In-Flight Catering Services Market Research Report: Fill & Download for Free

In 2002, I wanted to get two Boeing 767–300ERs (which later became B777–200s) and fly between the States and Europe (livery pictured below). September 11, 2001, turned things upside down and put these plans on hold indefinitely. This model was for two long-range aircraft going between four cities internationally. Starting a US domestic airline would change the model somewhat, the fleet requirements would be for smaller airplanes, but the corp structure/financials would be the same.This is the first time I have ever published or told this story outside of my team. You ready? Here we go!Olympic Airways was no longer going to fly their US/Canada-Greece routes, and I thought it would leave a vacuum in the market (which it did), more specifically the following routes: ORD-ATH-ORD, IAD-ATH-IAD, JFK-ATH-JFK (between Athens and Chicago, Washington DC and New York JFK). In 1999, it was just an idea, which was soon to change…In the spring of 2000, while taxing to the gate at LAX, I saw the blue livery of the A340 Air Tahiti Nui from my window seat. I did some research on the airline, and found out, in 1998, Air Tahiti Nui, or “TN”, started long-haul services flying from Papeete (capital of French Polynesia) to Los Angeles and Tokyo with two A340s.Their business model was similar to what I wanted to do over the Atlantic, the only difference being TN flew over the Pacific. Mr. Nelson Levy, the founder of Air Tahiti Nui, was an incredible, charismatic, gentleman in his 40s. You would never notice his 5′7″ height because his personality was larger than life. He was able to get funding from the French Polynesian government for his airline and ended up taking a large chunk of the shares. He still kept minority share and the CEO title.E-mail exchanges between the two of us led to telephone conversations. Mr. Levy, pictured with me in 2000 (above) at TN’s headquarters, with the Air Tahiti Nui livery in the background and me holding the Aellas livery blueprint.Mr. Levy gave me the gift of full access to his entire organization in Papeete. He provided me with an empty cubicle at TN’s headquarters, at no charge, and allowed me to meet with the various divisions, sort of an incubation set-up. It was truly incredible. In the span of about eight months, I was able to go back and forth to Papeete (I only had to pay the taxes for the business class seat) and put together my business plan, and most importantly, work on the numbers.The market analysis showed routes to/from Athens to/from various cities in the United States and Canada to be hugely underserved for business travelers, tourists and “VFRs” or Visiting Friends and Relatives. (The study also showed Athens-Sydney/Melbourne/Johannesburg underserved as well.)Boeing’s North American sales office liked the concept. I started working with Boeing to secure two 767–300ERs financed by GE Capital (TN assisted in the process) and other funding sources. As the project started to materialize, it changed to two 777–200s.For the sake of space and time, there are big chunks missing. I am going to stay away from anything to do with the financials side, some marketing aspects and other things, like scheduling, I don’t think would be relevant to share. Also, Boeing has a website called StartupBoeing - Boeing: StartupBoeingHere is the cover page business plan for Aellas, this was the first livery rendition drawn according to specification (below). It took me a good two years to put this plan together, taking all the information collected from meetings with Air Tahiti Nui, Boeing, various airport authorities and other sources. Note the Table of Contents - about 100 pages for a macro-level snapshot for a start-up airline. The numbers were the most important part and a lot of work went into making sure everything was identified and realistic.A new US airline has to obtain an FAA 121 Flight Certificate (each country has their own counterpart to the FAA), the time frame being twelve to fourteen months. The Chief Pilot has to be a part of this process. Also, we had to get approval from the Greek Aviation Authority to obtain right to fly into and out of Athens.Other things on the list:Jeppesen supplies the software for proper flight planning. They also supply weather en route among other things.ATPCO - anything that has to do with fares, fare displays, confirmation numbers, all goes through Airline Tariff Publishing Company. They in turn, “push” it to SABRE for it to be published. Every travel agency company/travel website has a “PSUEDO Code” (pronouced pu-say-dough). So when you look for fares online, the airline had to file them and “push” it through. Also the airlines publish “Private Fare Filings” for specific consolidators, travel agents, websites, etc. This is why you may find different fares on multiple websites.Sabre for revenue, global evaluation capabilities, market share info, comparing fares.“Open Sky”/Gaitan responsible for baggage and boarding passes, this was going to be outsourced to Swissport.IATA Registration, Set-up of Codeshare/Interline Network, Set-up of Ground Operations, Completion of Department of Transportation Criteria, Landing Rights at ORD, IAD and ATH as well as securing gate availability.Below you will see the Organizational Chart for Aellas, which would be similar to any start-up airline. The Chief Pilot would manage a total of 16 pilots and co-pilots, 45 flight attendants would be under the Chief Purser, and all the Station Managers would report to the COO. This for two Boeing 777–200s serving four cities, three in the United States and one in Athens, Greece.A 767–300ER Route Analysis Summary from Boeing, below (note the various routes). There is one for the 777–200 as well, but not pictured. Many parts of the business plan has been purposely omitted.Some key points and facts:Air Tahiti Nui livery is a flower dropped in the water.Air Tahiti Nui executives told me when their newly purchased A340 landed at the Papeete airport for the delivery, they got emotional and teary-eyed.Upon boarding a Papeete-Los Angeles flight, the pilot came to my seat, and asked me to follow him to the cockpit. One of the most incredible memories of my life - flying jump seat on the A340 for take-off.I met with the various airport management offices of the three airports. This is where I was able to get airport rates (like the document below) and discuss the process of securing a slot.Olympic Airways was tentatively going to give Aellas their JFK slots in exchange for a codeshare. At that time, Olympic was very interested to work together.I discussed with the CEO of Ethiopian to codeshare the US-Athens-Addis Ababa route. The Aellas flight would connect to a Athens-Addis flight 2–3xs a week.The engines are better off without paint and/or logo. This is because if the outer shell needs to be replaced (or an engine) it can be taken off another plane without having to worry about matching the color or logo. The same goes for the nose.Swissport was to be the handling agent on behalf of Aellas at all airports. The Airport Manager at the various airports would serve as liaison between Aellas and Swissport. Swissport provides passenger handling, weight and balance of aircraft, ramp/cleaning, aircraft maintenance, deicing and counter space. Also cargo handling, departure lounges for VIPs and biz class passengersRoyal Olympic Cruises (ROC) committed to 40,000 to 50,000 seats during the May through August, 2003–2005, for their cruise ships. ROC wanted a separate check-in counter at airport as well as their logo on the headrests for a number of seats. Shortly after 9/11, ROC ran into financial problems and was folded into the Louis Group.Wanted to take advantage of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.I met with the then CEO of United Airlines who put me in touch with the codeshare office. I have to dig up the correspondence between United and Aellas for names, but at that time they were, “…happy with the Lufthansa relationship” but were interested in an interline agreement, which is one step before a codeshare.I met with founders of Aegean Air to see if there were any opportunities to work together. Aegean was just beginning to offer a handful of international destinations. They were not too happy with the plans for Aellas.Most in-flight magazines are out-sourced to publication houses like Conde-Nast.Cost of catering for business class per seat is less than $20.Business class kits are some times given by the brand being marketed, otherwise are very inexpensive to produce, about $2-$5.Studies showed a handful of other cities between US to/from Southern Europe are underserved like Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome and Athens. Also charter opportunities existed for the winter months in the Southern Hemisphere$100 million cash to start was what was needed for my model. Air Tahiti Nui thought $70 million was the magic number. You want to have cash available just in case.Looking back, the airline would have hit major headwinds, from 9/11 to the oil crisis and the economic meltdown in 2008–2009.Airport authorities monetize every movement from the moment the plane lands at their airport until it departs. Below you will find two of five pages from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for Washington Dulles, every airport has more of less the same breakdown. Every single action has a price tag - take a look below, which I found to be very interesting. For the first year of service, airlines flying into Athens Airport received a full year of services gratis.A sliver of the numbers part of a business plan for an airline, below. I want to give you an idea of how detailed and thorough a plan is for a start-up airline. The model was kept simple and uncomplicated. Cargo was also included, roughly 10% of revenue.At that time, before the announcement of the Dreamliner, Boeing told me I should get some 737 long-hauls and start flying them across the Atlantic because that is where the future is headed (what Norwegian is doing now).Cash Airplane Related Operating Costs, below, for four types of long-haul aircraft.LOPA or “Layout of Passenger Arrangement” (below). This was during a time when lie flat in business class was a new concept, also the entire economy class cabin was to be similar to United’s Economy Plus.Airline services are broken into four “Modules”, each giving a snap-shot of the the entire airline: Module One - General Information; Module Two -Configuration Data; Module Three - On-board Services (below); Module Four - Ground ServicesADDITION: Some questions I am being asked,Will you consider starting this up again? I never say never. The landscape has changed. Greece is in an economic spiral (even though Aegean is making money) and now United, Delta, and now, Emirates (Emirates!) have jumped into the picture. For Emirates to make this their second European-US route says a lot. What I would do differently is do exactly what Air Tahiti Nui is doing - changing to an all Dreamliner fleet. This is what I would do, the 787 is a very good airplane, and a workhorse. I would get a fleet of 787s and fly to Europe non-stop from places like Kansas City and Des Moines.

FAST FORWARD TO 2024 The Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2024 will have finally arrested the continued decline in its combat aircraft strength and attain a combat fighter aircraft fleet of 42 squadrons. For the first time, its fighter fleet will consist almost exclusively of twin engine fighters in the Rafale, Sukhoi-HAL Prospective Multirole Fighter (PMF), SU-30 MKI (upgraded), MiG-29 UPG and Jaguar strike fighter with the exception of upgraded Mirage 2000s, Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and few numbers of the MiG-21 ‘Bison’. It would have to cater for retirement from service of its entire MiG-27 fleet (an estimated 80 aircraft) and MiG-21 fleet (approximately 150 aircraft), starting a few years from now. The IAF currently operates nine squadrons of the venerable MiG-21, including six squadr(more)

Football players are normally much bigger, taller, heavier than the average airline passenger, these pampered millionaires (in the NFL) sit in large first class or business class seating, far more spacious than the normal airliner experience. The same goes for catering, peanuts or pretzels and a can of $4 Coke or Pepsi won’t cut it. In addition to the players a cadre of Team execs, promotional people a medical team travel along. Tons of equipment are loaded into the belly of the charter or team owned aircraft in addition to a semi truck and trailer that drive the majority of team equipment. Regular scheduled airline service is impractical for any reasons, a team knows when they plan to leave but coming back is not so definite. Games may be delayed by storms, overtime, flights may be returning home across time zones arriving at 2–5 am in the morning.Here are some photos and specific information- While the Patriots flew into Minneapolis-St. Paul airport for the 2018 Super Bowl it was in their newly purchased Boeing 767, the Eagles arrived in an American Airlines A330.But how do other teams get around the country during regular season? With eight away games every year (plus pre-season matches), teams have to do a fair amount of traveling, most of which is in the air. Not surprisingly, NFL football teams do not fly commercial. They charter large airplanes — or, if they are the New England Patriots, just buy them outright. Here’s a look at who flies what.Private AircraftThe Patriots are the first team to own their own aircraft; they bought two used Boeing 767s in 2017. The 767-323ER shown below is an extended range version that can fly for 12 hours. The team doesn’t usually need it for that long since the longest they’d be in the air on a transcontinental flight is about 6 hours to Oakland or LA. It’s safe to say that the Pats bought their 767, which used to fly for American Airlines, for its large size and relatively cheap price on the used market.10/03/2017 Warwick RI – New England Patriots take off in their new plane. Jonathan Wiggs / Globe Staff ReporterThe aircraft is outfitted with domestic first class recliner seats in a 2-3-2 and 2-2-2 configuration — each with its own entertainment system. Its home base is TF Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island (PVD).CharterAll other NFL teams travel by chartered aircraft. It allows teams to have the feeling of flying private without the costs of owning an airplane. Still, chartering jetliners can cost tens of thousands of dollars an hour, so it’s not exactly cheap.The big three US airlines operated almost all NFL team flights up until recently. Last fall, both United and American dropped clients when they found they could make more money using the planes for regular commercial service. American ended its contracts with the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and the Pittsburgh Steelers, while United dropped the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions.Right now, just three teams are flown by American: the Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. While American wouldn’t confirm what aircraft the teams are flown on, Philadelphia (PHL) and Charlotte (CLT) are both Airbus A330 bases, while Dallas (DFW) is a Boeing 777 and 767 location.Delta said it carried 10 teams this year, although it only confirmed the names of the three it officially partners with: the Atlanta Falcons, Minneapolis Vikings and Seattle Seahawks — with all three cities being Delta hubs. According to FlightAware, Delta used 767s, A330s and 757s for the Vikings and the Falcons.A Delta A330. Image by Gietje/Wikimedia Commons.Since 2000, Delta has carried 11 Super Bowl winners and told TPG that it’s the largest sports charter organization.“In fact, we’ve carried so many winners that we’ve trademarked the tag, ‘Official Airline of Champions,'” Delta said in an email to TPG.Rounding out the big three legacy carriers is United. The airline wouldn’t confirm with TPG which teams it flies, but online research shows that the airline likely still carries 10 teams: the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, LA Rams, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins all took United charters during the last season.The Chicago Bears deplane from a United Airlines charter flight in January 28, 2007 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)United, like other airlines, gives team charters a special flight number. The Houston Texans received UA2536 while the Denver Broncos got UA2544. United flew those teams in either wide-body 767-400s or single-aisle 757-300s.Some international carriers entered the mix this year since the league scheduled multiple games in London. Virgin Atlantic ferried the Jaguars from Jacksonville to London for one of the special games.Two lesser-known companies, Atlas Air and Miami Air, stepped in to help the teams that had been dropped by the big three carriers.Both the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers were flown on one of Miami Air’s seven 737-800s this season, the airline told TPG. The 737s it uses for sports charters are outfitted with a VIP interior containing only first-class seats in a 2-2 layout.The interior of Miami Air’s VIP 737-800. Image courtesy of Miami Air.Atlas Air is a large cargo, charter and airline lessor. It counts 81 aircraft in its fleet with a whopping 51 747s (the biggest fleet of Boeing 747s in the world), mostly cargo.The Jacksonville Jaguars charted a 747-400 from Atlas Air last season. The jumbo jet, usually operated for long-haul travel, was used on hops as short as 58 minutes when the Jaguars went to Atlanta.