SWITZERLAND/AUSTRALIA: Virgin Australia Airlines and Gate Gourmet have finalised a new inflight dining partnership.
Through the six-year contract, Gate Gourmet – the airline catering brand of gategroup – will become the sole service provider for the Australian airline’s flights across Asia, Australia and North America. Virgin Australia operates around 400 domestic and approximately 50 international flights per day.
The partnership is effective from late June 2018 and is expected to create around 100 jobs at gategroup bases in Australia. The new deal expands an existing collaboration between the two companies by +40%. The partners said it would enable both companies to “drive operational and cost benefits while delivering continued improvements to the inflight passenger experience”.
“Virgin Australia’s catering operations will now be aligned with one strategic supplier, creating greater efficiency and control of onboard food & beverage offerings,” the partners stated.
gategroup CEO Xavier Rossinyol said: “This is an exciting evolution of our relationship with Virgin Australia, which was voted Best Airline in Asia Pacific 2017 by Skytrax World Airline Awards.
“It’s an exciting time for the industry and for pushing boundaries on what inflight meals and services can be”
“We are extremely proud to work with such a celebrated Australian airline. gategroup’s ongoing relationship with Virgin Australia further strengthens its position as a leading airline caterer in Oceania region, leveraging our commercial and retail innovations. It’s an exciting time for the industry and for pushing boundaries on what inflight meals and services can be.”
gategroup works with Virgin Australia Head Chef Luke Mangan to deliver the airline’s Business Class meals across domestic and international flights.
Virgin Australia Airlines Group Executive Rob Sharp commented: “Food & beverage is such an important part of the overall travel experience and this relationship with gategroup will enable us to take our inflight dining experience to new heights.
“We are in the process of transforming the Virgin Australia food and beverage offering and today’s announcement will enable us to bring benefits to our guests more quickly. gategroup has been an excellent partner of ours for a number of years and we look forward to working with them more closely to provide the world’s most rewarding travel experience.”
