In-Flight Service

And the World’s Top In-flight Caterer Goes to…

March 10, 2015 | Written by Caroline Ku

best-inflight-caterer-2 — (Left to right): LSG Sky Chefs – MUC, Europe/ME/Africa Regional Gold Winner & Worldwide Platinum Winner with Virgin Atlantic and Medina Quality Team. Audrey Hart from Virgin Atlantic Airways, Kate Richardson from Medina Quality, Peter Stauch from LSG Sky Chefs – MUC, Danielle Medina from Medina Quality, Klaus Neumeister from LSG Sky Chefs – MUC, Tiffany Eversley from Medina Quality, David Medina from Medina Quality, Matthew Brown from Medina Quality.

In case you weren’t aware, there are people who take the safety and quality of in-flight meals very seriously – so much so that every year, an award is given to the top airline caterers.

The organization behind these awards is Medina Quality, who developed the Quality and Safety Alliance In-flight Services (QSAI) program in 2011 to work with airlines to improve in-flight food supplier compliance with internationally recognized standards.

This year, the gala was held at the Cousiño Macul winery in Santiago, Chile where for four years, platinum, gold, silver and bronze awards have been presented by geographic region to Asia and the Americas with the Middle East, Europe and Africa falling into one group.

Participating airlines included Air Canada, Air France, Air Tahiti Nui, Aeroflot Russian Airways, All Nippon Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.

(Left to right): Yoshio Takaoka from Kansai In-Flight Catering Co. Ltd. – KIX, Leana Kong – Le Loch from Air Tahiti Nui, Hervé Paris from Servair, Masaya Nagahama from Kansai In-Flight Catering Co. Ltd. – KIX, Kate Richardson from Medina Quality.

(Left to right): Attending Winners Yoshio Takaoka from Kansai In-Flight Catering Co. Ltd. – KIX, Elvis Cisneros from Goddard Catering Group – BON, Frank Sanchez from Gate Gourmet – MIA, Masaya Nagahama from Kansai In-Flight Catering Co. Ltd. – KIX.

Kate Richardson, Client Manager, Medina Quality Masters of Ceremony.

This year, LSG Sky Chefs at Munich Airport took the Platinum Award for Worldwide Excellence. They previously won the Gold award in 2013.

Click here for a video of the QSAI Awards gala:

The 2014 QSAI Excellence Awards winners are:
Platinum Worldwide: LSG Sky Chefs – MUC (Munich Airport, Munich, Germany)

Middle East/Europe/Africa:
Gold-LSG Sky Chefs – MUC (Munich Airport, Munich, Germany)
Silver-Saudi Airlines Catering – DMM (King Fahd International Airport, Dammam, Saudi Arabia)
Bronze-Servair Nigeria – LOS (Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Nigeria)

Asia:
Gold-Kansai Inflight Catering Co. Ltd. – KIX (Kansai International Airport, Osaka, Japan)
Silver-Oberoi Flight Services – DEL (Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, India)
Bronze-ANA Catering Service Co. Ltd. – HND (Haneda Tokyo International Airport, Japan)

Americas:
Gold-LSG Sky Chefs – EZE (Ministro Pistarini International Airport, Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Silver-Goddard Catering Group – BON (Flamingo International Airport, Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands)
Bronze-Gate Gourmet – MIA (Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida)