and delivering new levels of service.

As the world emerged from the pandemic, people were ready for some joy and, as the tournament approached, every Qatar Airways flight became a celebration – customers danced and chanted as they entered to the FIFA-themed boarding music!

The cabin dressing was FIFA themed and crew went through specially-curated FIFA training so they knew all about the tournament and could help with passenger queries.

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Catering

football-related sports content options, live FIFA games, the FIFA+ channel, football Spotify playlists and Hollywood and Bollywood football content. One of the highlights of the onboard Oryx One inflight FIFA experience was an opportunity to view an exclusive interview conducted with the FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Fans were also introduced to the host city through Visit Qatar football videos that highlighted favourite tourist spots in the country; a football video shot at the award-winning Hamad International Airport, and an acclaimed safety video featuring the muchloved FIFA Mascot, La’eeb. Limited-edition noise cancellation headsets were co-branded with the FIFA logo in premium cabins, whilst Economy passengers received colourful headsets in the FIFA 2022 brand colours. Live TV enabled customers to connect their devices and watch their favourite matches or other sport via the Sports 24 channel.

Comfort

Passsengers in First and Business Class were seated in cabins adorned with FIFA co-branded antimacassar and message pillows carrying special football-inspired slogans. A bespoke range of amenity kits in faux leather incorporated key FIFA visual elements. They were tailored to accommodate match-day essentials in the form of a body bag for men and a cross-body bag for women, as a souvenir keepsake.

burgers and half-time platters

Catering innovations were featured on a FIFA-themed menu. In First and Business, a range of FIFA-inspired matchtime favourites complemented the customary fine-dining experience. Dishes included burgers and half-time platters inspired by ingredients native to the participating countries such as American cheeseburgers, Brazilian burgers and Canadian burgers, while the dessert selection of Golden Chocolate Spheres revealed fillings tailored to each region. There were stadium snacks and coasters, and the cocktail napkins had FIFA co-branding to reinforce the celebrations.

In Economy match-time snacks included pizzas and sausage rolls presented to passengers in colourfully-designed FIFA-themed packaging. Desserts were garnished with signature chocolate footballs to bring the tournament to the table.

Technology

On the IFE system, the airline celebrated the FIFA season with exclusive FIFA content including 189

Guests were presented with football jerseyinspired FIFA co-branded loungewear with the FIFA logo and Qatar Airways on the front and ‘Qatar 22’ on the back. The bespoke loungewear was packed in drawstring bags made from rPET material. Economy Class passengers found pillowcases and headrest covers carried special messages; they also received vibrant FIFA-branded headphones and amenities to add surprise to their experience.

Children were given a taste of the tournament through the ORYX Kids Club range of FIFA-themed products to get them interested in the game. Young fans received a football-themed young traveller pack and plush toys to keep them entertained. Never has any airline integrated the tournament so firmly throughout the inflight journey.

Passengers experienced a flight like no other, making memories that will last a lifetime. •

FIFA celebrations came onboard

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Authentic cultural upgrades for ROYAL AIR MAROC as it rebuilds and differentiates its offer

Culturally authentic

Royal Air Maroc made significant efforts to launch new initiatives in 2022 to enhance its offer and support the passengers’ return to travel post-COVID. It undertook an organisational transformation designed to support its development and growth in three key areas: commercial, customer experience and transformation. The reorganisation was based on a ‘customer-centric’ approach to the entire customer experience and included the launch of a new brand platform to embody the best of Moroccan and African leadership and the airline’s pride in its roots. Key projects have included new uniforms, new inflight catering and newly-designed cabin interiors, all introduced to provide customers with a unique and authentic experience. The goal was to showcase the cultural richness of Morocco and its continent, and provide a sense of pride in this heritage for both its staff and customers.

By focusing on cultural authenticity and customercentric initiatives, the airline aims to successfully differentiate itself from competitors while also providing passengers with an improved travel experience that showcases its values.

Bright & harmonious

Service/crew

New uniforms for ground and flight crew feature traditional Moroccan patterns and colours and are designed to reflect the airline's commitment to its Moroccan culture and heritage. They are a new visual signature for the airline; chic and elegant to convey the brand's culturally authentic values: reliability, proximity, optimism and ambition. By wearing them, the staff express with one voice: "We are proud and we wear what we are. We are Moroccans and Africans, faithful to our cultures, living in our time". The uniforms are part of a professional welcome, reflecting the commitment to high-quality customer service. They feature the brands new amethyst signature colour, also used onboard aircraft and in airport signage.

Catering

Similarly, the new catering was inspired by Moroccan cuisine, offering a diverse range of flavours. In Business, an à la carte service is a qualitative leap in long-haul service standards. The 'All Day' section of the menu gives access

to hot or cold snacks throughout the flight and new Moroccan products with branded packaging include roasted almonds and mixed dry fruits, salted cookies, pure honey for breakfasts, chocolate squares with coffee, tchaba teas and infusions, coffee capsules in Business and quality coffee in Economy. Lemonade with fresh mint is the new welcome drink and there is a new service of mint tea and Moroccan cakes.

An orange blossom scented refreshing towel is also offered. In Economy passengers have new sandwich options, muffins and yogurt boxes on short-haul flights and hot meals on medium and long haul flights. A white fish, salmon and a third vegetarian choice have been added.

Interior design

The new cabin interiors are brighter and provide a more harmonious atmosphere, drawing on local themes such as traditional Moroccan tiling.

The trims now feature the amethyst of the new uniforms, chosen as a colour evocative of refinement, calm and serenity.

The design of the embossed leather seats recalls Moroccan craftsmanship and the Kingdom's prestigious leather heritage, while mosaic chevrons – so specific to local culture – were chosen for the walls, carpets and seatbacks. The seats have been upgraded to add comfort and more user-friendly features. Ambient lighting adds atmosphere. In Business Class, upgrades aim to match or surpass the best for comfort and service, offering privacy and tranquility. Seats can be converted to a bed and personal lighting is all fully adjustable.

Comfort

Products chosen for Business are designed to make this one of the most privileged travel experiences in the air. Presented in an elegant hand-woven linen pouch, high-quality Moroccan toiletries and comfort products include 100% natural care products, socks, and eye mask.

Technology

The IFE has been enriched and includes a new Sustainable Development Channel highlighting initiatives towards carbon neutrality by 2050. It now includes seated yoga to support inflight wellbeing. •

Tactile touches

2023 CABIN CONCEPT AWARD ENTRY

Developed from the belief that customers really value human connection, the goal in designing the new cabins was to provide physical spaces that would facilitate in-person connection inflight while also building connectivity and technology to enhance service and enable interactions with loved ones at home. The new cabin reflects Virgin Atlantic’s determination to never stand still. The social space is especially unusual on a single deck aircraft and is a key differentiator for the carrier. The A330neo is a symbol of a continuing evolution, developed nose to tail in an holistic manner as an engaging, seamless experience that customers will love for many years to come.

Catering

The A330neo cabin includes a new self-service offer in the Upper Class cabin with two freelyavailable fridge/freezers and a drinks dispenser. This is in addition to the meal service and represents a step change for F&B service. The units, known as tri-mode chillers, have three functions for service flexibility: fridge, freezer and chiller. The products offered include ice cream and chilled drinks.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC upgrades the inflight offer to a premium, personalised service on its new-look A330neo

Helpfridges!yourself

Comfort

A new Upper Class ‘sleep sheet’ has been designed to remain secure for use during taxi, take-off and landing. An extremely simple but effective idea to make transition from seat to bed easier. Amenity kits are now sustainable, using recyclable Kraft paper, and feature REN Clean Skincare products.

Interior design

The A330neo has evolved The Loft, the awardwinning A350 social space, to create an iconic space for customer connection and engagement with crew. There’s space for eight people and four comfy seats. There are two 27" touchscreen screens which curate an engaging digital experience, plus extensive power outlets alongside the chillers. The Retreat Suite is the carrier’s most spacious suite yet with 6’7” fully-flat beds, two exclusive front seats with lots of extra space and storage, plus 27" touchscreen monitors, wireless charging and a ‘do not disturb’ privacy feature. Throughout the cabins there are rich, tactile fabrics in warm, signature colours. The finish has moved away from natural leather in favour of a 50% lighter material made without animal products. Inspired by the horizon line seen

through the window, the seats have a bespoke aesthetic known as New Horizon with carefully stitched lines and contours. This aesthetic flows through all cabins and mood-lighting changes through the journey.

Service/Crew

The new aircraft each have a special identity pairing their names with their registration, and icons dress the aircraft nose. The names are inspired by Virgin’s brand heritage and are drawn from music, travel, British culture and the brand colours. The first four are Billie Holiday, Space Oddity, Eliza Doolittle and Queen of the skies, named for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Technology

Using Viasat, the carrier offers its fastest ever onboard wifi. There is wireless charging in Upper Class, the social space (The Loft) and, in an industry first, in the Premium cabin too. There are more USB connections and power outlets and Bluetooth-enabled IFE in every cabin which pairs easily with Bluetooth hearing aids and passenger headphones. The IFE system, supplied by SPI, features the carrier’s biggest screens yet (27”) in the Retreat Suites, and 13.3” in Economy. All customers can also use their own devices to use the IFE, adjust the reading light and call crew.

CSR

The A330neo is integral to the airline’s environmental transformation as it aims to operate the cleanest, greenest, youngest fleet possible. It is 11% more fuel and carbon efficient than the A330-300 it replaces and will deliver a 50% reduction in airport noise. The removal of leather materials and beef menus (since end of 2019) reflects the environmental impact of the beef industry. The carrier has in recent years cut its use of virgin SUPs inflight by 90% in weight –60 million items. Sustainable amenity kits and a switch to canned wine and water further support the environmental goals. The entire fleet has an average aircraft age of under seven years. •

identity pairing their names with Elizabeth II.

Best for onboard AMENITIES

BUSINESS

Air Astana

In six colours, these kits bring the Italian accessories brand Coccinelle, and Samsonite onboard with Payot toiletries and rPET inserts. airastana.com

BUSINESS

Air Canada

A partnership with iconic Italian brand Acqua di Parma combining modern elegance and Italian style for a functional, reusable travel bag. buzzproducts.com

BUSINESS

Air Europa

In a partnership with WESSCO, this sustainable amenity kit collection features a vegan cork bag and Comfort Zone toiletries. wessco.net

Air France

Created in four colours from 96% recycled materials and eco credentials including rPET items, bamboo toothbrush and kraft pen. airfrance.fr

Air India

A collaboration with luxury brand TUMI, this hard shell mini-case can be personalised with passenger initials and features MALIN+GOETZ. buzzproducts.com

BUSINESS

All Nippon Airways

This sustainable tote bag brings a touch of LA-style luxury onboard through a collaboration with lifestyle brand, Fred Segal. wessco.net

BUSINESS

Icelandair

Four eco-friendly purse designs inspired by Iceland’s unique natural landscapes and inhabitants. Featuring Hannes Dóttir toiletries. wessco.net

BUSINESS

LATAM

Showcasing the work of two Latin American artists, and featuring allnatural, vegan cosmetics from Feito Brasil, a certified B Corp company. wessco.net

BUSINESS

Lufthansa

A partnership with Porsche Design for a multi-functional case, a travel wallet and two shoe bags in different fabrics. skysupply.de

BUSINESS

SWISS

Four sizes of cube are used for this collaboration with Swiss-army knife brand Victorinox created to sit alongside the established tin range. skysupply.de

BUSINESS

Turkish Airlines

A collection of eight bags featuring the style and quality of prestigious British brand, Hackett, and French skincare brand, Qiriness. kaelis.world

Did You Know?

oUr FINALISTS ArE CHoSEN BY BUYErS AND SUPPLIErS

ECoNoMY/LCC

AirCalin

A resealable paper pouch containing a thoughtful collection of comfort items and headphones, plus lemonscented refreshing towel. linstol.com

ECoNoMY/LCC

Turkish Airlines

A revised version of a previously awarded kit refreshed with a strong sustainability focus, a new style pouch and eco inserts. bayart-innovations.com

oF oNBoArD HoSPITALITY

THroUGH oNLINE VoTING

FIrST

Air India

Amenities from MALIN+GOETZ and ABHATI Suisse are featured in this black TUMI-branded, vegan leather case-style bag with handle. buzzproducts.com

FIrST

Japan Airlines

A collaboratioin with Zero Halliburton for a range of both soft- and hard-shell kits designed to combine luxury with function. wessco.net

FIrST

Qatar Airways

Limited-edition FIFA gift boxes and male or female branded bags in faux leather, designed for reuse with match day essentials. qatarairways.com

SWISS

A partnership with Swiss fashion brand, BALLY, for these exclusive black leather, embossed cases featuring La Prairie toiletries. wessco.net

PrEMIUM

Air India

This high quality TUMI branded Boxford-style, zip pouch uses recycled materials and vegan leather. Includes MALIN+GOETZ. buzzproducts.com

PrEMIUM

All Nippon Airways

This collection features an ecofriendly Tyvek tote bag made from a light-weight, recyclable material. Includes an OPP bag for essentials. wessco.net

PrEMIUM

LOT Polish Airlines

Two upscale eco-friendly kits using cork and blue velvet with bamboo amenities and Human+Kind toiletries wrapped in wax or kraft paper. bayart-innovations.com

PrEMIUM

Sunclass Airlines

This fun amenity offering includes cotton eyemask, cornstarch toothbrush and headphones, all in a washable kraft paper kit. linstol.com

Best for onboard TEXTILES

TEXTILES

Air India

Chosen to strike a balance between softness and weight, this new quilt brings home-comfort and style to the sky to enhance the experience. kaelis.world

TEXTILES

Etihad Airways

The enhanced Business class turndown service includes a 20% larger pillow and duvet set featuring Armani/Casa signature designs. buzzproducts.com

TEXTILES

Netjets

This 100% pure cashmere throw blanket with decorative edge detailing is ultra soft, sumptuous, warm yet light-weight. linstol.com

FIrST

TEXTILES

Virgin Atlantic

An innovative fuss-free sleep-sheet for the Upper Class mattress, designed to stay secure in both upright or fully lie-flat positions. johnhorsfall.com

Best for onboard WELLBEING

Best for onboard WEARABLES

WEArABLES

Air India

New TUMI branded premium sleeper suits made using cotton and a recycled material created from 23 500ml plastic bottles per suit. buzzproducts.com

WELLBEING

Qantas cookies

Qantas is sharing mental health messages and charitable giving opportunities through these Do Good Labs' festive snacks. rifkinresearch.com

WELLBEING

Icelandair overnight kit

Using upcycled plastic waste, these eco-friendly kits ease the discomfort of a cancelled/delayed flight with SEIUN Essentials. kaelis.com

WELLBEING

Jetblue Mint kit

A collaboration with wellness brand, Wanderfuel, to create four themed eco kits featuring carefully curated certified B Corp wellness products. wessco.net

WELLBEING

Safran Euphony

Safran partnered with Devialet for this headset-free inflight sound experience, said to be the first integrated inflight audio system. safran-group.com

WELLBEING

Soeder on SWISS

The new Foerst line of sustainable toiletries from Soeder are used in SWISS First in a closed-loop scheme for lavatory refills. swiss.com

WELLBEING

SWISS dental care

A luxurious collection of dental care products that are 100% Swiss made and available to buy onboard in a handmade pouch. retailinmotion.com

WELLBEING

Virgin Atlantic uniforms

The new uniform range gives crew the freedom to choose their look to ensure an environment of conscious inclusion. virginatlantic.com

BEVErAGE

Barista cup coffee

A cup with innovative coffee channel that traps grounds to the bottom after releasing a fresh brew when hot water is added. thebaristacup.com

BEVErAGE

Bellini

This 750ml Bellini combines Moscato sparkling wine from Piedmont with a white peach puree from TrentinoAlto Adige. montevibiano.it

BEVErAGE

Colour-changing gin

This high-quality Swiss Deux Frères dry gin of mixed botanicals, subtly changes colour to soft pink when tonic is added.

retailinmotion.com

BEVErAGE

Etonridge spring water

Naturally-sourced pure water from the Roundton Hill Nature Reserve in the UK, bottled supporting ecological principles and using solar electricity. etonridge.co.uk

BEVErAGE

French Bloom bubbly

Served on Qatar Airways this is a vegan, halal, alcohol-free organic French bubbly from the acclaimed champagne family, Taittinger. qatarairways.com

Passenger and crew comfort, mental health, conscious inclusion and hygiene are becoming a standard part of the onboard mix post-pandemic

BEVErAGE

Hop On Board

A classic British golden ale brewed exclusively for the East Coast Main Line near LNERs head office for First service and buy-on-board. lner.co.uk

BEVErAGE

Lemon spritz

A lively pairing of sparkling white wine, infusion of lemons and mint for a Iow-alcohol, refreshing drink. No added carbon dioxide. bottegaspa.com

BEVErAGE

Nice canned wines

An environmentally-conscious canned wine range flying on Virgin Atlantic, cutting fuel burn, saving space and with recycling efficiencies. virginatlantic.com

awards CErEMONY WITH THANKS To oUr FooD AND DrINK

SPoNSorS:

BEVErAGE

VinTonic

A 200ml Austrian aperitif of wine and tonic available in white and rosé which can also be combined with gin, aperol or soda. retailinmotion.com

Best for onboard

CATERING INNOVATION

BEVErAGE

Virgin Mary

A premium, plant-based, glutenfree tomato juice. Serve as a 150ml alcohol-free cocktail or with a good vodka for a perfect Bloody Mary. drinklongbottom.co.uk

CaTENa ZaPaTa in conjunction with Intervine CUIsINE sOLUTIONs

HEINEKEN

CATErING INNoVATIoN

AICA

A system combining AI and consumption analytics to identify food waste inefficiencies by assessing tray photos post-flight. lsg-group.com

CATErING INNoVATIoN

Currywurst & fries

Eurowings brings one of Germany’s most loved savoury snacks onboard with this ambient shelf-stable wurst, and fries developed to be crispy. retailinmotion.com

MONTE VIBIaNO

CATErING INNoVATIoN

FIFA football dessert

Qatar Airways brought the FIFA tournament hype onboard with this football-shaped chocolate and raspberry ball-shaped dessert. qatarairways.com

CATErING INNoVATIoN

French fine-dining

Air France is promoting fine dining with 17 partner chefs each taking turns to create onboard and lounge dishes in collaboration with Servair. airfrance.fr

CATErING INNoVATIoN

Hot or not?

A low-crumb pastry lattice served hot or cold as an alternative to a sandwich/wrap. Hygienically sealed in ovenable, bio-degradable board. montysbakehouse.co.ukv

CATErING INNoVATIoN

Intelligent truck

LSG can now cater aircraft with one driver thanks to this in-cab system of cameras providing a 360° view to avoid wing-tip or other collisions. lsg-group.com

CATErING INNoVATIoN

Las Meninas cruet

Iberia Airlines pays homage to Velazquez’s masterpiece Las Meninas for this salt and pepper set for the Business dining experience. kaelis.world

CATErING INNoVATIoN

My Risotto

Creamy Italian cheese or mushroom risotto, ready in five minutes. Crew just add boiling water for an instant hot-snack. No need for ovens. foodcase.nl

CATErING INNoVATIoN

SriLankan flavours

SriLankan Airlines is positioning itself as an ambassador for its nation's authentic culinary heritage with traditional recipes and ingredients. srilankan.com

Best for onboard

Air Astana

A practical and stylish reusable lunch bag to hold baby bottles and Tupperware. Includes changing mat, nappies and a teether rattle. kaelis.world

KIDS oNBoArD

Air Astana

Inspired by the story of aeronautics, these kits encourage families to play and learn together. The retro bags are from sustainable materials. kaelis.world

Did You Know?

MANY AIrLINES HAVE rEMoVED PLASTIC ToYS AND PACKAGING FroM

Air France

A gift concept for long-haul flights providing engaging and useful natural products in a recyclable kraft activity box or fabric pouch. airfrance.fr

Lufthansa

This flight attendant figurine, in Lufthansa uniform, shares stories and songs via an audio box. Content can be updated via an app. retailinmotion.com

Air Caraibes

An eco-friendly baby kit presented in a kraft envelope and featuring 100% vegetable-based biodegradable wipes, teething ring and towel. bayart-innovations.com

Etihad Airways

In partnership with Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, this Little V.I.P.s programme brings popular characters to multiple touchpoints. etihad.com

Icelandair

This Treasure Iceland kit is inspired by the beauty of Icelandic nature, myth and folklore. Made of sustainable material. kidzbranding.com

KIDS KITS For A MorE ENVIroNMENTALLYSENSATIVE oFFEr FINaLIsT

Qatar Airways

A bespoke FIFA-themed range of kits bringing the excitement of the event to multiple touchpoints. Gifts and games plus post-flight use. buzzproducts.com

United Airlines

An all-in-one travel kit to help kids stay engaged and inspired while they fly. Created in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation. linstol.com

KIDS oNBoArD

KIDS oNBoArD

KIDS oNBoArD

KIDS oNBoArD

KIDS oNBoArD

KIDS oNBoArD

KIDS oNBoArD

KIDS oNBoArD

Best for onboard KIDS CATERING

Free-from menus designed for kids aged 2-12 while also educating them on allergies. Gluten-, milk-, peanut-, tree-nut and sesame-free. foodcase.nl

Airline recruitment challenges postCovid-19 have turned the spotlight onto improved crew comfort and conditions

Best for onboard SERVICE EQUIPMENT

These Qatar Airways rest bed linens come in individual packs with silkyfeel sateen pillowcase and flat sheet plus peach-skin micro-plush blanket. qatarairways.com

Cross-body

A convenient, practical solution for crew mobile devices, giving American Airlines' crew access to connectivity while hands are free for their duties. wessco.net

Did You Know?

oUr WINNErS WILL BE ANNoUNCED oNLINE AND IN HAMBUrG AT THE WorLD TrAVEL CATErING EXPo

A reusable, two-piece padlock style, locking system which can be used for over 2,000 trips with disposable security seals. tydenbrooks.co.uk

Raising the standards in lightness and durability with a UNISTRUCTURE technology for top and base sections to add strength. diethelmkelleraviation.com

Crew bed linen

For CrEW

iPhone bag

For CrEW

TUFF-LITE trolley

For CrEW

Cub Food

Hawk Seal

For CrEW

For PASSENGErS

Copa's bamboo napkins

Napkins and tray liners for Copa’s Business cabin are 100% bamboo, biodegradable and compostable. Like cloth but single use. linstol.com

For PASSENGErS

Etihad tableware

Inspired by the night sky, this partnership with Armani/Casa uses colours and shapes from the Abu Dhabi landscape. Weight cut 10%. buzzproducts.com

For PASSENGErS

Iberia tableware

A bespoke, lightweight and durable set in a pearl-white. Draws inspiration from the pebbles and waves of the Med's sea shore. kaelis.world

For PASSENGErS

LATAM SUP-free Economy

This rotable solution eliminated 1,000 tons of SUPs by using reusable dishes, aluminum lids and bamboo cutlery on a non-skid tray liner. global-c.nl

For PASSENGErS

Magnetic tableware

Integrated magnets in the base of the tableware items stick to flexible silwy Nano-gel-pad partners to prevent spills on the move. silwy.de

For PASSENGErS

Starlux First tableware

A partnership with English brands William Edwards and Robert Welch for a bespoke setting infused with refinement and craftsmanship. cliponboard.com

For PASSENGErS

SWISS wooden platter

Ambient cold cuts served on a branded wooden platter. 100% FSCcertified local beech wood packaged in a sustainable PaperWise box. retailinmotion.com

For PASSENGErS

Virgin Atlantic chillers

These tri-mode chillers, have three functions – fridge, freezer and chiller, for a flexibile self-service grazing offer in The Loft social space. virginatlantic.com

Tableware designers are currently focused on ensuring functionality and sustainability, as well as a pleasing passenger experience

Best for onboard SNACKS

Alpine herb cashews

Seasoned cashews, grown, harvested, peeled and sorted by hand in Burkina Faso, certified both organic and fair trade. pakka.ch

Appletinies

A sweet snack of organic dried apple pieces covered with organic dark chocolate, regionally sourced and made in Austria. retailinmotion.com

Gluten-free pizza

This Snackboxtogo gluten-free pizza is served in an easy to handle, ovenable box and contains no allergens except for soy. snackboxtogo.com

FINaLIsT

Mezete Dip & Go Hummus

A natural, velvety smooth hummus with breadsticks, packaged with easy peel-back lid. Made in Jordan, vegan and halal certified. foodcase.nl

Mr Porter's snack range

A range of trending snacks that rotate monthly on REX Airlines with holistic attention to branding, packaging and product selection. mrporterslife.com.au

Did You Know?

Santa's Cookies

A festive collaboration with Qantas and Do Good to offer one million cookies carrying wellbeing messages and support to charities. rifkinresearch.com

Spanish sandwich

Part of En Route’s regional range, this Serrano ham and Iberico cheese Bocadillo-style sandwich sold over 818,000 times in a year. en-route.com

oUr JUDGES MEET IN PErSoN For A FULL DAY oF TASTING, HANDLING AND ASSESSING THE AWArD ENTrIES EACH YEAr

ECoNoMY

ECoNoMY

ECoNoMY

ECoNoMY

ECoNoMY

ECoNoMY

ECoNoMY

ECONOMY

Street Eats

A special meals frozen calzone range in three flavours for dietaryfocused snacking. Made with fresh, authentic ingredients. en-route.com

ECONOMY

Sunshine cashews

Cashew nuts in five flavours. Harvested, roasted, flavoured and packed sustainably in Mozambique with profits for the community snackboxtogo.com

ECONOMY

Vegan gluten free snack box

A fun and functional box of ambient vegan and gluten-free snacks for onboard retail. Already on Jet2, Virgin Atlantic and easyJet. jacqoutthebox.co.uk

Cheese & pretzel bites

Combining two American favourite snacks: artisanal 100% real cheese and baked pretzels. Created by Whisps, brokered by Intervine. whisps.com

Margherita baked bun

This ovenable, paper-wrapped bun, inspired by street food, creates a casual dining feel within the Westjet Business class setting. montysbakehouse.co.uk

Rosemary almonds

A gourmet nut oven-roasted by hand then tumbled and marinated with fresh herbs, smoked icing sugar and sea salt. mrfilberts.com

Best for onboard SUSTAINABILITY

SUSTAINABILITY

Air France inflight

Prioritising local sourcing and prep, and encouraging pre-order to cut waste, plus replacing 210m SUP items with bio-sourced materials. airfrance.fr

fIrST ANd BUSINESS

fIrST ANd BUSINESS

fIrST ANd BUSINESS

Snacking brands are moving with the trends to develop snacks that match the dietary, ethical and lifestyle priorities of the public

SUSTAINABILITY

Austrian Melangerie to-go

Tackling food waste by selling fresh produce from the Austrian Melangerie at a reduced price for take-away consumption post flight. retailinmotion.com

SUSTAINABILITY

All Nippon Airways

An eco-friendly Tyvek tote bag kit made from a durable and lightweight material that is fully recyclable. Inserts include tissues and OPP bag. wessco.net

SUSTAINABILITY

Copa's bagasse cups

Sugarcane bagasse cups made from waste certified as from sugarcane processing, with an EarthCoating compatible with paper recycling. linstol.com

SUSTAINABILITY

Etihad Economy evolution

Economy soft furnishings and tableware chosen with sustainability as a priority, using reusable items in a closed loop system to cut SUPs. etihad.com

SUSTAINABILITY

Jetblue Mint kit

A collaboration with wellness brand, Wanderfuel, for four themed sustainable amenity kits featuring certified B Corp wellness products. wessco.net

SUSTAINABILITY

LATAM bagasse lids

In its goal to eliminate 100% SUP, LATAM replaced plastic lids with sugarcane bagasse lids for all Business class dishes. linstol.com

SUSTAINABILITY

Fab Four miniatures

In partnership with Sustainaholics, this collection of sustainable spirit brands is available for inflight retail via pre-order.

tourvestretailservices.com

FINaLIsT FINaLIsT

SUSTAINABILITY

LATAM onboard initiative

A five-point initiative removing SUPs, recycling waste, upcycling uniforms, assessing supplier sustainability and creating sustainability ambassadors. latamairlines.com

Enhancing the sustainability of the inflight service is a clear signal to passengers that an airline is serious about its environmental pledges

SUSTAINABILITY

LATAM plastic-free bedding

Sustainable reusable packaging for the Business class mattress, pillow and duvet, using canvas bags with eco messaging. kaelis.world

SUSTAINABILITY

LOT Polish Airlines eco kits

Free from plastic packaging and with eco comfort items, kits packed in a light, reusable, recycled cardboard box with sustainable messaging. kaelis.world

Did You Know?

THE oNBoArD HoSPITALITY AWArDS

WErE FIrST HELD IN 2014 AND ALWAYS

PrIorITISE A TrANSPArENT, FAIr JUDGING ProCESS

SUSTAINABILITY

Qantas NeverLeak box

A paperboard meal box that is leakproof, freezer-to-oven safe and compostable, with an easy to use, EasyClick lock lid closure. global-c.nl

SUSTAINABILITY

SWISS kit recycling

SWISS is removing amenity kits and textiles from the waste stream with circular loop systems which reuse, sort and repurpose items. swiss.com

SUSTAINABILITY

SWISS surprise to-go bag

The Swiss Saveurs To-Go concept retails daily-made artisanal Sprüngli products, at a discount of up to 60%, on the last flight of an aircraft. retailinmotion.com

SUSTAINABILITY

Toothpaste tablet

The FRESCORYL toothpaste tablet allows for teeth cleaning anywhere, without water or a toothbrush. The flowpack paper packaging is 100% biodegradable. frescoryl.com

SUSTAINABILITY

Virgin Atlantic CanO water

Switching to CanO canned water for Upper Class has allowed the airline to remove 4m plastic bottles from its service offering. virginatlantic.com

SUSTAINABILITY

White Glo eco sachet

White Glo’s bestselling toothpaste, Professional White, available in an eco-friendly paper sachet made using bio-degradable materials. whiteglo.com

Best for onboard TECHNOLOGY

TECHNoLoGY

Air India headphones

A premium headset collection featuring premium finishes and unifying branding for a world-class IFE in all classes. linstol.com

TECHNoLoGY

Blueview by Bluebox

Blueview is a flexible digital services platform that supports content delivery, management, app integration and analytics. blueboxaviation.com

TECHNoLoGY

easyJet

Onboard

Uses the AirFi Box so passengers can stream to their devices for retail, ordering and entertainment. Also gives crew support. airfi.aero

TECHNoLoGY

Everhub platform

Currently used by 30 airlines, this engagement solution adapts through a toolkit of integration for retail, entertainment and data. inflightdublin.com

Did You Know?

TECHNoLoGY

LNER handover app

A crew support app providing a simple way to manage information, menus, targets and deliveries, and share notes from previous crew. lner.co.uk

oUr TECHNoLoGY CATEGorY IS GroWING FAST AS SoLUTIoNS EXTEND To SUPPorT BoTH PASSENGErS AND CrEW

TECHNoLoGY

LATAM+ Touch

Aims to break the standard IFE monthly content cycle with marketing initiatives, engagement, and unique launch experiences. touch.aero

TECHNoLoGY

Qatar OnyxOne app

A new digital ecosystem for the airline’s 6,500+ entertainment options allowing easy updates to align with seasons or trends. qatarairways.com

SaudiaBEYOND

A reimagined IFE system with Bluetooth connectivity, order-atseat dining options, digital mirror and personal device connectivity. saudia.com

Best for onboard

ONES TO WATCH

Astrova by Panasonic

A next-gen IFE seat-end system for versatile, future-proofed customer engagement to support revenue generation and NPS improvement. panasonic.aero

Ambient Asian appetizers

Authentic Asian appetizers with no preservatives which can be served without re-heating as a starter or snack. Shelf stable for six months. sats.com.sg

Brioche sausage roll

Delicately seasoned pork sausage meat encased in a golden, soft and slightly sweet brioche for a mess-free hot snack or light lunch. montysbakehouse.co.uk

Char Siu Sou Pastry

An authentic sweet and savoury pork filling in a light golden glazed bun, finished with sesame seeds on the top for a low-crumb snack. montysbakehouse.co.uk

Copa tableware

A new design for Business class inspired by Copa’s ‘Hub of the Americas’ vision and with a refined Latin American Bistro theme. procurall.com

Creative Nature Thins

A range of four savoury snacks, free from the top 14 allergens, vegan, kosher and palm-oil free. Reassuringly safe for inflight. creativenaturesuperfoods.co.uk

TECHNoLoGY

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Inventive suppliers are challenging the status quo and finding new solutions for inflight service, comfort and entertainment

Hope & Glory tea/tissanes

An organic-accredited, Fairtrade range, ethically and sustainably sourced and in 100% biodegradable envelopes and pyramid bags. thehopeandglory.co.uk

Duo cutlery set

This wood cutlery set (fork & knife), is 100% backyard compostable, customisable, strong and lightweight. Brokered by Intervine. keepitsimplo.com

Halos

A new salted caramel flavoured steamed sponge with salt and pepper toffee inclusions, covered with chocolate and a toffee drizzle. halos-official.com

Did You Know?

iEngage portal

This crew portal provides training on airline retail, products and vPOS and includes a fun interactive WinZone for sales incentives. retailinmotion.com

THE oNES To WATCH CATEGorY IS DESIGNED To SHoWCASE ProDUCTS oF THE FUTUrE, INNoVATIoN YET To GET oNBoArD

LSG brands service

A range of 20+ food brands, sold direct on delivery platforms now available to airlines. Includes Cloud 9, Flatbread House and Holy Moly. lsg-group.com

OneFi

Inmarsat’s new platform to help airlines harness the potential of connectivity, using data to drive revenue and passenger experience. inmarsat.com

Oneweb

A satellite communications network built to deliver seamless, consistent, reliable and fast inflight connectivity globally to the aero sector. oneweb.net

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Increasingly onboard innovation is focused around improved sustainability and products with a thoughtful back story

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Rossino

A sparkling, ready-to-drink, lowsugar, alcohol-free drink made from ripe European strawberries and with Moscato grape juice. montevibiano.it

Smart blanket

Using sustainable yarns from shells and recycled PET bottles, this woollike blanket has anti-static and body temperature regulating properties. mentex.net

Vegan Jalfrezi

‘Meaty’ mushroom pieces and chunky peppers in an authentic curry sauce. Minimally processed and available in 2kg catering bags. montysbakehouse.co.uk

awards CErEMONY WITH THANKS To oUr FooD AND DrINK SPoNSorS:

WA

kit for Qantas

A Western Australia themed amenity kit bringing the state's Walking On A Dream campaign onboard, featuring a local artist. watermark1980.com

Weave Intelligence

Intelligent fully-connected product tracking providing full global inventory visibility for cost savings and supply chain managment. weaveintel.com

CaTENa ZaPaTa in conjunction with Intervine CUIsINE sOLUTIONs

HEINEKEN

MONTE VIBIaNO

2024 ENTRIES OPEN

NOVEMBER 1ST 2023

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Creating culinary connections

Connecting people around the world through memorable culinary experiences from the ground to the sky.