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Gallery: Gategroup Serves Up Onboard Cuisine

Linda Blachly April 20, 2023
Credit: Photo credit: gategroup

Gategroup’s 126,000 sq.-ft. kitchen facility at IAD is one of 30 locations in the US and around 200 globally. 
 

Credit: Photo credit: gategroup

After arriving at the facility in bulk-sized containers and crates, the food products—cans, eggs, meat, grains, fresh produce, drinks, desserts and packaged snacks—are separated, cooked and packaged according to each airline’s specifications.
 

Credit: Photo credit: gategroup

Local chefs prepare, supervise and digitally monitor the entire process to ensure quality and safety.
 

Credit: Photo credit: gategroup

Gategroup procures roughly more than $2 billion worth of food products annually.

Credit: Photo credit: gategroup

Airlines are paying particular attention to the front of the cabin on international flights to offer an “exceptional food service experience” that goes beyond chicken or beef or pasta as a vegetarian option.
 

Credit: Photo credit: gategroup

Gategroup’s kitchen at IAD employs more than 900 workers to prepare, supervise, plate up, quality check and deliver onboard cuisine to airline passengers.

Credit: Photo credit: gategroup

An employee checks food trolleys to make sure they contain the correct amount and type of food for each airline.

Credit: Photo credit: gategroup

The food trolleys are being prepared to load onto the awaiting trucks at the loading dock.

Credit: Photo credit: gategroup

Loaded Gategroup trucks head to the tarmac to load the food trolleys onto the awaiting aircraft at IAD.

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Zurich-based gategroup, which provides catering services to airlines including Air France, British Airways, LATAM, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and United Airlines, has a 126,000 sq.-ft. kitchen facility at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) that produces more than 50,000 meals per week for delivery to all cabin classes. In the summer months that number jumps to more than 100,000.

ATW Senior Associate Editor Linda Blachly was invited to tour gategroup’s IAD facility. 

All photos courtesy of gategroup.

Linda Blachly

Linda Blachly is Senior Associate Editor for Air Transport World and Aviation Week. She joined the company in July 2010 and is responsible for producing features for Air Transport World’s monthly magazine and engaging content for the aviationweek.com. She is based in the Washington DC office.

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