In-Flight Catering Service Market - Forecast(2024 - 2030)

In-Flight Catering Service Market Overview

The In-Flight Catering Service market size is estimated to reach $23.2 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period 2021-2026. In-Flight Catering service involves the preparation and delivery of various food items for consumption by airline passengers during flight. The process involves the catering service provider cooking the meals in hot and cold kitchen assembly at or near the airport. The meals are packed and delivered to the aircraft in order to be arranged in the onboard Storage. While in flight, the food is heated using a blast chiller and served to customers via an airline service trolley. The global increase in disposable income and the resultant increase in business and leisure traveling are anticipated to drive the market. However, the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent travel restrictions imposed by various nations, and stringent health and safety standards are major factors that restrict the growth of the In-Flight Catering Service Industry.

Report Coverage

The report: “In-Flight Catering Service Market Forecast (2021-2026)”, by Industry ARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the In-Flight Catering Service Market.

Key Takeaways

• Geographically, the Asia Pacific market accounted for the largest In-Flight Catering Service Market Market share in 2020 and it is poised to dominate the market over the period 2021-2026 owing to the increase in disposable income and many nations in the region such as China and Japan being able to control the Covid-19 pandemic spread.
• Reduction in global travel restrictions owing to the containment of the virus spread and increasing vaccination rates is anticipated to drive the market. However, the low shelf-life of food items along with the stringent health and safety standards that needs to be followed is anticipated to hamper growth.
• Detailed analysis on the Strength, Weaknesses, and Opportunities of the prominent players operating in the market will be provided in the In-Flight Catering Service Market report.
  
  

  In-Flight Catering Service Market Segment, By Geography (%)

  

In-Flight Catering Service Market Segment Analysis - By Flight Type

Based on Flight Type, the In-Flight Catering Service market is segmented into Full-Service Carrier, Low-Cost Carrier, and Others. The Low-Cost carrier dominated the market in 2020 with a share of 5.6% during the forecast period 2021-2026 owing to a large number of short-haul domestic flights. The Covid-19 and the resulting restrictions imposed by the majority of the countries caused a total ban or limitations in intranational flights. However, the restrictions in domestic travel between states or provinces were less severe and short-lived. This allowed the Low-Cost carriers to become the largest segment in the market. Owing to their low cost, the carriers primarily serve convenience foods, beverages, and meals in-flight. However, the Full-Service carrier is projected to register the fastest growth rate during the forecast period owing to the relaxation of travel restrictions by major countries along with the increase in vaccination rates globally. 

In-Flight Catering Service Market Segment Analysis - By Airline Class

The In-Flight Catering Service Market based on Airline Class can be further segmented into Economy Class, Business Class, First Class, and Others. Of these, the Economy Class accounted for the largest share of the In-Flight Catering Service market owing to the highly affordable ticket price and a large number of economy seats available per aircraft. The Economy Class is also projected to be the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period 2021-2026 at a CAGR of 5.8% owing to the revival of business and tourism air travel after the reduction in restrictions. Growing disposable income and lifestyle changes in developing regions is another major factor promoting the growth of this segment. In-flight meals are usually provided during long-haul flights for the economy class.

In-Flight Catering Service Market Segment Analysis - By Geography

The In-Flight Catering Service Market based on Geography can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Rest of the World. The Asia Pacific region accounted for the largest market share of more than 27% owing to the rapid GDP growth and industrialization in major developing countries such as China and India. With the increase in development and disposable income, people have become more attracted to air travel than other substitutes such as rail and road. For instance, the number of passengers handled in Indian airports rose from 168.9 million in 2014 to 341.1 million in 2020. However, the North American market is anticipated to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period owing to the removal of stringent travel restrictions imposed in several parts of the region. This is causing a rapid rise in both domestic and international air travel which will drive the market during the forecast period. 

In-Flight Catering Service Market Drivers 

Increase in Global Vaccination Rates is Projected to Drive Market Growth

The increase in the population of vaccinated people is anticipated to drive the market owing to the fact that vaccinated people face lower restrictions for both domestic and international travel. For instance, international travel to Canada requires the person to be fully vaccinated and the proof of vaccination has to be uploaded on ArriveCAN. The number of fully vaccinated people globally increased from only 11.8 million on February 1^st to 3.37 billion on 15^th September 2021.

Rise in the Popularity of Low-Cost Airlines is Anticipated to Boost Service Demand

With the increase in disposable income in developing countries, the demand for air travel has risen significantly. This has led to the growth of several low-cost airlines that provide seats at such low prices that they compete with the railways. Moreover, many of these airlines also provide in-flight foods for long-haul flights that last for more than 2.5 hours. Some of the popular low-cost airlines are Spirit airlines, Ryanair, EasyJet, Indigo, and Air Asia.

In-Flight Catering Service Market Challenges

Removal of In-Flight meals by Various Budget Airlines is Anticipated to Hamper Market Growth

With high competition among low-cost and ultra-low-cost airline companies, many have opted to completely remove in-flight meal options for passengers to further decrease ticket prices and operating costs. This is a major challenge that can restrain growth as In-Flight Catering Services are no longer required by these flights. For instance, American Airlines limited serving onboard meals based on flight length and duration. 

Covid-19 Restrictions on the Airline Industry is projected to limit growth opportunities

Owing to the growing cases and emergence of new variants of the Covid-19 virus, several restrictions are imposed on airline travel and serving onboard meals, which is anticipated to hamper growth. Several countries have banned international flights from places with high covid-19 cases. For instance, the UK banned travelers from 62 countries in 2021 owing to the fear of new virus variants. Moreover, with wearing masks mandatory in flights of many airlines, serving onboard meals for flights less than 2 hours is banned as customers have to remove masks to eat. This will further decrease the demand for the In-Flight Catering Market. 

In-Flight Catering Service Market Industry Outlook:

Product launches, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and geographical expansions are key strategies adopted by players in the In-Flight Catering Service Market. The top 10 companies in of the industry are-

1. Gategroup
2. Newrest Group International S.A.S
3. LSG Sky Chefs
4. Do & Co
5. Emirates Flight Catering
6. SATS Limited
7. Cathay Pacific Airways Limited
8. Flying Food Group LLC
9. Saudi Airlines Catering Company
10. Royal In-Flight Catering

Partnerships/Product Launches:

• In December 2020, Gategroup completed the acquisition of LSG’s European operations. With the acquisition of LSG Europe, Gategroup was able to reinforce the core of its business.
• In October 2019, Newrest group announced the acquisition of the EM Food Services company in order to expand their business presence in the Southeast Asian region.

Relevant Links:

Aircraft Interiors Market – Forecast (2021 - 2026)
Report Code: AD 0003

Asia Pacific Bakery Market – Forecast (2021 - 2026)
Report Code: FBR 0411

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