Finding airline catering food suppliers for inflight menu programmes
In short
Inflight caterers and airline catering teams looking for new airline catering food suppliers can send one structured request for menu-cycle ingredients. Our team reviews the specification, approaches suitable producers and processors on your behalf and returns proposals compared on the same basis. We do not publish supplier names.
Who this is for
- Inflight catering companies and flight kitchens
- Airline catering and menu-procurement teams
- Catering groups supplying several airlines or airports
Not for
- Airport terminal outlets
- Programmes below a declared USD 250,000 per year
See instead: Airport food & beverage
Sourcing problems we help address
Menu-cycle specifications
Menus change by cycle, cabin class and route. Each specification and its validity period is set out in the request.
Consistent portions and formats
Fillet and portion weights, shrimp counts, cut vegetables and egg formats must stay consistent across production runs.
Shelf life and temperature
Required temperature range and remaining shelf life at the flight kitchen are written into the request.
Dietary and religious requirements
Halal, kosher, allergen and other special-meal requirements you specify are listed, and supplier documents are checked against them for your request.
Several kitchens on one programme
Delivery points and volumes per flight kitchen are captured so suppliers quote for the whole programme.
Bulk sourcing and the USD 250,000 minimum
Flight-kitchen programmes are usually planned per menu cycle and per year. Add the volumes for every kitchen on the programme: a declared annual or seasonal total of at least USD 250,000 enters supplier outreach.
Products
- Fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs
- Premium produce (avocados, cherries, berries, mangoes, table grapes, citrus)
- Fish and seafood
- Shrimp and prawns
- Poultry meat and table eggs
Egg products other than shell eggs (for example liquid or pasteurised egg) and ready meals are outside the current request categories; describe them in the notes and our team will tell you whether we can take them on.
Information our team needs
Leave anything you don't know blank in the form — it is recorded as "unknown", not guessed.
- Flight kitchens and countries to be supplied
- Menu cycle, cabin classes and validity period of each specification
- Product, specification, portion weight, count or cut
- Fresh, chilled or frozen; required temperature range
- Remaining shelf life required at delivery
- Halal, kosher, allergen and special-meal requirements
- Packaging suited to your kitchen handling
- Volume per week by kitchen and programme length
- Documents and audit requirements set by your airline customers
- Declared total programme value (annual or seasonal)
How the procurement workflow runs
For inflight catering, each specification is tied to a menu cycle and a validity period. We issue the RFQ per specification, ask suppliers to confirm portion weights, counts, temperature and shelf life at your kitchen, and show where offers differ before any sample stage.
How your request is handled
Step 1
Submit one structured request
Product, specification, volumes, delivery points and timing in one form. Nothing is sent to any supplier at this stage.
Step 2
Our team reviews it
We check the declared programme value against the USD 250,000 minimum, ask clarification questions and help complete missing specification points.
Step 3
Our team runs supplier outreach
We approach producers, packers and exporters that appear able to meet your specification, on your behalf. Your name and contact details are not shared without your approval.
Step 4
You compare proposals on the same basis
Offers are set out against the same specification, Incoterms® rule, packaging, documents and timing. Prices come only from supplier quotations for your request; we do not publish price lists.
Questions to answer before you submit
- Which flight kitchens and countries are on the programme?
- Which menu cycle and cabin classes does each specification cover, and until when?
- What portion weight, count or cut does each item need?
- What remaining shelf life and temperature are required at the kitchen dock?
- Which halal, kosher, allergen or airline audit requirements apply?
Programme value check
Multiply your own figures to see whether the request reaches the USD 250,000 minimum for an assisted RFQ.
Enter all three figures as positive numbers to see the result.
Calculated only from the figures you enter. It is not a price, quote or approval.
Related guides and tools
What we do not do
- We do not hold stock, own the goods or act as exporter or importer of record.
- We do not publish supplier names, price lists or availability.
- Buyers are never connected to suppliers directly. Every enquiry, question and offer passes through our team, and any introduction happens only after review and with your approval.
- Availability, origin, certifications, prices and lead times are confirmed only for your request, after verification. The producer or supplier remains responsible for the product, its documents and its compliance.
Frequently asked questions
Can you meet a specific airline's requirements?
You state the requirements in the request; supplier documents are checked against them for your request. We do not claim any supplier is approved by an airline.
Do you work with airlines directly?
Airlines that buy catering ingredients themselves can use this pathway. We do not claim existing relationships with any airline or caterer.
Is there a minimum order size?
Supplier outreach starts when the declared total annual or seasonal programme value is at least USD 250,000. This is the total for the programme, not the value of each delivery. Smaller requests are kept on file but do not enter supplier outreach.
Will I be put in touch with suppliers directly?
No. Our team handles all supplier contact on your behalf and presents comparable proposals. Your identity and contact details are not shared with any supplier without your approval.
Do you charge buyers?
No. Submitting a request, review and supplier outreach are free for buyers.
Ready to send a structured request?
One form, reviewed by our team. Free for buyers. Supplier outreach starts only for programmes with a declared value of at least USD 250,000.
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