Inflight Catering Market Forecasts to 2028 - Global Analysis By Food Type (Meals, Beverages), Flight Duration (Short Haul, Long Haul), Catering Type, and By Geography

According to Stratistics MRC, the Global Inflight Catering Market is accounted for $10,989.11 million in 2021 and is expected to reach $26,664.50 million by 2028 growing at a CAGR of 13.5% during the forecast period. Inflight food is the food served to passengers on board a commercial airliner. Specialist airline catering services prepare these meals and usually serve them to passengers using an airline service trolley.

Market Dynamics:

Driver:

Rise in offering customized and organic meals to the travelers in flight

Meals are normally ready on the ground in catering offices near the air terminal and are then shipped to the airplane and put in fridges for airline stewards to warm and serve ready. The food providers are more similar to the agents that help carriers mass-produce many dinners daily. The aircraft's catering group is generally answerable for the menu plan, offering quality food to the travelers.

Restraint:

High cost

An increase in the cost of the in-flight food services makes it difficult for the in-flight catering market to work properly. The in-flight catering market is characterized by high research & development and installation cost. Hence this high cost is also hampering the effective market growth to a great extent in the forecasted period.

Opportunity:

Advancements in the technologies

The major opportunity in this in-flight catering market is the advancement in the technologies of the food and beverages industries like the travelers could quickly order their food through online mode. To enhance the in-flight experience through the in-flight catering service, the prominent players are adopting digitally enabled services like the use of smartphones for food & beverage orders. Few airlines operating globally also allow passengers to place orders via in-flight entertainment systems.

Threat:

Food wastage

Transportation of food and low period of transported foods are increasing the food wastage in this industry. A portion of these food wastage elements likely set challenges in developing the in-flight catering market. It is important to tackle these market challenges effectively to enhance the growth of the particular market.

The economy class segment is expected to be the largest during the forecast period

The economy class segment is estimated to have lucrative growth owing to the rising number of passengers traveling through the economy class. In economic class, the focus is more on affordable meals and shelf-stable food for purchase on both long-haul and short-haul flights.

The full-service carriers segment is expected to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period

The full-service carriers segment is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR growth during the forecast period due to in-flight entertainment, meals, baggage, blanket, and pillow all-inclusive in the ticket price. Full-service carrier offers passengers the options of economy class or business class travel and on some flights, premium economy and first-class; thus, contributing toward the market growth.

Region with highest share:

North America is projected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period due to the presence of major in-flight entertainment & connectivity manufacturers, and the rise in the number of passengers traveling for business and tourism in the region.

Region with highest CAGR:

Asia Pacific is projected to have the highest CAGR over the forecast period owing to population growth, economic growth, and the present level of efficient in-flight catering service technology helping increase profitability.

Key players in the market

Some of the key players profiled in the Inflight Catering Market include Universal Weather and Aviation Inc., The Emirates Group, Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines), DO & CO Aktiengesellschaf, Newrest Group Services SAS, LSG Sky Chefs, KLM Catering Services, Journey Group Plc., IGS Ground Services, HNA Group Co. Ltd., Gategroup, Flying Food Group, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Cathay Pacific Catering Services Ltd, and SATS Ltd.

Key Developments:

In July 2020, Gategroup partnered with LATAM Airlines to provide inflight catering services for an additional five years. Gategroup will serve LATAM Airlines at 16 locations, which include two new strategic domestic locations: Bogota, Colombia, and Santiago, Chile.

In June 2021, Thales launched AVANT UP. An in-flight entertainment system that offers features such as 4K HDR displays, in-seat power, and open operating system. The launch of the product enabled the company to strengthen its position in the global IFEC market.

Flight Types Covered:

• Low-Cost Carriers
• Full-Service Carriers
• Hybrid

Food Types Covered:

• Bakery & Confectionery (Dessert)
• Meals
• Beverages

Types Covered:

• In-House
• Outsource
• Hotels & Small Caterers

Aircraft Seating Classes Covered:

• First-Class
• Economy Class
• Business Class

Flight Durations Covered:

• Short Haul
• Long Haul

Catering Types Covered:

• Classic Catering
• Retail on Board

Provider Types Covered:

• In-Flight Complete Solution Provider
• In-Flight Culinary & On-Board Supplies Provider
• In-Flight Culinary Only Provider

Regions Covered:

• North America
  • US
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • Italy
  • France
  • Spain
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • Japan
  • China
  • India
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • South Korea
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• South America
  • Argentina
  • Brazil
  • Chile
  • Rest of South America
• Middle East & Africa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • UAE
  • Qatar
  • South Africa
  • Rest of Middle East & Africa

What our report offers:

• Market share assessments for the regional and country-level segments
• Strategic recommendations for the new entrants
• Covers Market data for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025, and 2028
• Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)
• Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations
• Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends
• Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments
• Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements

Free Customization Offerings:

All the customers of this report will be entitled to receive one of the following free customization options:

• Company Profiling
  • Comprehensive profiling of additional market players (up to 3)
  • SWOT Analysis of key players (up to 3)
• Regional Segmentation
  • Market estimations, Forecasts and CAGR of any prominent country as per the client's interest (Note: Depends on feasibility check)
• Competitive Benchmarking
  • Benchmarking of key players based on product portfolio, geographical presence, and strategic alliances