APEX FTE EXPO 2026: C8Rtech Connects Airlines and Caterers Through One Digital Platform
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Airlines and caterers still use separate systems and manual processes to manage many parts of catering, and C8Rtech wants to change that. At APEX FTE EXPO in Singapore, the company will showcase its Catering Suite and Inflight Suite, which connect both sides through one digital platform. C8Rtech will take attendees through a realistic flight scenario to show how changes in passenger numbers, aircraft, or meal requirements can flow from airline planning into catering production and day-of-flight operations.
Connecting Airlines and Caterers
C8Rtech sees the gap between airlines and their catering partners as one of the biggest problems in airline catering today. Multiple non-integrated systems can lead to duplicated data and force teams to create manual workarounds to keep operations running.
“One of the biggest inefficiencies we see in airline catering today is still the disconnect between airlines and caterers,” C8Rtech Director APAC/Middle East Tuomas Pirskanen explained.
Pirskanen believes the industry needs to connect more of the catering process instead of focusing on individual digital tools. “The industry focus should be on a connected ecosystem instead of simply digitalizing individual processes,” he noted.
C8Rtech addresses that challenge by giving airlines and caterers one platform where both sides can work with the same data. Catering Suite handles the catering operation, while Inflight Suite gives airlines access to flight overviews, meal and galley information, and catering instructions.
A passenger-count or aircraft change, for example, can affect what the caterer needs to prepare for a specific flight. C8Rtech can update those requirements across the platform as changes happen, linking the airline’s latest information with what the caterer needs to prepare and deliver.
The company draws on more than 25 years of airline catering experience and its roots in the LSG Group when developing its technology. Pirskanen views that operational background as one of C8Rtech’s main strengths because it helps the company focus on problems airlines and caterers actually face.
Rather than digitalize individual tasks just for the sake of moving them online, C8Rtech uses customer requirements and its understanding of catering operations around the world to guide platform development.
Turning Catering Data Into Better Decisions
C8Rtech sees automation as another way to improve catering operations. If flight schedules, passenger numbers, or meal orders change, those updates can automatically flow into production and inventory planning instead of requiring several teams to adjust their plans separately.
That can save time, reduce errors, and help teams react more quickly. C8Rtech has digitalized parts of production through applications that give catering employees their tasks, instructions, and required outputs directly.
“With automation, our applications provide real-time visibility for operations while eliminating constant manual updates and paperwork,” Pirskanen said.
Airlines and caterers have changed what they want from catering technology. Rather than use separate systems that each handle one task, customers increasingly want platforms that support complete business processes and give them a clearer view of how their operations perform.
C8Rtech sees another opportunity in the data created throughout the catering process. Airlines and caterers can compare what they planned with what they produced, delivered, and passengers eventually consumed onboard.
Looking at those points together can help teams recognize patterns over time, including recurring changes around holiday seasons or events. “Better data enables airlines and caterers to move from being reactive to predictive,” Pirskanen explained.
More accurate forecasts can improve purchasing, production, and loading. If airlines and caterers better understand what passengers consume, they can make more accurate decisions about what to buy, prepare, and load while reducing unnecessary food waste.
Taking Attendees Through a Flight in Singapore
At APEX FTE EXPO, C8Rtech will put those capabilities into a realistic flight scenario. Rather than demonstrate Catering Suite and Inflight Suite separately, the company will let attendees follow the same flight from both the catering and airline perspectives.
“At our booth, we will make the connection between the airline and catering operation very tangible by taking attendees through a realistic flight scenario,” Pirskanen noted.
The demonstration will begin with Catering Suite, where attendees will see how teams manage flight and meal orders. If passenger numbers or aircraft change, the platform can immediately update meal and material requirements before moving those changes into production planning.
C8Rtech will then show its digital, paperless shopfloor process. Attendees will see how the system gives catering employees their tasks and instructions while providing real-time visibility into the operation.
Inflight Suite will show the airline side of the same flight. Attendees will see flight overviews, meal and galley information, catering instructions, and how airlines can coordinate final passenger numbers and last-minute changes with their catering partners.
Pirskanen sees the combination of real-time operational control and direct airline-caterer connectivity as one of the most relevant capabilities for airlines today. If schedules, passenger numbers, aircraft, or loading requirements change, both sides can work with the latest information instead of relying on emails, spreadsheets, and manual updates.
“The real value is that the same platform helps airlines manage today’s flight more effectively while also improving how they plan tomorrow’s catering,” Pirskanen said. In Singapore, C8Rtech will give airlines and caterers a chance to see that process in action from both sides of the operation.
C8Rtech will showcase its Catering Suite and Inflight Suite at booth 1021 during APEX FTE EXPO, with live demonstrations showing how airlines and caterers can manage catering through one shared digital platform.