6 Airline catering is a tough business. Meals must be of a quality that is appropriate for the class and type of flight, yet the airlines that are their customers are always looking to keep costs as low as possible, menus must change frequently and they must respond promptly to customer feedback.

Forecasting passenger numbers is difficult. Suppliers are advised of likely numbers for each flight several days in advance, but the actual minimum number of passengers is only fixed six hours before take-off. Also, flight arrivals can be delayed, upsetting work schedules – even when on time, no more than 40 minutes are allowed before the flight takes off again. Airline caterers usually produce food on, or near, airports, using their own staff. Catering companies’ suppliers are also usually airline specialists that are also located near the caterers. A consortium of Northern Foods, a leading food producer (that normally supplies retailers) and DHL won a large contract at Heathrow Airport against the traditional suppliers. DHL was already a large supplier to ‘airside’ caterers there, with its own premises at the airport. Northern Foods made the food at its existing factories and delivered it to DHL, which assembled it onto airline catering trays and transferred them to the aircraft.

(a) Why would an airline use a catering services company rather than organise its own on-board services?

(b) What are the main operations objectives that a catering services company must achieve to satisfy its customers?

(c) Why is it important for airlines to reduce turn-around time when an aircraft lands?

(d) Why was the Northern Foods–DHL consortium a threat to more traditional catering companies?