The Global Market for In-Flight Catering Services is Projected to Exceed US$19 Billion by 2022

Growing Air Passenger Traffic with Diverse Gourmet Needs to Drive the Global In-Flight Catering Services Market, According to a New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

GIA launches comprehensive analysis of industry segments, trends, growth drivers, market share, size and demand forecasts on the global In-Flight Catering Services market. The global market for In-Flight Catering Services is projected to exceed US$19 billion by 2022, driven by the unprecedented rise in air passenger traffic and the resulting increase in demand for airline food and the increasing popularity of gourmet food catering as a competitive strategy for service differentiation among airline companies.

Evident from the fact that catering and other in-flight services figure top most in the choice of the flier among other options, the in-flight catering services offered are often the most remembered experience on-board. Thanks to the increasing competition, airlines are putting efforts to make the experience more memorable and also differentiate in terms of total in-flight experience from competitors. In-flight catering services market has also witnessed numerous changes over the years led by people’s changing preferences for new variety of foods, particularly in view of the growing health consciousness and increasing awareness about nutrition. The expectation of the passenger is rising for high quality meals and airline catering firms are responding with enhanced focus on choice, quality and consistency driven by innovation in bringing about the best quality meals on-board. Despite the slow economic growth and other challenges faced by the worldwide airlines sector, the number of international and domestic passengers traveling by air increased steadily over the years fuelled by the macro trends of globalization and increasing urbanization, with international air-traffic volume increasing at a faster pace than domestic traffic, representing the primary growth driver for the inflight catering services market.

Healthy growth is projected for the market in the coming years driven by growing expectations of passengers (irrespective of class) to have healthy and nutritious food and increasing number of flyers. Other important growth drivers include advent of mobile and online meal order booking that is witnessing steady adoption by major airlines; surge in travel needs of the Chinese millennial population that represent the largest and most important demography worldwide; growing automation and proliferation of in-flight catering management solutions that enable the airlines and the caterers to collaborate and present a rich passenger experience while managing their costs effectively; increasing demand by air passengers for environmentally sustainable food solutions with locally sourced food products; shift from complimentary meals to buy-on-board meals transforming in-flight catering from a free service offering to a revenue model; and rising popularity of mini-meals and nutritious snacks for the health-conscious airline traveler. Increased investments in aviation sector is also expected to benefit market prospects for airline catering service market as global food chains and brands would be inclined to have a share of catering business and would invest in the sector.

As stated by the new market research report on In-Flight Catering Services, Asia-Pacific represents the largest market worldwide, closely followed by Europe. Asia-Pacific also ranks as the fastest growing market with a CAGR of 6.1% over the analysis period. Rising number of high net worth individuals (HNWIs) as well as expanding middle class income group with increased discretionary spending; the lucrative 385 million Chinese millennials that represent over 28% of the country’s population and the new target group for international airlines; rapid urbanization; increasing international travel and tourism, and rising standard of living to complement aspirational travelling, are factors poised to drive growth in the region. The Middle East is also emerging as a hub of international airline activity supported by expansion of airports, addition of more aircrafts, and increase in the number of air travelers.

Key players covered in the report include Abby’s Catering, AAS Catering Co., Limited, ANA Catering Service Co., Limited, Brahim’s Airline Catering Sdn Bhd, Cathay Pacific Catering Services, DO & CO Restaurants & Catering AG, dnata, Alpha Flight Group Limited, Emirates Flight Catering Co. LLC, Flying Food Group LLC, Gate Gourmet Switzerland GmbH, KLM Catering Services, Journey Group Plc, LSG Sky Chefs, Newrest Group International S.A.S, SATS Limited, Saudi Airlines Catering Company, and Servair SA, among others.

The research report titled “In-Flight Catering Services: A Global Strategic Business Report” announced by Global Industry Analysts Inc., provides a comprehensive review of market trends, issues, drivers, mergers, acquisitions and other strategic industry activities of global companies. The report provides market estimates and projections for all major geographic markets including the United States, Canada, Japan, Europe (France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Spain, Russia, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China and Rest of Asia-Pacific), Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

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