PAX September/ October VOL 15. NO. 5

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PA X I N T E R N AT I O N A L

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 | VOL. 15, NO. 5 | w w w . p a x- i n t l . c o m

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APEX AIRCRAFT INTERIORS IFSA ■

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PLUS THE GUESTLOGIX

USER GROUP CONFERENCE

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 VOLUME 15, NUMBER 5

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The ultimate passenger experience begins with a map. © 2011 Rockwell Collins, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

PAX International 26 Pearl Street, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 1X2, Canada Tel: (1 905) 821-3344; Fax: (1 905) 821-2777 website: www.pax-intl.com

PUBLISHER Aijaz Khan E-mail: aijaz@globalmarketingcom.ca

EDITORIAL OFFICES

Partners: Yours and Ours

T

his issue of PAX International, the largest in the nearly 15-year history of the magazine, has lots of coverage about partnerships.

There are partnerships that have resulted in improved revenue for companies that would, in years past, have been competitors.

There are stories of partnerships between organizations and companies that have brought about important advancements in food safety.

If you are holding this issue in your hands this fall in Seattle, you are witnessing the affects of another partnership between three vital groups as they bring the cabin service industry, in all its incarnations together in one place. A similar partnership will show itself next spring in Hamburg, when the Aircraft Interiors Expo incorporates the International Travel Catering Association Exhibition (ITCA) in its yearly event.

The business of business-to-business partnerships has been borne of necessity in a shrinking world. No longer can a company thrive in an ivory tower. Many can now acknowledge that there are some things that a rival company does better, and combining strengths is important to making an entire mar-

ket segment stronger, more efficient and in the end better for the customer.

If you like what you’re reading in this issue, you have a few of our partners to thank as well.

The airline catering industry’s two associations have been hospitable and cooperative in the midst of important transitions of their own.

The newly named Airline Passenger Experience Association has taken exciting new directions for their member airlines. Reed Exhibition Services has provided continued support to our magazine through stand space and distribution opportunities. In our Association News section you will see more news from our partner in all things at sea, the Marine Hotel Association. Also, we stay on top of the world of ancillary revenue through out association with Guestlogix and their well-attended October 3-5 User Group Conference.

Also, we must acknowledge our advertisers, new and established, that have kept us going so we can now be part of a segment of the aviation industry shows all the signs of an exciting future.

Rick Lundstrom Editor-in-Chief, PAX International

Rick Lundstrom, Editor in Chief PAX International 723 Jefferson Street, NE Minneapolis, MN 55413, USA Tel: (1 612) 378-0862 Fax: (1 612) 378-0852 E-mail: rick@pax-intl.com Maryann Simson, Associate Editor Tel: (1 905) 821-3344 x31 E-mail: maryann@pax-intl.com Chantelle Boyal, Associate Editor Tel: (1 905) 821-3344 x21 E-mail: chantelle@pax-intl.com

A R T D E PA R T M E N T Patrick Balanquit, Art Director E-mail: patrick@globalmaketingcom.ca

ADVERTISING OFFICES Deepa J, Subscription & Conference Manager Tel: (1 905) 821-3344 x35 Fax: (1 905) 821-2777 E-mail: deepa@globalmarketingcom.ca PAX International is published six times a year (January/February, March/April, May, June/July/August, September/October, November/December) by PAX International, 26 Pearl Street, Mississauga, Ontario L5M 1X2, Canada. International Distribution.

Subscriptions: $200 for one year; $300 for two years; $400 for three years. Art and photographs will not be returned unless accompanied by return postage. The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher or editor. June/August 2011, Vol. 15, No. 4. Printed in Canada. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. © PAX International magazine

Want more? Visit us online to check out our current e.Newsletter, read recent print issues or vote in the PAX International Readership Awards. www.pax-intl.com www.pax-intl.com

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Pax International Dream Letter 434X303 US.pdf 2011.8.4 2:17:40 PM

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 | VOL. 12, NO. 6

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33 “WE NOTICE THAT AIRLINES MORE AND MORE ARE LOOKING FOR UNIQUE CONCEPTS AND BRANDS TO DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES FROM OTHERS.” Marcel Vogel, Axxent Tea and Coffee Page 68

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EDITOR’S COMMENTS

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NEWS

20 NEW FACES, NEW PLACES

Contents REGIONAL REPORT 22 NORTHWEST PASSAGE

Alaska Airlines mines the bounty of the rich Pacific Northwest for menu favorites

24 A BROKER’S LIFE

From its headquarters in West Seattle, The Hoffman Group seeks products that add value to the food selections of airlines

26 GREEN AND GLOBAL

Global Inflight Products will be staying close to home for this year’s IFSA Conference, bringing with them cosmetics, amenities and headsets with a popular theme

28 SETTING A NEW COURSE

D&F Marketing Inc. welcomes new executives and targets business opportunities following the sale of sister company D&F Marketing GmbH to Air Caterer Munich GmbH in December, 2010

86 WHAT’S HOT! 92 ASSOCIATION NEWS 94 ADVERTISER’S INDEX

82 CULINARY CACHE

94 CALENDAR EVENTS 6

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Holland America’s partnership with Le Cirque moves across the fleet with a new menu in the works

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IFE AND CONNECTIVITY 30 STRAIGHT TALK

Russ Lemieux, Executive Director of the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX), shares some thoughts about ongoing improvement of the association formerly known as WAEA

32 CONNECTING THE DOTS

PAX International recently interviewed spokespeople from five connectivity players - each one approaching the game from a unique angle

38 CREATING CONTENT-ED PASSENGERS

Procurement, creation and delivery of diverse programming drives the entertainment experience onboard

INTERIORS 40 A SEAT IN THE SKY

New materials and easier IFE interfaces are among the priorities of two seat makers confronted with the challenge of creating comfort in economy class

44 SERVING TWO MASTERS

Manufacturers of the latest galley equipment conduct rigorous testing designed to satisfy regulators who demand safety, and customers who demand that, and much more

ANCILLARY REVENUE 50 NO GUESSWORK HERE

62 CUBIC INNOVATION

Now a staple of North American inflight cuisine, the multicomponent snack or meal box is becoming more creative, refined, profitable, and yes, even fun

SUPPLIER FOCUS 66 DOES A BODY GOOD

PAX International talks to dairy suppliers about the food group’s role in the airline catering industry

68 BEHIND THE BEANS

A complex world comes into focus when coffee and tea producers for the transportation sector talk about what it takes for passengers to savor a simple pleasure

74 TABLE MANNER

FSP and AMKO discuss supplies reusable tableware and flatware products made from stainless steel and porcelain and tray mats to enhance the dining experience

WINE 76 UPPING THE STAKES

John Schwartz of Wente Vineyards and Denise Poole of AMI Wines weigh in on inflight trends and the effect of major airline consolidations on the competitive landscape

78 INTERVINE CELEBRATES 20 YEARS WITH

LANDMARK CONTRACT WIN

GuestLogix rolls out the red carpet for its third annual User Group Conference in Toronto

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NEWS An artist’s rendering ABSOLUT’s Celestial Bars on Korean Air’s A380s

AIRLINE

ABSOLUT and Korean Air launch Celestial Bars

ABSOLUT vodka and Korean Air teamed up innovation that are also core to Korean Air.” with the launch of the carrier’s A380 this For ABSOLUT, the Korean Air collaborasummer, outfitted with the ABSOLUT Celes- tion has brought with it a new set of challenges for the brand’s design team. “Designing for tial Bars.

“With the Celestial Bars, we want to bring an aircraft was a new world to us, though we some of the classic jet set glamour back, have extensive experience in building bars updated for an all-new generation of aircraft in all imaginable kinds of environments,” and style of travel,” says Anders Olsson, says Olsson. “The merging of design, extreme Director of The Absolut Company Global high-tech and extreme security issues was exciting and most challenging.

Travel Retail.

“In aviation, every detail is crucial, in the Korean Air has ordered 10 A380s with the first five to be delivered by the end of 2011 true meaning of that word,” he continues. and an additional five by 2014. In addition to “Everything is stripped down to the barest the onboard Celestial Bars (two in Business essentials to meet security and spatial Class, one in First Class), the new A380s also demands. These extreme demands put presfeature an onboard Duty Free Showcase, out- sure on us to purify our design, which elefitted with a selection of high-end and exclu- vates quality.”

There are no visible logos in the bars. sive products.

“This is a great endeavor very much in line The ABSOLUT brand communicated through with our evolution as a competitive airline in a pattern inspired by traditional Korean woodthe Far East market and globally,” says carvings, decorated with the familiar ABSOHeather Cho, Senior Vice President of Korean LUT bottle shape. The pattern is used in the Airlines Catering and In-flight Sales Busi- bar wallpaper and drink coasters. There are ness Division. “We’re extremely pleased to also a variety of drink folders and cards with have ABSOLUT as our partner in this venture. exclusively created drinks, offering guests I myself have long been a fan of ABSOLUT. inspiration to mix their own (one of the It’s a brand that represents all the cutting-edge onboard bars is serviced by a bartender/mixolvalues of quality, exclusivity, creativity and ogist, while the other two are self-service).

ANA gets 787 for flying tests

Starting in July, the 787 from Boeing began its final steps to service with tests over Japanese airspace by All Nippon Airways.

The carrier was putting the aircraft through its paces on Japanese routes while mechanics and ground crews gained experience on the Dreamliner in a simulated operational environment.

“The Dreamliner is an integral part of our plans to become Asia’s number one airline,” said the carrier’s President and CEO, Shinichiro Ito. “And will allow us to bring new standards of comfort and ser-

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“This venture has also been exciting and challenging from a branding perspective,” Olsson continues. “It’s proof of our brand’s power and our design concept that we can strip away almost everything, including our logotype, and still communicate our brand in a very clear, sophisticated and effective manner.”

Three ABSOLUT drink concepts are available onboard: ABSOLUT ELYX drinks—pure drinks mixed with the new super-premium vodka from ABSOLUT to be launched in the global duty-free/travel retail market in July; the simple two-ingredient drink concept with various ABSOLUT flavors mixed with optimally selected mixers; and finally, ABSOLUT DRINK LAB drinks—a variety of classic and innovative drinks created by mixologist André Basile Leon. Six cocktails were chosen following a special cocktail tasting event carried out by Korean Air for VIP customers.

“Yet another exciting quality in this project is that it provides a fantastic opportunity to inspire a very advanced and trendsetting audience with an innovative new generation of drinks and cocktails,” Olsson concludes.

— Ryan White

vice to our passengers. Validating all our training and preparations for the Dreamliner is critical to help ensure a smoother entry into service for our passengers and crew later this year.”

The Dreamliner landed at Haneda Airport early the morning of July 4. The weeklong validation process began immediately. Maintenance, servicing and flight crew operations took place in Tokyo, Osaka, Okayama and Hiroshima. ANA plans its first scheduled flight on its Haneda-Okayama or Haneda-Hiroshima route later this year.

It will be part of a 55 aircraft order and Boeing plans to deliver the first ordered 787 to ANA in the August to September timeframe.

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Introduces Intr o oduc es new new “Buy “Buy y on Board” Board” pillow/blanket pillow/blanket kit

2010 ME MEGA GA A AWARD WARD for for Be B st Mer chandising Pr oduct Best Merchandising Product Visit us at IF IFSA SA Seattle: Seattle: Booth Booth 421P, 421P, 520P www.wessco.net www.wessco.net

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NEWS

Cathay Pacific cabin crew showcase the airline’s new uniforms

AIRLINE

Cathay Pacific picks Eddie Lau designed uniforms Front line staff at Cathay Pacific Airways will be getting a new look with the carrier’s ninth change in uniforms in its 60-year history.

Cathay Pacific launched its new staff uniforms in late June. They will be worn by 8,000 cabin crew members and 4,000 airport staff in reservations and cargo.

The new uniforms were launched at an

event at the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong hosted by the airline’s CEO John Slosar and designer Eddie Lau. The airline says the new uniform is an “evolution” of the previous line. Cathay Pacific chose to keep its red themed uniform, its brush-wing logo, standing collar and cuffs and long skirts.

Lau and his staff have been working on the new designs for more than two years.

He worked with members for the airline’s Marco Polo frequent flier club and more than 1,000 staff. After a design was decided, it went through a six-week test period to make sure the new uniform was functional and met occupational health and safety standards.

CATERING

Air Meals launches pre-sell solution for ancillary gains Air Meals, a three-year-old Silicon Valley-based firm that provides pre-sell ordering solutions to carriers has completed development of a new solution called TOTAL PreSell that it says will help airlines boost ancillary revenues by prompting customers to order upscale meals, magazines and other services through an online storefront before their trip.

The storefront, combined with a multi-channel AM-1 pre-sell system, comprises a full and functionality-rich IT solution that is supported with a call center for post-purchase support and e-mail marketing services. Passengers booked to fly with an airline running the pre-sell system receive a pre-board email three

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to seven days before departure with a link to the storefront.

All aspects of the solution from web storefront to emails and call center experience can be carrier branded and set up to support social media tie-ins.

“We work with carriers and their caterers to reach passengers before they board,” said Air Meals’ President Adam Bauer. “We pride ourselves on innovation and product leadership.

Carriers can generate more pre-sell revenue with Air Meals solutions than any other option.”

Bauer told PAX International that the TOTAL PreSell solution would soon be in use by a major North American carrier.

A screen capture shows how the Air Meals online portal could appear once branded by a carrier

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NEWS CRUISE LINES

AIRLINE

Dragonair brings Hong Kong favorites to delight passengers Dragonair first boarded a wide variety of new onboard menu items with the theme “Hong Kong Delights” in mid June.

The list was extensive, but featured are popular items such as the cocktail bun, egg tart, Hong Kong styled milk tea, steamed rice hot pot casserole and double-boiled soup.

All in all, more than 60 dishes were added to the menu and will be phased in over several Dragonair destinations.

The Delights were a way of teaming Hong Kong based Dragonair with the city’s famous food culture, which ranges from fine dining to delectable street food. “The unique offering of wide-ranging Hong Kong-style dishes best demonstrates how we continuously strive to put our passengers first and ensure that they have the most enjoyable journey,” said the airline’s CEO James Tong, in the June 16 announcement of the new dishes.

Fish ball and rice soup are among the authentic Hong Kong offerings served on Dragonair

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Princess Cruises to ban smoking in cabins and balconies Starting next year, passengers on Princess Cruises will no longer be allowed to smoke in staterooms or on balconies, the cruise line announced in June.

The new policy takes affect January 15, 2012. The line says the change is the result of changing consumer demands, particularly from Europe and North America.

“Smokers are small minority of our passengers,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises' executive vice president. “And the large majority of passenger value having their primary living space onboard smoke free.”

Princess plans to provide smoking passengers with special venues.

Smoking will be allowed in the Churchill cigar lounges, a section of the disco and casino and a portion of the ship’s open decks.

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premium fliers will be able to focus better on the in-flight entertainment. Or take advantage of the noise cancellation to quietly relax and think in peace. Consumer Traveler said, “For use in airplane travel, I consider the Bose QuietComfort 15 the best overall.” No other headphones offer the same combination of

less noise, lifelike sound and a comfortable fit. And our high-quality materials and attention to detail make the Bose QC15 headphones a reliable long-term investment. Try them for yourself and we think you’ll agree…they will enhance the value of your IFE system,

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For more information, please contact us at your convenience:

1-508-766-4075 or airlineheadphones@Bose.com ©2011 Bose Corporation. Quote reprinted with permission.

The distinctive design of the headphone oval ring is a trademark of Bose Corporation.

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NEWS CRUISE LINES

The First And Only Fully Automated Beverage System t 4BWF JO MPHJTUJDT DPTUT BOE TQBDF t 0WFSBMM JOGPSNBUJPO USBOTGFS t 4BWF VQ UP LH MCT QFS n JHIU t "WPJE UPOT PG HBSCBHF QFS ZFBS t 4BWF TQBDF GPS POF NPSF TFBU BOE FOKPZ n FYJCMF TZSVQ CFBSJOH t *ODSBTF BEWFSUJTJOH FĂľ PSUT BOE HBJO UVSOPWFS PQQPSUVOJUJFT t )JHIMJHIU ZPVS TQFDJBM QSPNPUJPOT t 4VQQPSU TVDDFTT JO EVUZ GSFF POCPBSE TBMFT t 4FSWF ZPVS QBTTFOHFST GBTUFS BOE NPSF DPNGPSUBCMF XJUI B MBSHF WBSJFUZ PG ESJOLT

Carnival releases new edition of Towel Creations guide Carnival Cruise Lines’ famous towel animals have been part of the cruise line’s operations for more than 20 years, and now passengers can get some inside tips on how to make their own towel origami and help an important children’s research hospital.

Carnival announced that it has published a new edition of Towel Creations. With $1 from each sale going to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the cruise line has a goal of raising more than US$3 million over the next three years.

Towel Creations gives tricks of the trade for making 40 towel animals. Housekeeping staff on the cruise line fold more than 10 million towel animals each year to fill its 29,000 staterooms.

The book is available in Carnival Cruise Lines gift shops and from stateroom stewards for $14.95.

St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is an important research center for pediatric cancer and other catastrophic diseases.

IFE & CONNECTIVITY

Row 44 and Lufthansa Technik form engineering services and integration partnership

SkyTender is a registered trademark of Air-Eltec Luftfahrtelektrik GmbH, Germany Distributed by SkyMax GmbH Grosshorst 3 ¡ 30916 Isernhagen ¡ Germany Phone +49 5136 9723066 Fax +49 5136 9723065 Email info@skymax.eu Internet www.skymax.eu

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Row 44, Inc., provider of in-flight broadband entertainment, announced June 6 that it has formed a partnership with Lufthansa Technik, global provider of manufacturer-independent maintenance, repair, overhaul and modification services to civil aviation.

"Row 44 is extending our services globally," said Vice President of Sales Frederick St. Amour. "Working with such a highly respected and successful engineering services firm as Lufthansa Technik gives us tremendous confidence that Row 44's products and airline partnerships will be well supported and highly successful worldwide. We are honored to be working with Lufthansa Technik, and look forward to developing our relationships with them."

Commercial airlines that select Row 44's in-flight broadband platform will be able to utilize Lufthansa Technik’s installation, certification and integration services. Row 44 will certify and work closely with the company to reduce installation and maintenance time and costs and reduce overall project risks.

"This partnership reinforces Row 44's commitment to excellence for our airline partners around the world," said Howard Lefkowitz, Row 44's Chief Commercial Officer. "Lufthansa Technik's reputation for excellence is known throughout the industry, and Row 44 is proud to be able to deliver airlines such a high level of engineering service as part of our offering."

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Join us at the table

*And other International Airlines

for a cost effective way to improve food safety, quality and your confidence.

QSAI participating airlines have been working towards a common goal with their in-flight caterers; giving them confidence that diligent efforts are being made to protect against food safety risk, improve food quality and tackle regulatory requirements.

Set the bar for in-flight. An internationally recognized standard and audit process means less confusion for the industry on how to achieve that confidence.

Share the cost of a common goal. As a pooled auditing programme, QSAI allows participating airlines to share the cost of a sophisticated and robust programme that reduces risk while it improves quality.

QSAI is the turnkey solution for your airline. Whether you already have a team or are looking for ways to enhance passenger safety and protect your brand without putting pressure on valuable airline resources, QSAI delivers confidence.

To join us at the table, contact Kate Richardson, Client Manager at krichardson@medinaquality.com or visit us at www.qsaiinternational.com/joinus

Medina Quality is an IATA Strategic Partner and a food quality and safety assurance firm with over 30 years of experience in the in-flight catering sector and over 15,000 audits conducted on in-flight food & service suppliers worldwide.

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NEWS IFE & CONNECTIVITY

Donica forms new IFE media integration company Donica International Inc. announced this summer that it has set up a new operation based in California to provide comprehensive media integration to its customers.

The new company, named Donica Inflight Entertainment Services Inc., will be based at one of the newest, state-of-the-art media integration labs in California, states the company. It will provide Donica customers with one point of contact for all of their media integration requirements including the encoding and encryption of movies, TV shows and audio channels for use onboard aircraft.

The Donica range of Digital Media Reproducers allows for a plug and play replacement to aging IFE video tape machines which are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and source the necessary media for. In moving from an analogue video source to a complete digital source, video quality and sound improves significantly, as does its ease of use.

"With the imminent demise of the video tape onboard aircraft, we are excited to have created this new company,” said Guy Kennett, CEO of Donica International. “We look forward to providing our airline clients with the highest quality in-flight entertainment products and content for many years to come.”

Donica aims to develop and grow integration services around its hardware platforms.

New name, logo and service for Aircell

Aircell, an Itasca, Illinois-based technology company that outfits aircraft with in-flight Wi-Fi, is in the process of launching a multimedia service that provides passengers with real-time news, shopping, travel information and social networking.

The company also recently changed its name to Gogo, the brand name for its Wi-Fi service on commercial airlines, and created a new logo.

A Gogo website under construction will be the portal for its new services and travelers will be able to access the site on their individual devices, such as laptops, smartphones or tablets.

Ash Eidifrawi, Gogo’s Chief Marketing Officer, said each airline can customize the site to incorporate its own branding and content.

Passengers who would like to access the Internet will be charged for in-flight Wi-Fi use. The website will launch later this year with Delta Air Lines and the company hopes that all of its airline partners will offer the service by early 2012. Gogo is also working on its in-flight video streaming service, which is in a beta testing phase and will launch this fall with American Airlines.

The company will continue to provide business aviation services under the Aircell brand name.

presents

Austrian Airlines’ Business Class Care Kit

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NEWS IFE & CONNECTIVITY

Gulf Air picks Panasonic for communications suite

Brand benefit Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter portions

Gulf Air will outfit its fleet with the Global Communications Suite of inflight broadband Internet, phone service and television programming, starting in September and continuing over the next two years.

“It is imperative…that our fleet, both current and future, is fitted with state-of-the-art entertainment and communications systems,” said Gulf Air CEO Samer Majali in the announcement of the new agreement.

The system gives passengers the chance to have high-speed Internet, 3G and 4G mobile data speed connectivity, voiceover-Internet streaming, videos and an inflight television satellite stream.

Panasonic will supply its two-way broadband connectivity through its eXConnect support service. The company’s xPhone is available after the aircraft reaches 20,000 feet and works with AeroMobile’s inflight phone technology.

EVA Airways selects Airshow 4200 3D moving map Kerrygold is synonymous with excellent product quality. The mild Irish climate enables the cows to graze on open meadows and enjoy the best possible feed – namely fresh, rich meadow grass.

This results in an excellent quality milk, and contributes to the unique pack for economy class inflight catering.

UÊÊLÕÌÌiÀÊ« ÀÌ ÃÊ vviÀi`Ê Êv Ê>ÃÊÜi Ê>ÃÊ in minidishes UÊÊ `i> Ê« ÀÌ Ê«>V Êv ÀÊiV ÞÊV >ÃÃ inflight catering UÊiÝ>VÌÊV ÃÌÊ> `Ê« ÀÌ ÊV ÌÀ UÊ>ÃÃÕÀi`Êv `ÊÃ>viÌÞ

Take advantage of the brand potential!

For further information contact: Tel.: 0049 2841 88 80 320 aritterskamp@idb-deutschland.de www.kerrygold-catering.com

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Taiwan-based EVA Airways has selected Rockwell Collins’ Airshow 4200D 3D moving map system for 36 of its aircraft, including three new A330s (scheduled for first delivery later in 2011), and its fleet of 33 A330-200, 777-300ER and 747-400 aircraft.

The system includes a new graphical design that utilizes NASA’s Blue Marble map data, which is based on actual satellite imagery, to provide a modernized view of real-time flight information to passengers. New features and performance enhancements include a global map package that provides major improvements in detail and coverage worldwide like new time and flight status display, realistic day and night views on all 3D maps and a new head-up display that offers a pilot’s-eye view of the flight.

Additionally, airlines can deliver custom, branded content through the system including on-screen aircraft livery, promotional videos, safety briefings and passenger greetings.

Bahrain Air picks Red House for magazine The publishers of Bahrain This Month will be supplying Bahrain Air’s inflight magazine for the next three years under a new contract this past summer.

Red House Marketing put out the first issue of the airline’s inflight magazine in August, with an initial print run of 6,000.

“Too often, in the past, such contracts have been secured by non-Bahrain based publishers,” said George F. Middleton, Red House Marketing Chairman. “This contract demonstrates a trust and confidences in local businesses and we commend Bahrain Air for putting faith in local suppliers.”

Bahrain Air is expanding its service into India, the Levant and Middle East/North Africa over the next several years. Planners hope to have the airline operating to 40 destinations by 2016.

Red House prints quarterly versions of the Bahrain Map and Pocket Guide and an annual Bahrain Hotel and Restaurant Guide.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

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PEOPLE NEWS Chef Suzanne Goin has been part of three restaurants in Los Angeles

Christine Contant will be involved in strategic development, sales and marketing

Paulina White has a background in design for the fashion industry

Two managers join Global Inflight Products

SIA names new Culinary Panel member

Singapore Airlines announced recently that Chef Suzanne Goin would join its International Culinary Panel.

Goin is co-proprietor of three Los Angeles restaurants: Locques, A.O.C. and Tavern.

She focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients from local markets prepared in California style dishes rooted in culinary classic traditions.

She was named one of Food and Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs in 1999. The James Beard Foundation named her Best Chef California in 2006 and was nominated for Outstanding Chef of the Year between 2008 and 2011.

Goin joins other famous names on the Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel, among them French Chef Georges Blanc and Alfred Portale of Gotham Bar and Grill in New York.

Wessner named to new position at Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Airlines announced at the end of June that it has named Tom Wessner to the new position of Vice President of Strategic Procurement.

The airline has recently undergone a corporate alignment where it saw the need for in-house procurement expertise to reduce costs and remain competitive. Wessner will be responsible for centralizing the airline’s procurement activities and streamlining its purchasing processes.

Wessner joins Hawaiian airlines from the automotive industry. He was previously Director of Purchasing forTesla Motors, and electric car company in Palo Alto, California.

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Christine Contant has been appointed General Manager and Paulina White is the new Design Manager at Global Inflight Products (GIP) in Seattle.

Contant will focus on strategic developments of GIP through relationship development with customers, sales growth and marketing.

Before joining GIP Content has worked as a entrepreneur, providing strategic visions, building successful teams, launching new products and coordinating business activities to successfully grow companies.

White has worked in Japan, France, and Finland and for fashion and cosmetics companies.

“Paulina’s awareness of trends in styles, materials and colors as well as her knowledge of product and graphic design make her a terrific addition to GIP in support of the company’s commitment to develop innovative, customized designs and products for its customers,” said a release from the company.

Former Thales exec joins Images In Motion Former Media Manager of Thales Aerospace Asia's in-flight entertainment division, Patrine Tay, has joined Images In Motion (IIM), a Post Modern Group (PMG) company, as General Manager.

Working closely with Executive Director, Pravin Jumabhoy, Tay will oversee all aspects of the company’s operations as a content services provider, as well as its audio video programming and production operations at IIM facilities located in Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Tay has extensive experience in providing customer support to numerous airlines across a multi-cultural Asia-Pacific region. While with Thales, her responsibilities included managing the resources needed to design and install a media platform onboard an aircraft system.

She also assisted Thales airline clients in building and unifying their branding across different passenger touch-points ranging from print and E-communication channels, to ground check-in facilities, to the aircraft cabin experience.

Before joining Thales, she was Passenger Marketing Executive with SilkAir in Singapore, where she contributed to the aircraft selection process and also led a taskforce to revamp cabin interiors.

Row 44 names Travis Christ to sales and development Row 44, provider of IFE broadband entertainment, announced on May 31, 2011 that Travis Christ, airline and travel industry executive, has joined the company as Chief Sales and Airline Business Development Officer.

"Travis's broad set of skills and worldwide travel-industry relationships bring a valuable new component to Row 44's global sales and airline business development," said CEO John Guidon. "We are thrilled to have such a talented and respected industry leader join our team."

Christ has held key roles in the travel catering industry for more than 20 years. He has worked with Travelport as its Americas Division President and Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Distribution for US Airways. His previous responsibilities include business development, corporate and agency sales, multi-channel product distribution, marketing, capacity planning and profitability optimization.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

11-08-10 2:42 PM

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AIRLINE PROFILE

Northwest Passage

Alaska Airlines mines the bounty of the rich Pacific Northwest for menu favorites and associations in Hawaii have helped shape service there By Rick Lundstrom

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hen the industry gathers in Seattle for a trio of big events this fall, Alaska Airlines will be less than one month away and no doubt deep into planning – for what has become annual systemwide celebration of all things South Pacific.

Greeting passengers bound for Anchorage or Newark, or Mexico with a friendly “Aloha” once a year, is one of the more unusual and enjoyable aspects of Alaska Airlines, a carrier that has grown over recent years to take its place among the top 10 airlines in the United States.

Though the airline takes its name, and its smiling Eskimo logo from another part of the country, its devotion to its hometown of Seattle, Washington, is evident in its selection of local products for its menu, and its corporate culture where one can find clear traces of environmental awareness from to cockpit to the service trolley. Up front, Alaska Airlines pilots carry with them lightweight iPads in place of bulky flight manuals that have been part of the industry for decades.

The airline has other things to be excited about. It will get its first 737-900 next year.

It is also in the midst of bringing its longtime regional partner, Horizon Air into its fold more completely. Over the next 12 to 18

months, Horizon Air aircraft will be repainted and the tails will bear the signature Alaska Eskimo giving the airline’s system a more recognizable image throughout. However, company officials stress that the Horizon will retain many of its distinctive service elements, among them complimentary beer and wine service and crew uniforms, and the Horizon Air name will remain on the sides of the aircraft.

Lisa Luchau, Director of Onboard Food and Beverage at Alaska Airlines, oversees a department of nine people with the task of operations, retail sales, product promotion and the airline’s charter operations. With its fleet of 737s still equipped with galleys and ovens, the airline seeks to make the best use of the feature of by offering hot, fresh meals for buy-on-board on all flights of 2.5 hours or more. Passengers currently have a popular selection of warm Italian baguettes with meat, an Angus-beef hamburger and a penne pasta selection for a cost of US$6. A fruit and cheese plate, featuring several Seattle favorites is available on flights of more than three hours at a cost of US$7.

Alaska Airlines also developed a selection of three Picnic Packs that sell for US$6. For the past two years, the carrier has been working

“We are very particular about making sure they are clean ingredients. We have managed to take all high fructose corn syrup off our flights, except for the soda. Our juices are made for us and our snack mixes.

So we really look for ‘local’ and ‘quality.’”

with Oakfield Farms Solutions. Its most recent introduction is the Mediterranean Tapas section, which is vegan and gluten free and features Food Should Taste Good multigrain chips, Mario snack olives, Wild Garden sun dried tomato hummus dip, fruit strips from Stretch Island Fruit Co., Madi K’s almonds and Harry London dark espresso chocolate. Its Northwest Deli Picnic Pack has a local favorites, among them Tim’s Cascade Potato Chips, Hormel Salami, La Panzanella Crackers, Sahale Glazed Almonds, Biscoffee Shortbread and Bell Crème Cheese Spread. Its Heart Smart Picnic Pack has Tree Top Applesauce, Trophy Farms Almonds, Corazonas Oatmeal Squares, Sunbutter Sunflower seed spread, Dickinson’s Strawberry Preserves and Partner Crackers.

Alaska Airlines and Oakfield Farms Solutions work closely on the development of the Picnic Packs. Buyers from the company and the airline travel together to industry events. When the airline signed on with Oakfield Farms for the supply contract, the company set up an operation in West Seattle to help the airline keep the locally sourced products for the Picnic Packs both purchased and assembled in close proximity to the airline.

“We are very particular about making sure they are clean ingredients,” Luchau said. “We have managed to take all high fructose corn syrup off our flights, except for the soda. Our juices are made for us and our snack mixes.

So we really look for ‘local’ and ‘quality.’”

For its First Class food service, Alaska has a preferred catering agreement with LSG Sky Chefs, and the caterer’s Clifton Lyles maintains the title of Alaska Airlines Executive Chef.

Left to right, Alaska Airlines buy on board offerings: Smartheart, Northwest Deli and Mediterranean Tapas.

Lisa Luchau, Director of Onboard Food and Beverage at Alaska Airlines

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The agreement with LSG is in place at most locations throughout the Alaska Airlines system. However, when the airline began its ambitious service expansion in Hawaii, it needed to find a portion of its meal service from some unconventional sources.

For its 115 flights per week to Hawaii based on season, Alaska Airlines is filling a void created when Aloha Airlines went out of business. Hawaii operations now account for 14 percent of Alaska Airlines total service, said Luchau.

This past spring, the airline first began catering all its fresh food from the islands for its 737s, which are equipped with galleys, but limited in space. “Up to that point we were actually round-trip catering everything to and from the islands. But we found that our retail sales were so good, we could not put enough food on for the space we were allotted,” said Luchau.

On routes to the islands of Oahu and Maui, the airline uses Chelsea Catering and Gate Gourmet. But to Kona, on the island of Hawaii and Lahui on the island of Kauai, Alaska Airlines needed to make some other choices.

The airline sent out tendors to prospective suppliers on the two islands. When the process was completed, Alaska Airlines selected two companies both owned and operated by husband and wife teams, to cater flights out of the two locations.

On the Big Island, Alaska Airlines receives meals for its regular service from Island Thyme Gourmet, operated by Chef Dan Bobo and his wife Clare. For its service out of Lahui, the airline looks to Kauai Pasta, which has restaurants in the cities of Kapaa and Lahui and is owned and operated by Russell and Carolyn Stokes.

“They are able to use the local products, so they make things

using the local greens and local fruits, which gives us a very high quality product with a local flair to it,” Luchau said.

Green initiatives In the cabin, flight attendants move through the aisles with separate trash and recycling bags.

They are the front line in a complicated recycling program that works with caterers, and a recycling company that work together to collect material from 96 percent of Alaska Airlines flights.

Alaska Airlines’ aggressive recycling program is done with the cooperation of Smurfit Recycling Company and LSG Sky Chefs.

Under the agreement, Smurfit trucks pick up the carrier’s recycling products at the locations where it operates service.

Luchau said the program has been helpful for the airline and its partners. LSG Sky Chefs has seen trash volume decrease and Smurfit Recycling Company has offset the cost of the service by selling the aluminum cans that are collected. The can collection has also limits the cost of the service by Alaska Airlines.

The airline is looking to improve its recycling. Luchau said teams from the carrier routinely conduct “trash assessments” to see what recyclable material has been overlooked.

She now estimates that anywhere from 40 to 50 percent of the material onboard that is recyclable is collected by the flight attendants.

“We have a little room to go,” says Luchau.

“But we are moving forward and really excited.”

An entertainment pioneer It was a former Alaska Airlines ramp agent, Bill Boyer who developed and later supplied Alaska Airlines with a unique handheld

The new version of the digEplayer was brought into service on Alaska Airlines in April

inflight entertainment system called the digEplayer. Recently, passengers on Alaska Airlines were able to use an updated version of the digEplayer, which it boarded for the first time in April of this year. The new handhelds offer touch-screen navigation and are lighter weight and smaller than the previous system.

Alaska's digEplayers content includes more new-release movies and television programs, the NFL Network, ReelzChannel Hollywood programming and interactive games. The device can also be connected to the Internet via Alaska Airlines' Gogo inflight Wi-Fi network for an additional fee. The airline’s WiFi service was rolling out across its fleet, and was part of a special promotion in July.

"We're pleased to offer our customers an enhanced entertainment option on our flights," said Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines' vice president of marketing in the April announcement of the new players. "The new digEplayer is smaller and lighter than a laptop, has a much longer battery life, and provides exciting and unique content for our travelers."

The new digEplayers are available on most Alaska Airlines flights longer than three hours.

The price is US$14 on flights longer than 4.5 hours and $8 on flights less than 4.5 hours.

Customers receive a $2 discount when they reserve a digEplayer in advance via the airline's alaskaair.com website.

www.pax-intl.com

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REGIONAL REPORT

A broker's life

From its headquarters in West Seattle, The Hoffman Group seeks products that add value to the food selections of airlines around the world By Rick Lundstrom

W

ith decades of experience, which took him from positions at Trans World Airlines and Continental Airlines to a commercial baking company in California before forming his own firm in 1989, James Hoffman, founder of the Hoffmann Group LLC has found that it is wise to always be looking around the next corner.

Those searches may take him to the Fancy Food Show in Washington, DC, from which he had recently returned when he spoke with PAX International in July. But his searching may also find him poring over extensive research files, looking to match the right product at the right price. Other times, he admits, an act of “discovery” can put all the pieces of a deal together.

And what he has been discovering lately among his airline industry customers is a more sophisticated approach to buy-onboard retail sales and asking brokers and manufacturers to fill meal boxes and menus with a selection of products that appeal to a passenger’s desire for satisfying snacks with a bit of flair. But with the maturing of the airline buy-on-board market has come the challenges of keeping pace with fast changing desires that require all of a company’s abil-

ity to find high-quality products and provide them under time sensitive schedules with efficient logistics.

Cutting costs and implementing food for sale was a practical way for airlines to provide food to passengers without the expense, said Hoffman. Now, he adds, the programs aboard airlines have evolved and it has become clear that carriers can generate additional income.

If the program is well thought out and balanced – everybody wins, passengers included.

So far this year, business has been brisk for the West Seattle-based company. Says Hoffman: “It is currently a very dynamic marketplace for both suppliers and the airlines because in the buy-on-board environment the ultimate consumer (passenger) has become accustomed to, and in fact expectant, of various goods and services available for purchase.”

“It is fertile ground for innovative and satisfying products to meet this need. And if they are going to reach into their wallets or purses – they expect quality and fair value.”

Hoffman Group products have found their way into the cabins of nearly every major airline in the United States and several foreign flag carriers. The company has also found customers in the cruise lines that have made Seattle an important embarkation point. Hoffman Group also supplies products

James Hoffman, founder of the Hoffman Group

to Amtrak trains. At any given time, Hoffman says that one of the company’s products is in service or in testing on the airlines.

“We are always looking for things that offer value,” Hoffman tells PAX International.

At this year’s International Flight Services Association Conference and Exhibition, the company plans to bring a number of new products from its portfolio. It announced an agreement with 34 Degrees Crispbreads at the start of this year. Other new products to be found at the company’s stand will be Coffeehouse Blends puddings from Kozy Shack a unique vegetarian grain meat product from Field Roast, a selection of cookies from an Australia company, Unibic, and several new bakery items from a company called Dancing Deer: Caramel Sea Salt Squares, Sweet Lemon Squares and Cranberry Walnut Squares to name a few.

Coffeehouse Blends specialty puddings from Kozy Shack will be one of the Hoffman Group offerings at this year’s IFSA Conference and Exhibition

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REGIONAL REPORT

Global Inflight Products’ Meti fine china is popular in white and durable for airline use

Ear buds from Global Inflight Products

Green and

Global

By Rick Lundstrom

Global Inflight Products will be staying close to home for this year’s IFSA Conference, bringing with them cosmetics, amenities and headsets with a popular theme

W

ith decades of experience and service behind them, executives at Global Inflight Products (G.I.P) are confident of what the industry is looking for in the way of cabin service products; and a quick rundown of the fall offering they will bring to this year’s International Flight Services Association (IFSA) gathering in Seattle drives home the themes that have become the language of the cabin services sector.

Lisa Benzaoui, the company’s CEO, finds success in the simplicity of G.I.P’s porcelain, the savings possible with its earbuds, the sustainability gleaned from a line of ‘Green is Possible’ brand inflight products and the stylish look of cosmetic labels designed for inflight amenities.

Those products and more will be displayed for browsing visitors to Seattle this September. It’s a city that has built a reputation as an aviation hub and a home for cutting edge companies with dreams and visions beyond the conventional.

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Global Inflight Products -- a short drive from the headquarters of Microsoft, in nearby Redmond -- has easy access to Seattle/Tacoma International Airport where people in its offices, and those of its larger firm Aviation Spares and Services, Inc. keep a close watch on airline trends and news from airframer Boeing.

Approximately 20 employees, plus few new faces (see related story, page 20), have spent the past year developing and promoting a new selection of products that echo the ecological leanings of the region. If Green is indeed Possible as the company’s line of products says, it is probably more possible in Seattle.

“It is a little bit more expensive for the airlines,” Benzaoui tells PAX International. “But it is important in the long run because they are reducing costs as well.”

Lightweight, natural looking earbuds are part of the product line. Also, potential customers can run their hands through a new line of blankets made of 70 percent bamboo and 30 percent cotton designed for first class cabins.

The rest of the lineup is a sustainability fan’s dream. Cutlery made from corn-based products, biodegradable cups and bags made of burlap and canvas.

The theme carries over to the company’s four cosmetic lines that appear to be as desirable for what they do not have as what they have. Minimal packaging is part of the lineup, and the company has sought out cosmetics for one line that are 100 percent free of Paraben, a substance used as a preservative that has been linked to allergic reactions and dermatitis.

The cosmetic products in the company’s Personal Care Collection are Tarocco and Olivia,

by Baronessa Consuelo Cali, 99sixty and Natura and Green Natura, both of Sweden.

Global Inflight Products devotes an entire showroom in its headquarters to its Meti line of fine china. Durable, chip resistant and designed for a rough and tumble life in the airline industry.

“We find a lot of airlines want something really simple and white with some classic lines, and others mix things up,” Benzaoui said.

“They will put on something very classic and pair it with a modern piece. It really shows off the food.”

The company has long had its main sights set on the airline industry. However lately, Benzaoui says Global Inflight Products is looking into other areas of the transportation sector. It sees promise not only in cruise lines, but rail service as well.

“We are consulting with many new and existing customers on projects to support their businesses while expanding all of our product lines, including fine china,” she said.

Bamboo, burlap and canvas are some of the natural products Global Inflight Products offers for its amenities

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World Travel Catering & Onboard Services 27-29 March 2012

Hamburg Messe, Germany

The global event for the catering and onboard services industry The organiser of Aircraft Interiors Expo has acquired Europe’s largest travel catering exhibition from ITCA. The ITCA event has been renamed World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo and is co-located with Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg.

If you are involved in or responsible for the purchase of catering operations and passenger comfort during travel within airline, rail or passenger sea travel, then this is the correct business platform for you to network with key industry suppliers.

Key reasons to attend: • Discover the latest catering operations and onboard service industry developments • Build and source new and existing customer and supplier relationships • Enhance your brand image before an international audience • Taste the latest in travel food

For more information visit: www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/pax Follow us on twitter: @ wtce_expo Organised by:

Co-located with:

Follow our event on Linkedin: www.wtce.com/linkedinevent

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REGIONAL REPORT

Setting a new course

D&F Marketing Inc. welcomes new executives and targets business opportunities following the sale of sister company D&F Marketing GmbH to Air Caterer Munich GmbH in December, 2010 By Maryann Simson

T

wenty-four years ago, two industrious men with complimentary skill and experience joined forces and started a company that would lead them down a path of indisputable success in the airline supplier sector.

Each already an industry expert in his own right, Wolfgang Diehl (the D) and Graham Felton (the F), set out in 1987 to facilitate discussions between airlines and manufacturers, grease the wheels of product innovation, iron out logistical kinks and provide airlines with unique food and beverage brands at fair prices. As equal partners in D&F Marketing Incorporated, they accomplished this and so much more.

Felton entered the partnership a 15-year veteran of General Foods where he had worked the airline-supply side of the business. It was there that he met Diehl, who was at that time an executive chef and Director of Dining Services at the now defunct Eastern Airlines.

When Eastern began to dissolve, Diehl decided to move on from the airline. He picked up the phone, called his friend Felton in Atlanta, and the rest is now history.

“We incorporated the company on February 1, 1988,” recalls Felton in an exclusive interview with PAX International.“As an executive chef, Wolfgang had an intimate knowledge of airlines and catering, so his expertise was working with the airlines and developing products and packaging concepts with them.

I took care of sales and marketing. I took those concepts to the manufacturers and worked with them to produce and package in formats that worked best for the airlines.”

This model proved to be a winner for Felton and Diehl and it wasn’t long before their U.S.-based airline customers began inquiring as to whether D&F Marketing Inc. could help

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them achieve similarly successful programs for their European outbound flights as well. Diehl, being of German descent, began spending time in Europe as the company sought out local suppliers, building a syndicate of the Atlantabased operation. Soon a German company was formed and named D&F Marketing GmbH. Felton and Diehl each took a 50 percent stake in this company as well, but Diehl relocated to Germany to manage it hands-on while Felton minded the original entity in Atlanta.

“That worked very well for us and for our U.S. carrier customers because they then had better control as to the quality of the products and the sourcing in Europe,” said Felton, adding that despite many years of success, he and Diehl knew that all good things must someday come to an end. “Wolfgang and I

transition. And, although one valued team member left D&F Marketing during the ownership change, two well-seasoned industry pros also joined the company.

Formerly in senior management at LSG Sky Chefs and at Eastern Airlines before that, Mike Currie is a past International Flight Services Association (IFSA) President and Chairman. He joined Felton’s team March 1, 2011 as D&F Marketing’s Vice President of Global Sales. “Mike understands well the operations of the caterers and the airlines globally, not only in terms of products, but in service and solutions as well. He brings a high level of energy and creativity,” Felton reveals.

Felton also recently welcomed Gregg Fly to the team on April 1, 2011. Fly too has previously worked for LSG Sky Chefs, leaving his

“Wolfgang and I started looking at ways to transition when he or I wanted to retire or separate the companies. The final decision was made in May of 2010 that I would take full ownership of the U.S. company and he would take full ownership of the German company.”

Graham Felton, President/CEO, D&F Marketing Inc.

started looking at ways to transition when he or I wanted to retire or separate the companies. The final decision was made in May of 2010 that I would take full ownership of the U.S. company and he would take full ownership of the German company.”

On June 1, 2010 the division of the companies became finalized and Diehl, wanting to return to his home in the U.S. after years of living abroad, sold D&F Marketing GmbH to Air Caterer Munich GmbH the following December.

“We still have an operating agreement that we may continue to support each other when the need should arise, but we now act independently and are owned independently of one another,” explained Felton, who shows total acceptance and great fortitude in the face of this

post as Director of Sales and Services, working with Delta Air Lines, Virgin America, Air Tran and others, before joining D&F Marketing as Manager, Key Accounts/Sales. “Gregg adds another dimension to our team with his experience in customer service and supply chain management,” he commented.

According to Felton, the two new executives are helping put the firm on a straight track to diversity and growth with focus on signing and marketing innovative new food and beverage suppliers, tracking popular trends and strengthening its position as supplier of nonconsumable inflight catering products such as textiles, paper, plastic and service ware.

“Sometimes we all get very comfortable in those things that we know well and do well and from time to time decisions are made which force us to step outside of our comfort zone,” said Felton about staying positive in the face of adversity. “Life does go on and we can choose to see opportunity in change.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

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INDUSTRY Q&A

Straight Talk

Russ Lemieux, Executive Director of the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX), shares some thoughts about ongoing improvement of the association formerly known as WAEA By Maryann Simson

“Today, airline members are responsible for content, websites, check-in, lounges, catering and seat IFE integration. The association has kept pace with the industry’s new focus on the overall passenger experience. “ Russ Lemieux, Executive Director, APEX

PAX International: How has last year’s name change from the World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA) to the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) been received by your membership?

Russ Lemieux: The membership has truly embraced the changes. Member companies are proud of the new logo and are using it in their marketing collateral. After the association name was announced last year, we wanted the membership to be involved with creating a new logo, so we held a logo contest. Dozens of logos were submitted to a member vote, and the winner was Leigh Courteney of On Air. The logo was unveiled at last year’s Expo, at which time Leigh received a MacBook for his winning design.

PAX: Do you feel that the new name and logo are reflective of your association’s goals and directions?

Lemieux: Absolutely. They recognize that the industry has grown beyond entertainment.

As technology continued to develop and change the landscape of our industry, WAEA no longer fully encompassed the scope of our membership’s capabilities. Today, airline members are responsible for content, websites, check-in, lounges, catering and seat IFE integration. The Association has kept pace with the industry’s new focus on the overall passenger experience.

PAX: This will be the second year of co-location with the Aircraft Interiors Expo and International Flight Services Association (IFSA). What synergies exist between these organizations that allow this to work?

Lemieux: What really makes this work

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is airline member participation. Having one unified event is a great way for all airline members to visit with the maximum number of vendors from all aspects of the airline passenger experience industry. The show worked out well last year and we expect the same in 2011.

PAX: APEX and IFSA have once again planned a shared networking event. Why is this beneficial?

Lemieux: There is one planned shared event this year, being held at the Museum of Flight. Sharing an event saves both associations money while allowing everyone the opportunity to meet with airline representatives and expand their business networks.

PAX: How many exhibitors and delegates do you expect in 2011? Is this an increase over last year?

Lemieux: We’re expecting over 110 exhibitors, which is an increase over last year. We had over 2,300 delegates attend in 2010, and we’re expecting a similar turnout. Registration is now open!

PAX: Did you collect feedback on last year’s event?

Lemieux: Yes, we always send out evaluations after our meetings and events to see what worked and what didn’t. These surveys are a tool that we use to help us improve future events. For example, last year we received feedback on ways to improve education programs and other events at the EXPO, which we have incorporated into 2011 planning.

PAX: It seems that the cost of exhibiting is on the rise in every industry and

every global region. What is APEX doing to ensure that costs are reasonable and value is present for exhibitors?

Lemieux: APEX has contracted with the Anaheim Convention Center for exhibition space between 2013-2015, and with the Long Beach Convention Center for 2012. By keeping the Expo in southern California, we’ll be able to keep exhibitor expenses lower and draw a larger attendance. The cost to hold the APEX Expo overseas is significantly higher than it is in the United States.

PAX: You have a new magazine coming through a new association with Ink. What are your hopes for it? Why is the press important to your organization and the industry in general industry?

Lemieux: As APEX continues to grow, it’s important for our organization to be recognized as a source for relevant, timely information. The new magazine and related media puts APEX in position to meet that important objective.

PAX: You recently paired with Kellen Company to organize your event. Are there any plans to blend with other organizers?

Lemieux: Kellen Company is responsible for the professional management of APEX, which includes of course the APEX Expo and many other events held around the globe. Our focus is on serving the APEX members and helping provide a platform that encourages knowledge sharing, innovation and commerce, which is unique.

To the extent those efforts can be enhanced by collaborating with other organizations – such as IFSA or Aircraft Interiors – we definitely will continue to do so.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

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content on the go

We know... what movies you watch

We know... what magazines you read

We know... what you’ve

We know... what games you play

got on your tablet

spafax.com/research

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Stop by APEX booth 713 to find out more.

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PAXSEPOCT11:PAX Magazine 09/08/11 5:50 PM Page 32

IFE & CONNECTIVITY

Connecting the dots

There is more than one way to apply communications technology in the aviation industry. PAX International recently interviewed spokespeople from five connectivity players - each one approaching the game from a unique angle By Maryann Simson

I

n recent years and months, industry watchers will undoubtedly have noticed that the term IFE, the widely-accepted acronym for inflight entertainment, is being replaced more often with the more accurate IFEC: a term encompassing inflight entertainment and communications technology. We regularly hear announcements from companies in this sector about new contracts won, memorandums of understanding signed and installations completed in every corner of the globe.

Such activities will continue as airlines push forward, using technology to improve service, and to an extent, show the world that they

ARINC Inflight communications can be thought of, in many ways, as a business segment still very much in its infancy. Indeed, the ability to provide wireless communication to passengers via radio tower or satellite signal is fairly new, but the necessity of air to ground communications for operational purposes has existed since the late 1920’s when aviation as a form of travel began to really take off.

ARINC is a premier provider of communications, engineering, and integration solutions. The company was formed in those early days of aviation, appointed by the Federal Radio Commission (later known as the Federal Communications Commission) as the sole licensee. ARINC now works with customers in the aerospace and defence, aviation, airports, government, networks, security, and

represent the leading edge in providing the comfort and amenities that passengers have become accustomed to on the ground.

The costliness of the hardware, installation, associated downtimes and ongoing service agreements that come part-and-parcel with connected aircraft have all been well documented. It seems that although the inflight communication sector has managed to achieve and maintain momentum since its rebirth several years ago, providers and customers (the airlines) are still actively seeking to maximize investment return and add value by finding new ways to utilize and combine available technologies.

transportation industries – providing more than 150 related services worldwide.

ARINC has one toe in the operational connectivity game and another in the passenger connectivity field. A great example of this dual efficiency is the constantly evolving Cabin Connect product and its new sister solution, AirCrew Connect. As a result of recently becoming a distribution partner to satellite operator Inmarsat, ARINC has been able to bolster the speed and capacity of both of these SwiftBroadband (L-band signal) solutions.

“Thanks to the enhanced bandwidth offered

by SwiftBroadband, airline passengers can now surf the internet, send and receive mail and use universal messaging all throughout their own portable electronic device, be that a laptop, tablet computer, smart phone or portable gaming device,” explains Nicole Grainger, Commercial Manager for ARINC. “Not only does this product offer a means of connectivity to the passengers, but also for the cabin crew, enabling them to A major Asian carrier has implemented ARINC’s Live Credit Card Authorization feature and the company expects to announce a Cabin Connect launch partner by the end of this year.

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become more efficient and offer a better level of customer service to passengers inflight.”

The AirCrew Connect feature adds value to an airline by making it possible, if not easy, to remedy customer service issue while in the air. With a direct link back to the head office or ground team, cabin crews can book onboard transfers, track lost baggage, locate a hotel room and more. “It is also possible to do realtime fault finding,” Grainger says. “Any issue with IFE or onboard systems can either be remedied in flight, or engineers can be booked to be waiting on hand for the aircraft to arrive at its destination, thus decreasing the amount of downtime the airframe requires.”

Additionally, ARINC allows for each individual airline to determine for itself how it wishes to charge passengers for usage. Carriers can charge pre-flight as part of the overall ticket price, add connectivity as a paid option that passengers can take up at booking, charge usage during flight using credit card payment, or offer the utility free of charge as a way to differentiate themselves. Another way that airlines are recognizing revenue through connectivity, says Grainger, is through Live Credit Card Authorization, that enables the inflight sale of larger ticket items in duty free catalogs or through other retail part-

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nerships and be certain that cards are not fraudulent.

A major Asian carrier has implemented ARINC’s Live Credit Card Authorization feature and the company expects to announce a Cabin Connect launch partner by the end of this year.

OnAir OnAir was incorporated in 2005 and is owned

by SITA and Airbus. A provider of connectivity solutions for passengers and crews, OnAir essentially serves as a public-facing, passenger-centric extension of the SITA cooperative. Where SITA focuses its efforts on communication technology to integrate the cockpit and facilitate ground to air operational applications, OnAir, also an Inmarsat distribution partner, uses the SwiftBroadband satellite service to offer the passenger a suite of wireless services that they can access and use on their own electronic devices.

“When a passenger starts using their phone on a plane, the operator name that comes up is OnAir,” explains Stephan Egli, OnAir’s Chief Commercial Officer. “And if the passenger’s standard operator has a roaming agreement with OnAir, he or she can simply start using their mobile device. Usage is billed directly through the passenger’s mobile service provider.”

OnAir has roaming agreements with numerous mobile phone companies that it claims covers roughly 2.2 billion people in 77 countries. The company is actively seeking to build upon its current customer base, which includes 12 airlines already operating the service on various routes. By billing passenOnAir uses the Inmarsat-4 SwiftBroadband satellite service to offer the passenger a suite of wireless services that they can access and use on their own electronic devices

gers through their own mobile provider on their usual monthly bill, time and effort can be saved by the airlines. Time to market, lightweight hardware and a truly global footprint are among the advantages OnAir says it has over its competitors. Lastly, the company touts its onboard set-up as being simple and inexpensive to upgrade to a Ka-band band signal. Inmarsat claims that it will be providing the faster bandwidth Ka-band signal by 2014, but it still remains unclear how long it will take for the inflight connectivity sector to mature to the point that it will become a necessity.

But, rather than waiting it out while Inmarsat achieves KA-band operation for the airlines or investing heavily in KU-band, GoGo is gearing up to present its own nextgeneration service. “We’re very excited to roll out ATG-4 service, which should start happening in the very near future,” Small revealed.

“ATG-4 will significantly enhance the existing ATG network and increase aircraft capacity by about four times the current levels through the addition of a directional antenna, dual modem and EV-DO Rev. B technologies.”

GoGo

TriaGnoSys is a German company that contributes to the success of numerous connectivity programs in a very big, yet fairly low-profile way. The company, operated by Managing Directors Matthias Holzbock, Dr. Axel Jahn and Dr. Markus Werner, uses some very high-tech science to accomplish affordable and reliable communication between satellites and the parts of the plane that they interact with.

“TriaGnoSys software does two things,” Managing Director Dr. Axel Jahn puts it simply. “The first, and most important, is to enable communications where the provision of terrestrial communications infrastructure is either impractical or impossible – for example in aircraft, on ships and on land in isolates areas of the world. The second is to ensure the cost and quality of remote communications are as similar as possible to terrestrial communications.”

The provision of hardware is a new addition to the TriaGnoSys portfolio, but according to Jahn, it is one that has been very well received. “We launched our hardware solution earlier this year. It’s a major step-change for us,” he tells PAX International. “The response from the market was overwhelming.”

TriaGnoSys’ airborne hardware consists of two lightweight units that connect to the aircraft’s existing satellite communications system. One box contains a Network Control Unit, which manages the phones on the aircraft to ensure that they only connect to the onboard network and not another, or send signals outside of the cabin. The second box contains something known as a picocell – a miniature mobile phone mast – as well as the server and the software switch.

Jahn says that his firm is currently in active discussions with a number of potential partners (like cabin integrators and service providers like such as OnAir) about both software and hardware solutions, adding “Of course, we would like them all to come to fruition in the next year.”

As a “turnkey” solution for passenger connectivity onboard, GoGo (recently re-named from Aircell) believes that airlines have better use for their time than managing an inflight Internet company and monitoring usage rates to ensure acceptable bandwidth use and cost levels.

GoGo Inflight Internet has seen much success in the United States with its air to ground (ATG) radio tower network solution, that utilizes commercial radio and cell phone towers to beam a signal upwards for reception by airlines equipped with its one of its antennas. Though no value-adding operational applications of the solution have been reported, GoGo recently release a “candid conversation” with its President and CEO Michael Small, who listed several reasons why it does make sense to partner with his company.

“As of today, we are the only inflight connectivity company that has proven our model is scalable and meets the diverse needs of our airlines partners for every single plane, today and in the future,” said Small in the company-published interview. “Because of our experience we can typically install our equipment overnight without taking an aircraft out of service. “ Small goes on to describe how GoGo is highly adept at managing bandwidth usage, saving airlines from racking up additional charges. Though they are best known for their ATG network, Small also claims that GoGo is “technology agnostic” – essentially meaning that they are willing and able to incorporate a KU-band signal into the mix should an airline customer require it’s connectivity solution to work over a large body of water.

In the release, Small indicated that KA-band technology was a definite part of the company’s roadmap going forward, saying: “We are very excited about what Inmarsat is doing in space.”

TriaGnoSys: The bones of a good connection

www.pax-intl.com

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IFE & CONNECTIVITY

SITA’s Connected Aircraft Philosophy SITA, the world’s leading provider of in-flight connectivity for the past twenty years, has a Connected Aircraft philosophy and product offering centered around providing multiple communications links to meet the global communication requirements of its airline customers and industry partners including IFE manufacturers.

SITA is now developing its services for the e-enablement of aircraft, supporting electronic flight bags (EFBs) and other systems over multiple radio networks. The ‘AIRCOM IP’ service will allow airlines and airports to take full advantage of the operational benefits of new generation aircraft systems installed on aircraft such as the A380, B787 and newer B777, by automating labor-intensive and time-consuming processes to retrieve and load large volumes of aircraft systems’ data.

“Our belief,” says Philip Clinch, VP Aircraft Services for SITA, “is that as airlines see the benefits of the new EFB systems, they will need this integrated IP-based communications portfolio. As such, we expect to launch our service formally in the next few months which we will adapt to include the coverage and link technologies needed by customer aircraft.”

SITA is implementing the industry-standard

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Gatelink service which provides broadband wireless connectivity to the aircraft on the ground during turnarounds and layovers. “SITA’s Gatelink service is at a decision point,” says Clinch. “We have, over the past two years, proven the concept of Gatelink on various B777 and A380 aircraft at a few airports. The question now is whether our customers have sufficient need for Gatelink on those e-enabled aircraft to justify us putting Gatelink coverage in many airports around the world.”

SITA is also developing a suite of in-flight broadband connectivity services, initially based on the Inmarsat SwiftBroadband service, enabling voice and data-based satellite-based IP on the aircraft. This capability, already in trial with some SITA customers, enables aircraft to be fully connected as a node on an airline’s network inflight, offering the same level of connectivity service as when on the ground. For airlines, this means they can use EFBs in flight. SwiftBroadband capability also enables airlines to provide enhanced services to passengers in flight, such as flight re-ticketing and real time credit card validation for onboard purchases.

Electronic flight bags, on and off aircraft, can use SITA’s Mobile Data Access service that pro-

vides 3G connectivity developed specifically for the needs of the ATI. This service provides an end-to-end mobile network infrastructure, a managed supply-chain and an administration portal that offers a unified view of all mobile data activities. It also enables airlines to benefit from a global rate plan for mobile data, including a simple, transparent roaming pricing structure, and no minimum usage commitments. According to Clinch, this service eliminates the recurring problem of 3G network providers providing fast data rates and competitive domestic pricing in one market, but then “holding users ransom when a device or user roams.”

SITA’s provision of an integrated communications infrastructure which allows customer choice in selecting communication links is fundamental to its Connected Aircraft philosophy.

Working in partnership with airlines, SITA uses communication links and data management systems to develop improvements in aircraft operational processes. This collaborative approach delivers real benefits to airlines including integration with existing ACARS infrastructure, the efficient and reliable distribution of EFB content, assistance provided to gain regulatory approval for use and support of change management

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PAXSEPOCT11:PAX Magazine 05/08/11 4:36 PM Page 36

IFE & CONNECTIVITY

Creating Content-ed Passengers By speaking with some industry experts, PAX International gains insight into the procurement, creation and delivery of the diverse programming that drives the entertainment experience onboard

I

t is undeniably exciting to report on and hear about the many impressive developments announced by competing inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) manufacturers like Rockwell Collins, digEcor, Thales and Panasonic. However, the complex and powerful systems that begin in the aircrafts head end and worm their wiry way through the cabin to finally meet the hands, eyes and ears of the passengers are only half of the story when it comes to commercial IFE. With the annual Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) tradeshow in Seattle swiftly approaching, PAX International discovered that there are a number of intriguing companies, with offices in every corner of the world, that make it their mission to connect airline passengers with the timely and diverse content they have come to expect from many airlines.

Spafax, formed 26 years ago in the United Kingdom, was originally established to provide sponsored content to British Airways in the early days of IFE when a single film was shown on a single screen at the front of the cabin. Spafax now employs more than 150 people worldwide and supplies content for onboard systems capable storing and playing far more content than anyone would have ever imagined in the mid 1980’s.

Purchased in 2000 by WPP, the world's largest communications services group, Spafax now has more than 70 high-profile clients and is today a global leader in the creation of branded content, specialized IFE management, custom publishing, advertising sales and production services for airline programs.

Whether helping Virgin America develop an

audio database of custom playlists featuring unique and eclectic sounds, or helping carriers like Singapore Airlines or Qantas launch high volume systems on new A380’s, Spafax understands that IFE management is a big job that no two airlines approach in the same way.

“There is no cookie-cutter approach to this,” said Al St. Germain, Vice President, USA at Spafax in a recent interview. “With some airlines we take on a very large role in terms of overall programming develop and handle quite a bit of the process. Other airlines are much more active in terms of their selection process. Depending on the client, we can be very involved or less, but ultimately we work with the content providers (from big Hollywood movie studios to independent producers of shorts subject items) quite a bit.”

Early window seat For quite some time now airlines have been privy to early window content from studios of both the independent and big-budget variety. In order to maintain good relationships with these key content sources, companies like Spafax, that are essentially well connected and well-informed liaisons between these sources and the airlines themselves, must ensure that security protocol is never breached at any time.

“The airline industry has been afforded early window content for a long time and it’s very important to them. We along with most of our partner companies and competitors are held to a very high standard by the studios as far as content security,” explains St. Germain.

“We are regularly evaluated, not only by the studios but by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) itself.”

“The airline industry has been afforded early window content for a long time and it’s very important to them.”

By Maryann Simson

Another major concern for airlines providing content to a group of international passengers across very different geographical regions is that the content itself is suitable for all those who may interact with it. Cultural sensitivities range widely among passengers, whose perception of what is ‘acceptable’ can be dictated by nationality, creed, religious beliefs, age, sexual orientation, political ideology and a number of other important factors. According to St. Germain editing, translation and subtitling often begin internally at a production studio (as many titles are scheduled for release in numerous regions), but can continue into the integration phase, should an airline feel that further selective screening is required.

“It is definitely one of our biggest challenges and I would also argue that is one the greatest strengths of our company,” he says of Spafax’s code of conduct in dealing with these matters. “We really run the gamut, working in some parts of the world where folks aren’t particularly sensitive to parts where they are. It really starts at the studios themselves, they understand in a big way what is and is not appropriate for an inflight market. We worked with them in terms of editing films and it starts right after the movie comes out.”

For the greater good Besides working closely with studios and airlines on selection, safety, suitability and the non-invasive integration of sponsored advertising, Spafax often collaborates with the IFE manufacturers themselves to ensure the best entertainment experience possible is achieved for shared customers. For example, in 2006 when Air Canada began to retrofit its fleet of

A screenshot of Air Canada’s AVOD system GUI, designed in partnership with Thales.

Al St. Germain, Vice President, USA, Spafax

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eShopping is an app that can help generate ancillary revenue

domestic and international jets with personal AVOD systems at every seat, Spafax was there.

“We had a lot of influence on the design and creation of their interactive system with Thales, the hardware manufacturer,” St. Germain reveals. “If you are an airline and you are going to do something like Air Canada did and go to completely AVOD-equipped fleet; that is no small investment. They want to make sure that they are getting maximum impact and one way to do this is to ensure that you have a system that is easy to navigate and allows you to highlight certain things you want to highlight. In Air Canada’s case, this also meant a system that allowed them to generate revenue through smart advertisement placing onboard.”

Spafax has helped a number of airlines cre-

The emealmenu can show passengers how to pair wine with thier meal

ate revenue in this very way. Since being acquired by WPP, the company has had a whole new arsenal of resources at its fingertips to assist airlines in achieve advertising programs that generate real product interest from the attractive airline passenger demographic. Much like when it comes to the selection of the type and volume of content itself, the level of control that airlines desire over advertising initiatives varies greatly.

“One of the more notable things we did for Virgin Atlantic was develop a Land Rover micro-site on the system that allowed people to explore the various aspects of the Land Rover launch,” St. Germain recollects, adding that no matter what the effort, his firm will always try to expose products through IFE in creative way. “A lot of airlines are very con-

scious of the fact that people do not want to be bombarded by advertising. At the same time, they do have to look for exciting ways to generate revenue. In the airline industry, revenue is always going to be a big part of what they are trying to accomplish.”

Passengers at play Audio playlists, films and network series’ may constitute a significant amount of the content selected by airline passengers; however in recent years interactive gaming and the use of Smartphone applications have soared to all-new heights, prompting many to re-evaluate the entertainment mix. One FrenchCanadian company, already an undisputed leader in these fields, is hard at work developing the hottest new interactive features for

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IFE & CONNECTIVITY

the IFE systems of its many airline customers.

“The commercial airlines space is 100 percent of our market presently,” Patrick Prefontaine, President of DTI Solutions Inc., the Montreal-based leader in the creation of casual video games, interactive content and applications in the airline industry. He adds that this does not mean the progressive firm is not currently exploring other areas. And, while DTI’s membership in The IFE Alliance (composed of many leading IFE-related companies around the globe) has given it the ability to liaise with sister companies to offer complimentary content - games and applications, the fun stuff, remain their true forte.

“We were the pioneers in this market; we have been developing games for over 15 years exclusively for the inflight market,” says Prefontaine. “We presently have a dominant market share in games and our objective is to achieve the same in the applications market, but DTI is not alone and these competitors force us to be at the top of our game.”

Healthy app-etite Though games have been DTI’s traditional ‘bread and butter’, the firm has the foresight to know that applications are the way of the future. And although there is a considerable lag in the uptake of new concepts in the airline world as compared to the breakneck speed of innovation in the consumer electronics segment, these mini-programs are already garnering attention and finding their way into the cabins of some of the world’s more progressive airlines.

“We presently have over 10 airlines with at least one application flying,” Prefontaine tells PAX International. “The most popular application presently is our eReader. This application is gaining great traction with many airlines. We have a good number of new sales confirmed with rollout in early first quarter, 2012.”

In addition to the success of this userfriendly magazine and newspaper viewing app, DTI has several others that are also gaining momentum. An un-named airline customer has plans to roll out an advanced version of this complete sales solution, providing passengers access to products for onboard, home and gate delivery. Another application, which may be of particular interest to PAX readers given its very ‘foodie’ nature, is the emealmenu. This innovative application is currently in use by a few adventurous airlines, giving passengers a live culinary experience rather than the typical menu card or back page on an inflight magazine. “emealmenu allows the passenger to get 38

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Content quick facts

Richard Barsby, Managing Director of Skyline IFE, a content production, licensing and management firm based in Suffolk, UK, answers some FAQ’s for PAX International readers Q: What affects the quality of an IFE program?

A: There are essentially two related variables: choice and price. An airline offering a choice of movies from more than one supplier must pay a higher price for the same number of movies than an airline that buys all movies from one supplier only.

Q: What path does content take from studio to aircraft?

A: Studio – Content integrator – Content loader - Aircraft. Early window content is encrypted in the Hollywood lab and remains the way to the aircraft where it remains encrypted throughout its existence.

Q: Who translates/provides captions for airlines flying international routes?

A: Hollywood labs do the movies, Content Service Providers (CSPs) handle most other content.

Q: Just how new is ‘early window’ content?

A: Early window is in line with the U.S. domestic DVD release. A program can be onboard a traditional “tape” system in a couple of weeks. Large digital system timelines can be three months.

Q: How are safety videos and other promotional clips produced?

By content service providers or independent producers hired by the airline through their ad agency or by tender.

Q: Are there consultants around who can help airlines and content providers navigate these waters?

A: A few, most CSPs have the experience.

Q: What is the next “it” thing for content?

A: The current hot topic is content on consumer off-the-shelf devices (COTS) repurposed for IFE. iPads are now entering the marketplace and there is a reluctance for content owners to license their content for use on these devices as they are desirable items, which can be removed from the aircraft.

information on the chef who created the inflight menu, how to go about selecting the right wine to compliment your dinner, and if he or she enjoyed the meal, they can download the recipe onto a USB key,” explains Prefontaine, who continues to describe several other planned prodA screen shot from Cepheid Settlers, one of DTI’s newest inflight games uct launched including a new and seamless graphical user inter- can race through a futuristic robot world, face (GUI) and six games including Biobot, swing a ragdoll golf club and colonize a new Ragdolf and Cepheid Settlers: where players solar system, respectively.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

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The challenge is to ensure seamless and secure integration between the new cockpit systems and the ground IT environment.

As specialists in end-to-end management of aircraft communications, SITA applies its know-how to enable a new generation of aircraft operations and achieve new operational efficiencies – meaning the ‘paperless cockpit’ can finally be realised. With the scope of onboard applications and volumes of data exchange set to grow, SITA can provide solutions that are scalable to your business needs – today and in the future.

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Specialists in air transport communications and IT solutions

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PAXSEPOCT11:PAX Magazine 10/08/11 11:39 AM Page 40

INTERIORS

A seat in the sky

New materials and easier IFE interfaces are among the priorities of two seat makers confronted with the challenge of creating comfort in economy class By Rick Lundstrom

T

hough the case could be made that passengers are getting wider in girth thanks to fast food and inactivity, the real edge in terms of change and evolution year by year, would have to go to the makers airline seats that earnestly try to accommodate them, while simultaneously attempting to shed weight themselves.

Seat makers, and their airline customers have heard the complaints of passengers in the economy class cabin, and are responding with designs and innovations that are the center of attention at industry gatherings such as the Aircraft Interiors Expo set for this fall. Each year, the newest designs with new materials and structures used to save weight and accommodate a more diverse range of inflight entertainment systems are shown to an eager group of carriers.

A combination of art and science are helping the modern airline seat take shape, says Dr. Holger Friehmelt, Product Manager of Economy Class at Recaro Aircraft Seating.

“There is a continuous search for novel materials allowing weight reduction,” he says.

“But it is not the material choice alone, also new design principles can largely contribute to reduced weight. Modern simulation and computer-aided tools support this process.

“One approach, for example is to learn and copy from nature, the so-called bionics ideas.”

Recaro is calling the company’s BL3520 a “benchmark economy class seat.” At the spring Aircraft Interiors Expo, the company showed visitors the new product, designed for the workhorse routes -- economy class seating on short-haul flights.

Weighing in at 30 percent than its predecessor model, the BL3520 was the product of company and university studies aimed at putting a lean, light, attractive and comfortable product unlike any other on the market. A higher placed literature pocket and improved backrest contours went into the design. Friehmelt said the investment can also turn into a moneymaker for airlines.

“Airlines can install additional rows of seats and still offer more legroom,” he said. “which has a positive affect on their profit.”

German company gets approval for seat flame blockers

The Lufthansa Group was one of the first to snatch up the product, and will fill 200 of its aircraft with a capacity to accommodate 40,000 of its passengers. In July, Friehmelt said that more than 30,000 of the seats had been delivered to Lufthansa German Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Swiss International, Brussels Airlines and Germanwings.

Weight savings can be accomplished in a number of ways. Friehmelt says Recaro has been able to employ lightweight bonding technologies to cut down on the number of screws, which, in the past have added weight and expense to seat construction.

Uwe Salzer, Vice President of Research and Development at seat maker ZIM FLUGSITZ in Germany says a combination of aluminum alloy for structural parts and vacuum and extruded plastics make up much of the seat design with additional composite pieces added to reduce weight. However, he cautions that composite construction is not C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 4 2

In addition to the ECO-01, shown here ZIM FLUGSITZ has developed a new seat for business class.

A new generation of safe textiles designed to act as flame blockers for airline seats were approved for TecMove GmbH this past spring.

The textiles, named F2010, F2011 and F2012 are designed for safety and weight savings. The company says they weigh in at 145 grams per square meter.

To receive the designation, the fire blockers needed to withstand a 60 second flammability test and showed improved results when tested for smoke density and toxicity. “Our new textiles are even more clearly below the legal limit values specified for kerosene burning tests with higher levels of safety,” said TecMove manager Oliver Kloth, in the announcement of the test’s success.

Other features of the fire blocker are a mesh construction that is needle punched with a flame blocker. “This provides the dynamically stressed surfaces with a precisely defined mechanical stability that can be found only to a limited extent in natural products, like leather,” said a release from TecMove.

The TecMove plant is based in Jettingen-Scheppach. The company works across a number of industries, making flame resistant products for airlines, automobiles, trains, shipping, furniture and a line of industrial protective clothing.

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Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas Come & Meet Us at booth #314 [Sabic Innovative Plastics B.V.] September 12-14, 2011 Seattle, WA, USA

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INTERIORS

Two views of the Recaro BL3520 economy class seat.

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 4 0

the entire answer to reducing weight.

“Changing materials, from, for example metal to composite does not always result in weight reduction and it is necessary to use certain material properties for certain product component properties,” he says, adding that research is necessary into the possibilities of materials such as magnesium or high-tech aluminum alloys, which also hold the promise of additional weight reduction.

At this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, ZIM FLUGSITZ showed visitors versions of its ECO-01 NG economy class seat designed for short, medium and long haul flights. The company has also developed a new business class offering the BC-01, which will have first customer deliveries early next year.

Among the customers for the ZIM FLUGSITZ seats are Thai Airways, Air Berlin Luxair, Mahan Air, AMC, GFL and Blue1.

Slim and tech-heavy Newer, lightweight seats, such as the ones made by Recaro and others, give the economy class cabin a modern, airy appearance. But hidden in the guts of the seats is plenty of technology. This is needed to accommodate the inflight entertainment systems that are becoming more prevalent and varied in their electronic makeup. In addition, the continued expansion of the premium economy concept will put greater demand on suppliers to 42

provide all the cutting edge entertainment found in business classes, but in a more crowded environment.

Interfacing with IFE is has become a priority. This past spring, IFE and connectivity providers such as Panasonic, Thales and Lumexis were working with seat makers such as Sicma from Zodiac Aerospace and others on solutions that will advance a cooperation that some will admit was somewhat strained at times.

Part of the advancement has come with the development of touch-screen IFE, which holds the promise of limiting or eliminating the cord and handset features that have been part of the systems for years.

In September 2010, Recaro entered a partnership with Thales to marry the company’s TopSeries inflight entertainment system with the Comfort Line 3620 seat designed for long-haul travel. The agreement gives a new dimension in passenger viewing capability in the back cabin, allowing for the installation of screens of 11 to 12 inches and four modules designed for audio, USB and PED and one additional for any future installation. In May, of 2010, Recaro entered into a similar agreement with Lumexis.

Many improvements by IFE companies have made their products more compatible with seat design, says Salzer.

“To improve IFE integration,

the seat is designed with IFE provisioning,” he says. “That means there are flexible attachment points, cable channels, and pattern to attach cables easily. Newer IFE generations allow the attachment of electronic boxes below the seat bottom instead of the seat leg, which gives significantly more legroom.

“The optimization of IFE integration requires a close development between seat and IFE supplier.”

New IFE concepts and more will be driving influences on seat development for the future. And nowhere is the need for innovation more directed than for the passengers in the back cabin. Recaro and Air New Zealand crossed a significant threshold in recent years, by successfully installing the Skycouch, giving economy class passengers the first opportunity to relax in a lie-flat bed.

“The need to improve the situation in economy class is the driving force for innovations and new features expected to satisfy the market,” says Salzer. He said most of the complaints from passenger economy class are obvious: living space, privacy and encroachment by other passengers. Designs that minimize the space taken up by structural parts of the seat are now in development phases at his company and others.

“The passenger seat is the interface between the customer and the airplane and, thus also the airline,” says Friehmelt. “It is the most important aspect of the aircraft cabin. To mitigate the other drawbacks of a long stay in the aircraft cabin – like confined space, dry air, lack of privacy, noise around you and many others, at least the seat should make the passenger feel as comfortable as possible.”

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onboard with

Communicate the easy way Communicate chat . text . browse email . talk . tweet . listen . search . report . direct .

. trade . buy stream . watch blog . receive verify . shop

. . . .

Whenever you fly . live . work . play . communicate . . .

Swift as . . .

new age age of in-flight AA new in-flight connectivity connectivity

S WIFT BR OADBAND DIR EC T FFROM R OM AARINC RIN C SWIFTBROADBAND DIRECT

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INTERIORS

Serving two masters

By Rick Lundstrom

Manufacturers of the latest galley equipment conduct rigorous testing designed to satisfy regulators who demand safety and customers who demand that, and much more

B

efore the first cup of coffee is poured, the first meals and products are stored and delivered, or the first drinks are loaded for inflight service, a newly designed piece of galley equipment or airline trolley has already endured a trial by fire.

Years of design and production work are put to the test for government regulators whose interest in the fact that the product makes good cup of coffee or its materials have been engineered for less weight and attractiveness is entirely secondary to several important criteria.

Those criteria are the responsibility of regulators with thick rulebooks, who will have the last word on whether a product flies or not. Those important rules – simple, but perhaps not easy – are laid out by Les Dorr, a spokesperson for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“The main things that have to be addressed are the flammability of the materials, the

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structural strength and retention of the item, and ensuring that it cannot have an adverse impact on emergency egress or cause injury,” he tells PAX International.

The FAA gives every product a thorough inspection process for certification. Those products that are designed for cabin safety receiving the closest look. But in the past 10 years, Dorr says that the complexity of the latest lines of cabin service equipment have required greater inspection by regulators.

“Some of the designs have become more elaborate, and so the number of ways they affect safety could have increased,” he says.

“Which might result in more requirements being applicable.”

The pursuit and attainment of the Technical Standard Order (TSO) that gives the galley product the green light to fly is the goal for companies like Zodiac Aerospace, B/E Aerospace and countless others. At any time, any place around the world, aviation products are being robotically or automatically punished for hours, days, or months on end while their developers sleep comfortably.

“The life of a trolley means being exposed to the harshest conditions,” says Michiel Maris, Director Marketing and Sales Galley Equipment at Driessen-Zodiac Aerospace Aerospace. “You get pushed around, beaten up, bumped into things, dropped, dragged, tripped, exposed to washing, heating, aggressive detergents, heavy loads, and when lucky, maintained or repaired.”

But at its basics, DriessenZodiac Aerospace first looks to make a new product airworthy. Its strength and fire safety are mandatory for usage on aircraft. The safety tests continue however, as the end user, the flight attendant is also taken into account, and trolleys by Driessen-Zodiac Aerospace have clearly been made with features for smooth operations and ergonomics that The Hybrite trolley from had been unheard of when Driessen-Zodiac Aerospace is a the first generations of the combination of composite an aluminum

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Sell’s ip-series oven with steam venting

devices trundled through cabins.

The next test in line for Driessen trolleys is for durability – as in its ability to withstand the fast moving world of an airline catering unit that loads the devices on complex systems moving them through the unit for filling, emptying and washing.

In the case of Driessen-Zodiac Aerospace, airworthiness testing is conducted at the company’s facility for every aspect of product design, except fire properties, which is outsourced to specialty test labs. Functional, environmental and durability tests are mostly performed in house. An in-house durability testing is often conducted with partner airlines and airline caterers. Maris said the cooperation is valuable part of the company’s partnerships.

“It allows us to validate the test data obtained in the test lab, and it provides first hand feedback of people – caterers and cabin crew – using our equipment on a daily basis,” says Maris.

When the product is a galley insert, such

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as those made by another Zodiac Aerospace Group subsidiary, Sell GmbH, flammability testing becomes more complicated. Flammability, touch-temperature requirements, electro-magnetic interference (EMI) and other requirements have become more stringent, said Sonja Naumann, Manager of Marketing and Public Relations for the company.

But Sell has responded and developed new lines of galley inserts for the latest aircraft, including the 787 and A380 which have power supplies with variable frequencies.

Sell was founded in 1954 and delivered its first galley and oven for Lufthansa’s Super Constellation the following year. Since that time, the company has had more than 500 customers, supplying them with galleys, galley inserts, stowages, and special products such as VIP interiors and bars.

In the second quarter of next year, Sell plans to roll out the first of its ip-series (intelligent premium series) of ovens. With the series, Sell sought to give customers a product with form and function and elegant outer exterior in a unit that is about 6.5 kilograms lighter than its current model. Sell will also be introducing a new line of ip-series coffee makers, beverage makers, bun warmers and

The oven door on the Sell ip-series is put to the test

water boilers. The product line is built with the end users of the products in mind. Sell has added a number of improvements, including more sophisticated closing mechanisms, low temperature touch points, and faster operating cycles to increase the ease of use for airline cabin crews.

“To address safety requirements, over-heat protection is a given and applies to insulated faucets, doors, and serving pots, maximizing safety within the framework of the improved styling,” said Naumann. “It goes without saying that our next generation of galley inserts

does not only comply with the new ARINC standards, but also with the currently predominant ATLAS standard to allow downward compatibility within the existing fleet.”

Naumann says that the company’s galley inserts average 20 and more years in service.

Before going into service, the galley inserts are tested in every condition. The inserts are tested at 9 Gs of force, while the fastening points are tested to 12 Gs. Oven doors are opened and closed by machines over an extended period of time.

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 4 8

Novo – Food , Germany NOVO- FOOD GmbH Markus Brand International Key Account Tel : 0049 ( 0 ) 172 - 8246360 E Mail : markus.brand@novo-food.biz

A

fter an intensive planning and testing phase, NOVO-FOOD Germany is pleased to announce that delivery of frozen, portioned Cheese and Cheeseboards is now available to all airline customers within the States for domestic and international flights.

A large variety of international renouned pre cut cheeses in all shapes and sizes as well as an individualised assortment of Cheeseboards can be offered

by NOVO-FOOD through the partnership and support of AMI Inflight and DSI. NOVO-FOOD is supplying an extensive range of cheese specialties to a large number of America carriers for their departures out of Europe.

Our customers have asked if it could be possible for us to supply the same high quality products out of

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the States. We worked to achieve this goal for our valued customers and we are now happy to say we are ready to enter the American market – “with AMI Inflight as a sales and DSI as a distribution support - a dream team came together.” says Markus Brand, NOVO-FOOD International Key Account.

A buy on board Cheese Assortment is also available to satisfy the passenger even further.

Teaming up with AMI Inflight for sales and DSI for distribution gives NOVO-FOOD a large exposure to all existing and new customers while also creating new business fields in rail, cruise and hospitality. The team of AMI Inflight, DSI and NOVO-FOOD are awaiting your responses and are ready to help and solve your cheesy problems.

Give us a call.

AMI Inflight Denise Poole CEO Tel : ( 001 ) 770-804-0903 E Mail : denise@amigrp.com

Distribution and Service INC. - DSI Mike R. Aevermann President Tel : ( 001 ) 703-887-6489 E Mail : maevermann@distributionandservice.com

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The stylish Hybrite trolle

Everybody deserves a Hybrite Contact us for a Hybrite presentation

www. hybrite.com

DRIESSEN CABIN INTERIORS Galleys & Equipment

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ish ultra lightweight olley line by Driessen

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INTERIORS

MGS oven touted for safety and speed

One of the newest high-tech galley products to find its way to the aviation market is the induction oven by Modular Galley Systems (MGS) a subsidiary of the Iacobucci HF Group.

The induction oven cooks food products with steam and humidity to preserve the vitamin content and flavors. Accessories allow the user to roast fish and meat, fry eggs, toast bread or steam vegetables, pasta and rice.

“It is safer, as the oven is not hot in any of its parts during operation,” said Rosella De Angelis of the marketing department at Iacobucci HF. “It offers a quicker food re-heating service and allows airlines to easily prepare fresh meals like in a five star restaurant.

The re-heating tray offers airlines the possibility to warm up pre-cooked meals in standard aluminum foils, decreasing the cooking times from the approximately 25 minutes needed for a normal oven to only 12.

The new Modular Galley Systems oven uses an induction cooking method.

            

            

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Technology has meant both a blessing and a challenge for both companies. For Driessen-Zodiac Aerospace, the modern technology has allowed the company to develop its latest trolley incarnation, the Hybrite made of half aluminum and half composite material. Developed hand in hand with cabin crew and caterers Driessen-Zodiac Aerospace sought to bring in every player from caterer to engineer to cabin attendant.

While technology is no doubt the friend of Sell as well, advancement in communication aboard the aircraft also presents a challenge for the company – most specifically the presence of wireless local access networks (WLAN) used for passenger connectivity.

Product Subcomponent Testing At B/E Aerospace

Brew Handle Assembly Solid State Relay Push Buttons

198,000 Cycles 250,000 Cycles 331,000 Cycles

Extreme Environmental Conditions Temperatures from -55C to 70C 100 Percent Humidity Extreme vibration meant to simulate and engine rotor failure level Decompression at 10,000 – 12,000 feet and at 45,000 000 feet

“It is a great feature for the passenger,” says Naumann.

“But it means that our inserts have to fulfill more requirements regarding interference. Also through new fuselage materials, new requirements regarding our inserts will occur.

“As you can see, it is not only the technology and functionality of our inserts itself which have to fulfill different requirements it also often occurs through external influencing factors.”

At B/E Aerospace, testing takes place at labs in Anaheim, California, and Lenexa, Kansas, in the United States and near Amsterdam in Europe. There the company can conduct performance, functionality, and ergonomic testing with airline cabin crews in a variety of settings.

The company’s line of galley products is given important run-throughs at various touch points. The company tests handles on ovens, buttons on coffee makers to ensure that the equipment can be safely handled with or without oven mitts.

Surfaces are tested to ensure equipment does not reach unsafe temperatures.

“While our products are designed to aid meal preparation, we also test for unintended uses,” says a rundown of test regimes by the company. “For, example all products are tested to make sure a flight attendant can grab onto handles or other surfaces to stabilize themselves during sudden turbulence to avoid damaging equipment.”

Then there are the culinary tests. Coffee experts brought in by the company have determined that the best cup of coffee inflight needs water that is heated to exactly 198 degrees Fahrenheit. Ovens are rigorously tested to see that every meal is heated to within a few degrees of the other no matter where in the oven it is placed. Brew chamber pressure and temperature are evaluated in espresso makers to make the products equal to Italian coffee shop for quality.

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ANCILLARY REVENUE

No guesswork here

As GuestLogix rolls out the red carpet for its third annual User Group Conference in Toronto, we take a look at where it all began and how the innovative Canadian firm continues to help airlines ‘Harness the Power of Technology” By Maryann Simson

I

n 2002, the same year that the Euro became the official currency for twelve EU nations, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Golden Jubilee and Kmart Corp. became the largest retailer in American history to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy, two Canadian trailblazers were gearing up to take the airline industry by storm with a new concept for retailing in the skies.

It was actually in 2000, two years prior to GuestLogix’s official launch, that the company’s co-founders Brett Proud and Tom Douramakos began to collaborate. Proud brought to the business a sound comprehension of IT professional services and retail operations. This, combined with Douramakos’ wealth of experience gleaned from senior-level positions in product development and business development operations at firms like AT&T, CIT Global and Manulife Financial, amounted to a partnership destined for success.

Their notion was as simple as it was groundbreaking: to develop a comprehensive onboard store and merchandising platform that would turn the onboard retailing opportunity into reality for airlines. The main goal being to help airlines, which at the time were struggling through a difficult post-9/11 downturn, to effectively build, manage and control onboard stores By partnering with dynamic organizations already thriving in the development of handheld processing hardware, GuestLogix is able make purpose-built POS devices manufactured specifically for their solution

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tailored to their needs, thus transforming the airline passenger into a willing consumer.

“When we entered the market, the [North American] airlines were only beginning to explore the possibility of commerce options, having used free onboard models when Europe and Asia has already transitioned to a paid structure,” Proud recently told PAX International.

“We were the ones who moved to put payment options onboard and keep the momentum going in terms of retail touch points.”

The first thing that airlines would need to become shops at 30,000 feet was of course a rugged, portable and user-friendly device that flight attendants could use to quickly and easily process point of sale (POS) transactions. By partnering with dynamic organizations already thriving in the development of handheld processing hardware and programs, GuestLogix was soon having purpose-built devices manufactured specifically for their solution – which was about to take off in a big way.

The first generation of these transactionenabling units was called the OnBoard Power Seller™. It was the true nerve-center of the GuestLogix OnTouch®™ virtual store, which was able to provide airlines with up to five purchase categories: OnTouch™ Ground Connections, OnTouch Box Office®™ Shopping & More, OnTouch®™ Minutes On The Go, OnTouch®™, OnTouch®™ Ads and OnTouch®™ Concierge Everywhere, a unique a pre-built component in the technology platform that allows airlines to stay in touch with passengers throughout their entire trip.

This can be accomplished by providing services such as mobile destination guides, hotel bookings, pre-paid currency to be used onboard or a variety of other promotions via SMS or email.

“This [handheld device] opened up options for expanded offerings and additional touch points,” Proud divulged. “There were – and still are – many areas in the industry that hadn’t even been explored from a conceptual sense, much less adopted. Once our potential clients saw how big the area was, and how many opportunities it held, we moved from there developing appropriate solutions.”

According to Proud, it was in 2006 when American Airlines went live, that the success and the still untapped potential of their blueprint truly hit the GuestLogix team, which by then had grown from 8 to 20 people working on the third floor of 111 Peter St. in the heart of Toronto’s downtown entertainment district. Airlines, one by one, were going to a “cashless cabin” and the PowerSeller was facilitating that move by providing secure debit and credit transaction with receipts printed in seconds. Additionally, passengers were finally beginning to embrace the idea of purchasing not only food and beverage products, but also vouchers for convenience offerings like ground transport, theatre tickets and more - while waiting at the gate, in the air and even at their destination.

Dan Thompson, Director of Marketing at GuestLogix elaborates on this apparent ‘grooming’ of the modern airline passenger to spend money during a flight. “I think it has become evident to passengers that the base price of the ticket has been reduced so much that flying still remains a cost-effective way to travel,” he reasoned. “That said, there is much more openness to purchasing food and beverage onboard and we see that conversion rates (the percentage of people purchasing) are increasing constantly. This is why the time has come to begin adding products and services that provide value to a traveller’s journey.”

In 2008, the OnBoard PowerSeller 2™ was brought to market and has been well received by airline partners across the globe.

Building upon the capacities of its predecessor, the new handheld featured a resolute receipt and voucher printer, barcode scanning, IC card reading, and secure Chip and PIN functionality and the capacity to support a full spectrum of wireless communication technology and a large touch screen interface.

Next up for release is the company's UBITA device. Developed in partnership with ITWell, a South Korean manufacturing partner, UBITA takes POS device technology to the next level, featuring a sleek design and enhanced functionality developed based on specific feedback from the GuestLogix user base. It is scheduled for a 2012 release.

“The airline is in a unique position to not have any competitive shops next door and has the passenger captive for several hours,” Proud

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GuestLogix has been working to integrate its onboard store platform with onboard wi-fi providers and inflight entertainment (IFE) manufacturers like digEcor

explains, adding that although it is difficult to predict the popularity of specific products or services due to vast differences in routing, passenger demographics and reasons for travel, one thing is for sure. “It has been proven time and time again that when an airline adds an intuitive offering, for instance theatre tickets en-route to New York City, the propensity to purchase is very high.”

Synergies GuestLogix works with a number of what it calls “channel partners”, in addition to selling directly to key reference regional accounts.

These alliances extend reach and efficacy on a global scale. The first such partnership that the company entered into was with LSG Sky Chefs and more soon followed. The company now has agreements with Alpha Flight Services, Newrest Group and the Inflight Sales Group, who round out its portfolio of catering and concessions associations. Firms like Tenzing Managed IT Services, Caledon Card Services, ITWell and Sprint Nextel are established technology partners who help

GuestLogix offer robust end-to-end solutions in the marketplace.

As the ability to stay connected becomes increasingly important to passengers - both on the ground and in the air - GuestLogix has been working to integrate its onboard store platform with onboard wi-fi providers and inflight entertainment (IFE) manufacturers; namely Thales and leading handheld IFE makers based out of Utah, digEcor.

“We are looking at multi-vendor integration and one of our projects involves helping one of the largest Wi-Fi providers on product offering,” said Proud. “We are also developing more advanced ‘ticketing engines’ integrated with mobile entertainment.”

A portable IFE provider with an established market share, a rugged yet advanced handheld IFE unit and a strong emphasis on helping airlines create ancillary revenue, digEcor made a natural partner for GuestLogix going forward in this area. IFE has traditionally been a cost centre for airlines and GuestLogix, along with digEcor, hopes to turn that around by combining the OnTouch merchandising plat-

“There were – and still are – many areas in the industry that hadn’t even been explored from a conceptual sense, much less adopted.”

Brett Proud, EVP New Markets & Products at GuestLogix

form with advertising, games, movies, TV shows and device rental to create a fun, comprehensive, scalable, and most importantly profitable all-in-one solution for airlines.

Adam Williams, digEcor’s Director or Marketing, is excited about the possibilities presented by his company’s cooperation with GuestLogix. “We are a big believer in ancillary revenues and GuestLogix is helping enable ancillary revenue-driving solutions for our clients and are leveraging their experience and knowledge in that area” he told PAX International. “We provide the IFE system with good content and they provide the relevant products and services. Together we can provide each of our core competencies without either becoming diluted.”

POSie Awards encourage airlines to innovate

In addition to providing airlines and technology partners with useful insights and a forum for discussion, the GuestLogix User Group Conference set for October 3-5 in Toronto will give participants a chance to shine at the third annual POSie Awards, which recognize onboard retail innovation.

The peer-reviewed awards are given to companies and individuals in the passenger travel sector who provide an example of best business practices, technology applications, and service introductions in onboard retailing.

“The airline industry is changing. Operating models are under scrutiny. Innovation is now key to securing new profitable revenues,” said GuestLogix’ President and CEO Tom Douramakos in a 2009 release documenting the success of the first annual POSie Awards won by American Airlines for its fleetwide onboard retail solution deployment and Spirit Airlines, which was recognized for being the first carrier to move to cashless cabin.

“The POSie Awards signify the latest innovative efforts by airlines involving the industry’s leading onboard retail transaction platform from GuestLogix.”

In 2010, Delta Air Lines was recognized for Most Innovative Use of POS Solution, utilizing the technology as part of a company-wide initiative to raise donations for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Alex Karasik, Program Manager, Onboard Point of Sale Program for Delta Air Lines, was on hand and graciously accepted the POSie presented by both Tom Douramokos and Brett Proud.

Nominees for the 2011 awards had not yet been announced at time of publication.

www.pax-intl.com

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ANCILLARY REVENUE

gategroup centralizes retail solution offerings under Caroline Ulbrich, CEO eGate Solutions

By Maryann Simson

F

or as long as buy-on-board programs have existed, gategroup has been helping airlines around the world grow ancillary revenues with a comprehensive suite of services.

Already one of just a handful of major competitors in the inflight retail marketplace, gategroup has recently reorganized and centralized this business segment. By employing the group’s understanding of logistics and product control issues and leveraging the strength of its many other services, eGate Solutions is positioning itself for strong contention for customers in the onboard retail ring.

Caroline Ulbrich became CEO of eGate solutions in January 2011, and has been overseeing the many changes within her gategroup arm. Progressive changes over the last couple of years include new personnel, new handheld POS technology and back end support (the TS4: robust, feature-rich and secure onboard retail front and back-end technology solutions), improved data management and enhance inflight service and galley planning.

“As buy-on-board (BoB) has matured in the industry, we wanted to strengthen our value proposition by pooling these specialized

resources within a singularly focused BoB team that could meet the evolving customer demand,” explains Ulbrich. “Ten years ago the duty free trolley was offered as a fringe service after the meal has been served. Today, driven by the push for ancillary revenue, this operation has grown into a professionally managed and rather complex business that is conducted during the majority of the flight – as well as before an aircraft leaves the ground and well after it has touched down.”

Keeping pace with the current trend towards ‘total convenience’ for passengers and maximized profits for airlines, the company’s total offering spans a multitude of constantly evolving product categories including food items, duty free and a growing selection of virtual products which require little logistical effort and promote increased customer satisfaction. Additionally, they are making the process of understanding the vast amounts of data that airlines can collect through these solutions more transparent.

“We are able to provide airline customers with destination-specific data analysis. We also help our customers develop product lines that are customized to a variety of audiences,”

says Ulbrich, adding that although airlineretailing operations have come a long way in the last several years, what we are seeing today is still just the tip of the iceberg. “Onboard retail should not be measured by its financial benefits alone. Particularly in the economy space, retail often drives significant service and satisfaction improvements, especially where the product offering meets customer expectations set by high-street retail standards. Success for air and rail lines will be achieved by those who can best balance their passenger needs with their own needs, through partnering with the right retail service provider.”

Caroline Ulbrich became CEO of eGate solutions in January 2011

Initium Onboard positions for global reach and growth

T

he company formerly known to the passenger travel industry as Onboard Retail Solutions, and as Clue Trader even before that, now sports a fresh looking green and blue logo and goes by the name of Initium Onboard. Not unlike the other major competitors in the dynamic onboard retail movement, evolution and innovation have been the name of the game for this Britsol, UK-based operation since its inception more than 15 years ago.

This latest change of name came on the first day of 2011 with the announcement of a management merger between Onboard Retail Solutions and Initium, a technology firm that has been delivering inflight point of sales solutions to airlines in the US, Canada, Europe, Middle East and Far East since 2001.

“We wanted to update the architectural concept behind the solution to be web based,” explained Dan Hayter, Sales and Marketing Director at Initium Onboard. “We also wanted to get a footprint in North America. The merger with Initium has given us both of these and expanded our management and technical resource base” By establishing a subsidiary in Hong Kong,

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an office in the USA and even moving into a larger sales office in the USA, Initium Onboard is able to better support airline and rail customers in various markets.

“We believe that it is useful to have a local sales presence to understand the markets,” Hayter comments. “We also believe that local support is a big benefit despite the technology, as many people still prefer to interact face to face.”

Like GuestLogix and eGate Solutions, Initium Onboard sees great potential for growth in the virtual product category, which it calls VIP (virtual inventory products). Vouchers for destination attractions, ground transport are among the VIP’s already available to Initium Onboard’s customers and the company expects to make car rentals, hotel rooms and other such services part of its suite as aircraft and trains continue in the direction of full connectivity.

While airlines have, and always will be, a key market segment for growing company, Hayter tells PAX International that he is enthused about Initium Onboard’s progress and leadership in two other areas of the passenger transport. “Today we have five rail companies in Europe,” he reveals. “We expect

rail to become a significant percentage of our business in the next three years. We are also now developing opportunities in the ferry market and have adapted out solution again to meet the peculiarities of this segment.”

The way to success in onboard retailing has been well paved in the European airline space and the rail and ferry channels, mostly because these passenger groups are quite used to opening up their wallets. “Rail and ferry passengers have never gotten anything for free,” he says. “And European travellers are now well-trained in the need to spend onboard, whereas North American passengers are less well prepared because U.S. airlines have only half gone with buy on board.”

Dan Hayter, Sales and Marketing Director at Initium Onboard

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Find out what business and networking opportunities are in store at this year’s IFSA Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Co-located with the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and Aircraft Interiors Expo-Americas.

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2011 Schedule of Events

International Flight Services Association Annual Conference & Exhibition Monday, September 12 – Wednesday, September 14, 2011 (As of 7/25/11)

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

1100 – 1700

0800 – 1700

Registration Desk Washington State Convention Center South Side

1000 – 1630

Exhibit Hall Open Washington State Convention Center Hall 4B

1100 – 1200

Food Trends Presentation Dr. Victor Gielisse, Associate Vice President of Culinary Institute of America Washington State Convention Center Hall 4B

1230

Lunch Washington State Convention Center Hall 4B

Board of Directors Meeting*

Monday, September 12, 2011 0730 – 1700

Registration Desk Washington State Convention Center South Side

0925 – 0950 Marketing from Airframers’ Perspectives: Boeing Randy Tinseth, Vice President, Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Washington State Convention Center Ballroom 6 BC 0950 – 1015 Marketing from Airframers’ Perspectives: Airbus Bob Lange, Vice President, Marketing, Airbus Washington State Convention Center Ballroom 6 BC Featured SpeakerSimon Talling-Smith, Executive Vice President, Americas of British Airways Washington State Convention Center Ballroom 6 BC

1230 – 1300 Chef’s Competition Showcase #1 Washington State Convention Center Hall 4B

1100 – 1140

1140 – 1150 ORBIS International Jack McHale, CEO and President of ORBIS International Washington State Convention Center Ballroom 6 BC 1150 – 1200

Aviation Industry: Behind the Scenes Douglas King, CEO and President, Seattle Museum of Flight Ballroom 6 ABC

1315 – 1400

Featured SpeakerBrad Tilden, President of Alaska Airlines Washington State Convention Center Ballroom 6 BC

USDA/FDA Presentation: Updates and New Initiatives Dr. Terry Morris, U.S. Department of Agriculture Dean Davidson, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Washington State Convention Center Rooms 608-609

1300 – 1330

Chef’s Competition Showcase #2 Washington State Convention Center Hall 4B

1500

Announcement of Chef’s Competition Winner Washington State Convention Center Hall 4B

1600

Best of Show Announcement Washington State Convention Center Hall 4B

1800 – 1900 2100 – 0000

Leader’s Reception* Hospitality Suite—Cirrus Room Sheraton Seattle Cirrus Room

Wednesday, September 14, 2011 0800 – 1700

Registration Desk Washington State Convention Center South Side

0900 – 1000

Annual Business Meeting / Foundation Scholarship Awards Washington State Convention Center Hall 4B

1400 – 1500

1800 – 1900

IFSA Opening Reception The Garage

1000 – 1600

Exhibit Hall Open Washington State Convention Center Hall 4B

1900 – 2100

IFSA Foundation Bowling Tournament◊ The Garage

1300 – 1330

Product Demonstration #1 Washington State Convention Center Hall 4B

1500 – 1530

Product Demonstration #2 Washington State Convention Center Hall 4B

1600 1830 – 2230

Tradeshow Raffle Drawing Fun Night, co-located with APEX◊ Seattle Museum of Flight Please note: Meeting and location rooms will be posted in the IFSA Final Program. * By invitation only

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◊ Ticket required for entry

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2011 Conference Speakers Brad Tilden President of Alaska Airlines

As President of Alaska Airlines, Brad Tilden leads a team of 9,000 people operating the eighth-largest U.S. airline and serving over 16 million passengers a year. This includes oversight of a 117-aircraft fleet operating in more than 60 cities across North America and Hawaii that produces annual revenues of $3 billion. Under Mr. Tilden’s leadership, the airline was ranked highest in customer satisfaction among traditional network carriers by J.D. Power and Associates for the third consecutive year in 2010, and led major domestic airlines in 2010 with its on-time performance.

Simon Talling-Smith Executive Vice President, Americas, of British Airways Simon Talling-Smith was appointed Executive Vice President Americas for British Airways in August 2008 and is responsible for the airline’s extensive commercial and customer service operations in the USA, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean and Bermuda. In addition, he leads the $7 billion transatlantic joint venture across the three carriers: American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia.

Dr. Victor Gielisse Associate Vice President of The Culinary Institute of America Dr. Victor Gielisse is Associate Vice President of Business Development for The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Dr. Gielisse’s responsibilities include directing the college’s relationship within the food service industry, including business development, consulting, custom training programs, industry outreach, licensing programming, and donor support opportunities. Dr. Gielisse will also serve as a judge for the 2011 IFSA Chef’s Competition.

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Randy Tinseth

Dean Davidson

Vice President, Marketing, of Boeing Commercial Airplanes

National Manager, Interstate Travel Program of Food and Drug Administration

Randy Tinseth is Vice President, Marketing, for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, a position he’s held since April 2007. Mr. Tinseth is responsible for marketing efforts across Commercial Airplanes’ entire family of products and services contributing to planning and product development, understanding and communicating market requirements and the market outlook and supporting market positioning and sales activities.

Dean Davidson began his work as the senior technical consultant and advisor to FDA District Offices and Center management in 2003. Mr. Davidson is responsible for all precedent setting agency actions involving interstate conveyances, equipment certifications, regulatory actions, and review and approval of conveyances and their support facility construction plans. He assists in the development of FDA field personnel training in areas of conveyance operation and sanitation, equipment review and approval, compliance and enforcement protocols.

Bob Lange

Jack McHale

Vice President Marketing of Airbus

CEO and President ORBIS International

Bob Lange was recently appointed VP Marketing at Airbus. He joined Airbus in 1987 after working as a Future Projects Engineer at British Aerospace where he completed an Undergraduate Apprenticeship and an honours degree in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Bath. Mr. Lange previously held management positions in Programmes, Communications and Product Strategy before being appointed to lead the Aircraft Interiors Marketing team, covering all current and future Airbus cabins.

Dr. Terry A. Morris

Jack McHale has been an active member of the ORBIS International family since 1989. In 2009, Mr. McHale stepped in as President and CEO of ORBIS. Before his current position, Mr. McHale held dual positions at ORBIS and FedEx until retiring from FedEx, when he formally joined ORBIS in a volunteer position as Director of Aviation Affairs in 2008. Mr. McHale’s responsibilities included oversight of the maintenance and operations of the current ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital, a DC-10, as well as the acquisition and conversion of a new aircraft, an MD 10, destine to be the third generation Flying Eye Hospital. Jack lives in Tustin, CA with his wife Charlene. They have four children and eight grandchildren. Jack holds a degree in International Marketing from California State University in Long Beach, CA

Medical Veterinarian Officer of U.S. Department of Agricultures Dr. Terry Morris, a native Marylander, graduated from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, Virginia. In 2007, she accepted a position with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Regulatory Support Staff, where she serves as liaison between Customs and Border Protection and Veterinary Services on the importation of animal products and animal byproducts and is the subject matter expert on international garbage.

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2011 Chef’s Competition Judges Tom Douglas Chef/Owner

Tom Douglas, along with wife and business partner Jackie Cross, owns ten of Seattle’s most exciting and enduring restaurants: Dahlia Lounge, Etta’s, Palace Kitchen, Lola, Serious Pie, Seatown Snack Bar, Cuoco, Ting Momo, and Brave Horse Tavern. In addition to these joints, Chef Douglas runs a retail bakery, Dahlia Bakery, which now also includes the Dahlia Workshop, a catering company, Tom Douglas’ Catering and Events, and an event space, Palace Ballroom.

A Delaware native who started out cooking crab cakes at the Hotel Dupont in Wilmington, Chef Douglas headed west in 1978 to Seattle which became his adopted home. He opened his first restaurant in 1989. Over the course of 20 years, Chef Douglas has been repeatedly featured by the media as the Seattle chef who has helped to define a true Northwest style. He was awarded Best Northwest Chef from the James Beard Association in 1994. He also appeared on the Food Network’s Iron Chef in 2005, battling Iron Chef Morimoto and won. In addition, he has authored three cookbooks and has two more in the works. Chef Douglas and Jackie live in Seattle, and have one daughter, Loretta.

Dr. Victor Gielisse Associate Vice President of The Culinary Institute of America

Dr. Victor Gielisse is Associate Vice President of Business Development for The Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

Dr. Gielisse’s responsibilities include directing the college’s relationship within the food service industry, including business development, consulting, custom training programs, industry outreach, licensing programming, and donor support opportunities. Dr. Gielisse will also serve as a judge for the 2011 IFSA Chef’s Competition.

Competitors Chef Daniel Malzhan

Chef Farand Lee

AMTRAK

Gate Gourmet Canada

Since joining Amtrak in 2007, Daniel Malzhan brings to the advisory team thirty years of diverse culinary experience. He has held chefs positions throughout the food service industry in white table cloth restaurants, boutique hotels, airline catering and in two California culinary education programs as Chef-Instructor. Prior to joining the railway, he spent a decade developing global menus for Delta Air Lines. Chef Malzhan is a culinary graduate of the Hotel-Restaurant management school at San Francisco’s City College and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville where he holds a degree in art. He continues to be engaged in learning more about the culinary arts through continuing education classes offered at the Culinary Institute of America.

Chef Shashi Sanamvenkata

Chef Matt McNutt

Chelsea Food Services

LSG Sky Chefs

Chef Sanamvenkata is the Executive Chef for Continental Airlines’ Chelsea Food Services catering facility in Houston, Texas USA. Born in Hyderabad, India, Chef Sanamvenkata has gained extensive culinary experience over a career that has spanned 20 years and three continents. His international background has proven to be a valuable asset in designing menus for all Continental flights, especially those to Delhi and Mumbai. Chef’s Sanamvenkata’s flight kitchen produces 33,000 meals every day at Continental’s hub in Houston.

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Chef Farand has been with Gategourmet Canada for 4 years.

Previously he has held prestigious chef positions with La Belle Auberge Restaurant, Ritz Landis Taipei, Grand Hyatt Hotel Hong Kong, and Susur Restaurant in Toronto. In addition he was also the Chef Consultant to Vancouver-based airline, Harmony Airways.

Culinary competitions are not new to Chef Farand, among his many culinary accomplishments Chef Farand has garnered three gold medals and two silver medals in international culinary competitions and has several recognitions for his craft in competition.

Born in Rochester, Michigan, Chef McNutt’s love of food began with the basics from his mother. He was under foot before all meals wanting to help and learn from the master. This passion drew him to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. He graduated within the top 5% of his class in 1993 and was drawn home to Texas and Club Corp for more training. Chef McNutt has worked in the kitchens of Las Colinas Country Club, Stonebriar Country Club, Trophy Club Country Club and La Cima Club. In April of 2009, Chef McNutt’s joined LSG Sky Chefs as one of the Culinary Development Executive Chefs and is striving to help bring airline catering to the next level.

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2011 Planning Committee Mike Fishburn British Airways Chair

Paul Normand Harvey Alpert & Company Co-Chair

Jim Armstrong Continental Airlines

Jim Ball Flying Food Group

James Cravens Delta Airlines

Diego DeAstis DFS, Inc.

Kimberly Guanci-Dylewski Campione D’Italia Foods, LLC

Greg Hughes Pourshins

Marcel Lagnaz Gourmet Foods

Kevin Miller Gate Gourmet

Mark O’Sullivan Michael J. Devine & Associates

Cathy Sachse FedEx Express

2011 Officers Vicky Stennes President JetBlue Airways

David Loft Vice President Flying Food Group

Pam Suder-Smith Treasurer Pourshins, Inc./gategroup

Simon Soni Secretary Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.

Ken Samara Chairman AMI Inflight, Inc.

2011 Board of Directors Jane Bernier-Tran Continental Airlines

Bob Blackburn LSG Sky Chefs

Vidalia de Casado Copa Airlines

Heather Cho Korean Air

Greg Hughes Gate Gourmet

Alice Liu American Airlines

Hideo Miyabe TFK Corporation

Mark O’Sullivan Michael J. Devine & Associates

Paul Platamone Harvey Alpert & Company

Jaime Arturo Viola Philippine Airlines, Inc.

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Marcel Lagnaz Gourmet Foods

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IFSA Exhibition Floorplan

As of 7/25/2011

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SERVICES ASSOCIATION SEPTEMBER 13-15, 2011

WASHINGTON STATE CONVENTION & TRADE CENTER HALL B4 SEATTLE, WASHINGTON GATE 5

FREEMAN SERVICE DESK

F FE FHC

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UP TO 5 SHOW

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ENTRANCE ESCALATORS FLOORS 4 & 6

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DOWN

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Air Fayre ............................................................................108, 110

Jiangyin Uta Tech Co., Ltd. ............................................. 515P

Airmarket LLC......................................................................409P

John Horsfall & Sons ......................................................... 107P

AUI (Albert Uster Imports).............................................405P

K&W Food Brokerage........................................................ 412P

Amero Foods dba PastryStar ............................................121

Leahy-IFP ....................................................................................115

AMI Group ...........213P, 215P, 219P, 221, 223P, 227P, 229P, 312P, 313P, 314P, 315, 317P, 318P, 320, 321P, 322P, 323P, 326P, 328P, 422P, 423P, 519P, 522P

Lintsol......................................................................... 500P, 502P

AMKO Group International............................................. 123P Anheuser-Busch .....................................................................214 Bailly / A L’Olivier ............................................................... 507P Best Maid Cookie Company ............................................236 Brown-Forman Beverages .............................................. 416P Bunzl Distribution.................................................................. 414 Burry Foods ..................................................................... 136, 138 Campione D’Italia Foods ....................................................216 Classic City Bakeries ........................................................506P Conway Imports ................................................................... 230 D&F Marketing ...............413P, 415P, 417P, 512P, 514P, 516P Delyse, Inc. ............................................................................508P D.F.S. Inc ................................................................................ 407P DHL Airline Business Solutions....................................... 441 En Route International USA .............................................. 341 Envision Unlimited ................................................................132 Flying Food Group......................................................... 106, 114 Fresh Brew Group ............................................................... 402 gategroup ......233P, 332P, 235P, 334P, 237P, 336P, 239P, 338P, 241P, 340P Global Inflight Products ..........................404P, 406P, 408P GoPicnic ..................................................................... 116, 118, 120 Gourmet Foods ................................................................... 403P Government Affairs & Education Committee............130 Graphica-Alliance (Abigraf) ..............................................105 Green OnBoard ........................................................521P, 523P Harvey Alpert and Company ....434P, 436P, 432P, 438P, 435P, 437P, 534P, 536P

Malton Inflight Limited ....................................................... 127 Manoucher Food & Co. .......................................................238 McGuire and Associates .........300P, 301P, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308P, 309P Michael J. Devine & Associates .................................... 401P MillerCoors ...........................................................................226P Mills Textiles............................................................................. 134 Mother Parkers ..................................................................... 220 Naturally Fresh ..................................................................... 101P Nesiah Kosher Gourmet Meals ........................................139 Orvec International Limited ..............................................218 Palm Bay Imports ..............................................................222P PepsiCo ......................................................................................129 Pax International Magazine ..............................................128 Revere Packaging ................................................................... 117 Royal Cup Coffee ..................................................................234 Shasta Sales .............................................................................103 Slainte Wine ........................................................................... 113P Sola Airline Cutlery ............................................................. 511P Stoffel Seals Corporation ................................................ 517P Swiss Chalet Fine Foods ................................................505P The Eli’s Cheesecake Co....................................................232 The Hoffman Group ..... 200P, 201P, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206P, 207, 209P, 212P Transmed Foods, Inc. ............................................................119 Wente International ............................................................ 228 Wessco International ............................................421P, 520P Woodsmoke Provisions......................................................504P As of 7/25/2011

Heineken USA .....................................................................420P ITW Fastex .................................................................................112 Jazz Fine Foods .....................................................................126

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IFSA 2011 Annual Conference Sponsors

As of 7/25/2011

Platinum

Gold

Silver

Bronze

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ANCILLARY REVENUE What makes the Smart Heart a real winner for Alaska Airlines is that it plays the role of up to three meal categories in one

Cubic innovation

By Maryann Simson

Now a staple of North American inflight cuisine, the multi-component snack or meal box is becoming more creative, refined, profitable, and yes, even fun

J

ust as providers of inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) solutions look to consumer electronics trends when designing the latest systems for an aircraft, airline catering professionals and their suppliers too must carefully monitor the grocery retail marketplace and other foodservice sectors in order to accurately forecast what combination of religious, social and dietary factors could govern their passengers’ food purchasing decisions onboard.

Though the economy has somewhat stabilized over the last 12 months, travelers and airlines alike will continue to watch their pennies, looking for value as well as appeal in any meal or snack proposition. Besides cost, there are many other motivators that govern the food selections made by carriers and their customers. From clean label organic preference to brand loyalty to advertising and allergies, there are no shortage of influences at play in the new buy-on-board era, and no shortage of suppliers with the fresh ideas necessary to get unique food-based retail programs off the ground.

Stepping it up Lisa Douglas, Director, Sales and Product R&D, at Oakfield Farms Solutions and has been affectionately dubbed their “Snack Box Guru” by

“The gluten-free market continues to grow and shows no signs of stopping,” she reveals. “Carriers, for whatever reason, have been reluctant to introduce gluten-free items, but this is an area of opportunity to attract a passenger base which currently feels very underserved.”

some of her colleagues. In a recent interview with PAX International she shared a wealth of educated insights on trends that her company is tracking, in addition to an overview of what some of Oakfield Farms Solutions’ more innovative airline partners have been up to.

“There is most definitely a relationship in the trends we see in retail and in what passengers are served onboard,” says Douglas. “The real difference being between items that are for sale on board and those which are complimentary. Complimentary items are still driven very much by budget, whereas retail items need to sell and therefore must be something that the passenger will find appealing and want to reach into their pocket and pull out a credit card for.”

Of course when a passenger becomes willing to produce his or her credit card, it means there is some profit to be made. With increasing focus of the airlines on ancillary revenue streams, Douglas says that she and her colleagues are seeing airlines fully embracing onboard retail, and with it, a desire to take the concepts to the next level. U.S. airlines, she says, are moving away from looking at the sale of food as a makeshift foodservice solution instituted when complimentary meals were eliminated, to embracing its inherent opportunity as trip-enhancing offer, brand-definer and revenue supplement.

“The teams in place now at our airline customers are really stepping Allegiant Air has returned from the use of mostly boutique products and designed a program that features a see-though package

Julia Stamberger, President & CEO, GoPicnic Brands Inc.

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it up,” she says, explaining how they are beginning to think like retail merchandisers. “The shelf for an airline is cart space - the physical amount of room in the cart – and that is finite capacity which the onboard retail manager must allocate smartly.”

One of Oakfield Farms Solutions’ airline customers, Alaska Airlines, has for the last year enjoyed the great success of what it calls its Smart Heart Picnic Pack (see related story, page 21). Like a traditional meal box, it contains six items and retails for $6, but what makes the Smart Heart a real According to Stamberger, GoPicnic was winner for Alaska Airlines is the first to introduce gluten-free multithat it plays the role of up to component meals, and now a la carte snack options, to the airline industry three meal categories in one.

“It is lacto-ovo vegetarian and kosher, has zero cholesterol, and is low in sodium and high in fiber,” says Douglas. “It can be served as lunch or as breakfast and it’s also kid-friendly featuring apple sauce and nut butter and jelly with crackers. Sort of like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - without the peanuts! Instead of having a separate vegetarian or kosher meal, separate kid’s meal and separate breakfast meal, this one meal pack satisfies all those interests and is delicious to boot.”

Building on this successful model, Oakfield Farms Solutions has helped Alaska Airlines launch a new Mediterranean Tapas Picnic Pack in March of this year that is vegan, glutenfree, and low in carbohydrates.

The use of trusted and familiar mainstream brands is another way that airlines increase retail profit margins while taking advantage of the high-profile marketing efforts that these brands have already invested in. In the past, airline passengers were given a meal box with a design that reflected the carrier’s own signage and branding. Today, many airlines are switching to packaging concepts that allow these recognized manufacturer brand investments work for them. For example, Allegiant Air has returned from the use of mostly boutique products and designed a program that features a seethough package that lets passengers peer inside to discover leading brands like Chips Ahoy, Ritz, Planter’s and Welch’s.

attempts at healthy option programs fail, not because passengers did not desire healthy options, but rather because the healthy options offered did not suit their preferences. According to Stamberger, GoPicnic was the first to introduce gluten-free multi-component meals, and now a la carte snack options, to the airline industry. The company now offers six gluten-free meals and one meal devoid of all eight common allergens, however none of these lack flavor or consumer appeal.

“The gluten-free market continues to grow and shows no signs of stopping,” she reveals. “Carriers, for whatever reason, have been reluctant to introduce gluten-free items, but this is an area of opportunity to attract a passenger base which currently feels very underserved. Plus, it is very easy to accomplish. Our gluten-free GoPicnic meals are designed to appeal to mainstream tastes and appetites.”

Stamberger says her company was also the first to introduce shelfstable meals free of high-fructose corn syrup, trans fats and artificial colors and flavors, which is true of all their meals. With health and nutrition at the forefront of most grocery retail growth and product development, the natural segment, she says, has been one of the fastest growing areas in food for several years.

This phenomenon may explain the success that GoPicnic has found in the airline sector as it strives to adapt and mirror that expansion. “This past year we launched a number of new and exciting projects including a gourmet chips and salsa combo pack on US Airways, and a new Flight Delights meal on Delta Air Lines featuring Mediterranean Vegetable Bruschetta topping, Dr. Kracker Multigrain Crackers, Olives, Tuscan Almonds and a Summer Berry Mix.” GoPicnic has recently partnered with Hickory Farms on a cobranded effort and developed a line of nine, five piece meals that are

Keeping it real While some may find success in leveraging the notoriety of trademark products, a famous name and pretty wrappings are not for everyone. GoPicnic, Chicago-based supplier of shelf-stable, multi-component boxed meals is owned and run by a woman who is passionate about meeting the needs of airline and passenger in a nutritious and satisfying way.

Julia Stamberger is a scrupulous businesswoman who believes that the best food for a shelf-stable application are often tastier, cleaner-label products available from specialty of boutique brands, telling PAX International that in her opinion, “People want nutritious, tasty meals that keep them fuelled for their travels; not to indulge in a box of vending machine snacks.”

She goes on to explain that many carriers have seen their

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Giving it Away As buy-on-board matures, another concept - or rather the marriage of several concepts, has caused some ripples that might just become waves in the world of snack boxes. AirAdvertainment, LLC came into the public eye in June of this year and news has certainly gotten around about the West Palm Beach, Florida, company that has been working with advertisers and airlines to make free snack boxes available to passengers on certain flights, for a certain amount of time.

Brands looking to get more face time (AirAdvertainment promises 15 minutes) with the generally higher-income demographic group that airline passengers represent, are able to collaborate with AirAdvertainment on a free premium snack box campaign that will engage these passengers through what the firm refers to as a “call to action.” This can be a coupon incentive urging travelers to visit a shopping website for discounts, a code to enter a contest, or really anything the advertiser can think up to persuade passengers to follow up and spend.

“The ‘call to action’ is the key,” says Ryan Matway, president and Founder of AirAdvertainment. “It helps motivate the passenger to engage the offering, and engagement is so much more valuable today than an impression.”

Brands wanting to try the program out can contact Matway and his colleagues and have a meeting to select a defined market, demographic, timeline and campaign size. The AirAdvertainment team will then help advertisers custom-brand their box and select its components from a list of high-profile vendors. Next task is to develop a unique ‘call to action’, and then logistics and deployment (via flight crew) are fully managed by AirAdvertainment, whose team actually consists of a few airline-catering veterans.

According to the company’s website, it has a patent-pending system to gather data, such as engagement responses, conversion rates that it calls the AirBrandTrax™ system. So far the boxes have been spotted on Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air and US Airways, but according to Matway, his firm does not really intend to compete with companies like Oakfield Farms Solutions or GoPicnic.

“Both of these companies offer excellent product,” he says.

“But we fit into the marketplace in a different way.

AirAdvertianment offers a free premium snack box campaign that will engage passengers through what the firm refers to as a “call to action”

For more information about our on-board services, contact: J. Hemmer 571.435.4057 jhemmer@cuisinesolutions.com

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Does a body good PAX International talks to dairy suppliers about its role in the airline catering industry

I

n a world of food processors and manufacturers who strive to bring to consumers a message of wholesome goodness and health, the makers of dairy products should be facing the fewest challenges.

By their very makeup, goods from the dairy farm convey a natural image that nearly everyone brings with them from childhood.

However, companies which make dairy products in all forms, and supply them to the travel catering industry, are well aware of their limitations and the needs of their customers. With those priorities in mind they know that to please a customer, even Mother Nature in her purest forms needs a few tweaks and improvements.

Manufacturing, transporting and preparing meals with dairy products all take time. In many instances, time is not the friend of a dairy product. Limited shelf life, in most cases requires logistics and consumption in a relatively short time period. When even that isn’t possible, companies like QimiQ are needed to step in.

QimiQ based in Austria, has worked years in the travel catering industry, supplying a range of innovative real dairy cream products which are used as a healthier alternative to classic cream. Its line of products can be used as a natural stabilizer or flavor carrier, depending on application.

The company won the gold medal at the International Travel Catering Association Mercury Awards in 2002 in the “Food or Beverage Products” category and was pronounced overall winner as the best and most innovative product.

“We think that nutrition trends will affect the travel catering industry. Real dairy products are healthy especially with the benefit of being low fat like QimiQ, and will therefore become more important when planning travel menus,” Nicola Haindl, Director of International Sales and Marketing for QimiQ shares with PAX International. “Our product does not contain sugar or sodium and has only 15 to 19 percent fat content which is more than 50 percent less fat than heavy cream. We fit perfectly in the modern nutrition trends.”

The Ultra Heat Treating (UHT) processes used in developing the QimiQ line allows the product to be transported at ambient temperatures with no worry of breaking a cold chain process. Since its development in Austria, the company has expanded production areas to Switzerland, Japan and the United States for

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Dorset-based Purbeck Ice Cream has been supplying the travel catering industry with products for more than 10 years

By Chantelle Boyal

worldwide delivery.

The need for products that will significantly outlast usual dairy life is on the rise says Haindl.

QimiQ’s UHT production process makes an end product that is bacteria free and within easy reach at any time.

“As a result of this particular production process, QimiQ has a twelve month shelf life,” says Haindl.

The scoop Dorset-based Purbeck Ice Cream has been supplying the travel catering industry with products for more than 10 years and in 2010 added Air Canada to its customer lists. The company works closely with Monty’s Bakehouse, a wellknown maker of snack products.

“We started off using milk and cream from our own dairy herd, and after selling the cows and quota after seven years, we now buy milk that is guaranteed as produced in the isle of Purbeck,” says Hazel Hartle, part of the management team at Purbeck. “Our cream comes from within Dorset and this adheres to our strict policy of local sourcing whereby we source as much of everything from as close to home as possible. Naturally made with no artificial ingredients including no gluten, eggs, genetically modified organisms, nuts and no added colors.”

Air Canada selected the Purbeck ice cream line in an 80-milliliter package; a size that Hartle says contains a satisfying and healthy serving.

“We market our products as entirely natural and package them in volume amounts according to the recommended daily intake. As our products are natural, ethical and filling, we recommend that an individual 80-milliliter tub is just right,” says Hartle. “We manufacture Purbeck Ice Cream and Purbeck Sorbets only and these are available in a variety of flavors and sizes with the most popular for the travel industry being the 80-milliliter flight tubs and the 4-liter scooping catering sizes.”

With the global move towards sustainable industry and eco-friendly products and packaging, companies worldwide are striving to reuse, reduce and recycle. The idea of going green and incorporating eco-friendliAustria-based ness into all aspects of a busiQimiQ provides a ness has inched its way to range of innovative real dairy cream the top of the priority list products, a among companies like healthier alternative to classic cream Purbeck.

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“We measured our carbon footprint in 2008 and were found to be excelling in all departments,” Hartle says. “Although we came out as being a truly committed company, we still strive to improve, and this year we have replaced the final three compressors with energy efficient ones. We have planted three cider apple orchards, sited bird and bat boxes, and recycle almost everything and even deliver to the local recycling depot. We set minimum orders to ensure all customers receive their maximum capacity, thus reducing the need for double deliveries and reducing our carbon emissions. We use our pool to cool all our equipment and re-use the water again and again in the cooling process, therefore reducing our water usage and minimizing waste.”

Snack Attack The Different Dairy Company (TDDC) is the value added dairy division of Donegal Creameries. There are two branded business within TDDC – Rumblers and Organic for Us. Organic for Us is a range of organic yogurts and milk. Rumblers are designed to cater for a market opportunity in the form of a

healthy nutritional snack that can be eaten on the go. The foodservice/airline pot has been specially designed to fit within the airline breakfast tray and is customizable to airlines’ requirements.

“We have been making Rumblers pots since 1998 and have rebranded the retail packaging with a fresh new look this year. The new-look airline pots will be available onboard shortly,” says Tania Daly, Brand Manager of The Different Dairy Company.

“We supply Rumblers pots to the airlines and also supply UHT milk portions. We also have the ability to supply yogurt, either organic or non-organic, to airlines. Our first partners were Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and Singapore Airlines. Today we continue to supply many major worldwide airlines,” Daly says.

With a delicious dairy product such as yogurt, one must wonder where does shelf stability stand in all of this?

“Shelf life varies from three to five months

Rumblers pots by The Different Dairy Company are a healthy on-the-go snack with crunchy wholegrain oat clusters in one pot and low fat probiotic yogurt in the other

from date of manufacture for our UHT milk products (subject to customer requirements) and 27 days for our fresh yogurt offering which airlines have indicated is competitive for dairy based breakfast options. Different airlines have different shelf life requirements,” Daly explains.

With the current worries about fast-rising commodity prices, The Different Dairy Company believes that the first step is to mitigate the increases in ways that do not compromise products. For example, payment terms, larger deliveries, better stock control along the supply chain and alternative suppliers can be used where appropriate.

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Behind the beans

A complex world comes into focus when coffee and tea producers for the transportation sector talk about what it takes for passengers to savor a simple pleasure By Rick Lundstrom

A

n old joke used to make the rounds in diners and cafés throughout the United States in the form of a written note posted above battered stainless steel urns.

“Don’t criticize our coffee,” it read. “You’ll be old and weak one day, too.”

Few would argue -- stateside and elsewhere -- that much has changed. Warnings like the one in the diner are now something of a quaint throwback to a time before consumer taste shifted. Production of gourmet coffees and high-end coffeehouses has boomed, filling rooms with a product so pleasing and evocative, that its scent alone has the power to change the mood of a consumer. Marketers of the bean quickly caught on to what was happening and began selling coffee products not just for taste, but also for “experience.”

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That evolution has become woven into the language of coffee producers, stores, coffeehouses and boardrooms of the transportation sector. Consumers continue to seek out what is new and unique from large producers whose names are well known, to innovative, independent companies bent on producing an experience found nowhere else.

“The future of the market is likely to be influenced with more artisan elements and increasing quality in all areas, including product, packaging, service delivery and environment,” Richard Barclay senior vice president of international brands at SSP, a well known airport coffee house concessionaire recently told PAX International. “Furthermore, a drive to reach new customers in new markets, increasing innovation across products, environment and channels in the market, and increased engagement with the customers both in-store and via new technologies will be key.”

It is increasingly obvious that airlines seek many of the same goals within the confines, demands and limitations of the aircraft cabin.

From Delta Air Lines’ new association with Seattle’s Best, to American Airlines’ partnership with Java City to Virgin America’s Iced Cappuccino from illy to JetBlue’s sturdy blend made by Dunkin’ Donuts, coffee is branded and dispensed with an added emphasis, in many cases, on sustainability and fair trade.

Suppliers have answered. Sophisticated packaging, designed to lock in freshness, has replaced plastic cello wrappers commonly used on airlines. Suppliers of galley products invest heavily to develop the latest coffee brewing equipment built not only for efficiencies and brewing capability, but also for cabin appearance.

But for every high-profile announcement, there are many other partnerships forged at industry gatherings by companies who have amassed knowledge and experience from day-in and day-out labor in the trenches of airline supply.

“Most contracts start with a three-year timeline,” said Mark Moland, National

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Account Specialist Travel & Recreation at Mother Parker’s Tea and Coffee, which has offices in Toronto and Fort Worth, Texas.

“But contract renewal starts on the day the contract is awarded.

Our objective is to not just be a supplier, but a partner for extended periods.”

Mother Parker’s and its many competitors in the travel catering/retail sector seek to build loyalty -- a rare commodity in an industry that is constantly fighting price wars. It’s a difficult proposition when much what occurs may be beyond a company’s control, including the price of raw materials, world currency fluctuations and competition from huge companies with different economies of scale.

“The market dynamics have changed so dramatically that roaster buying patterns are now dictated by the conditions of the market that are speculative,” says Al Ansari, President of Fresh Brew Group in Houston. The effects of a weak U.S. dollar along with dropping production forecasts and ever-climbing demand have made coffee much more expensive.

“The market dynamics have changed so dramatically that roaster buying patterns are now dictated by the conditions of the market that are speculative.”

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Al Ansari Fresh Brew Group President Moland adds that fuel prices greatly affect not only the airlines, but coffee producers as well. “We have always invested in energy saving or energy recapture technology and continue to do so,” he says. “From a final product perspective, we are working with each customer, showing them some alternative solutions that may be of interest during this challenging time.”

Times are no doubt challenging, but product demand for highquality coffee keeps increasing and has never seemed to wane since the titanic forces that swept across the coffee service world changed the commodity’s profile completely. A combination of consumer awareness and endless innovations and incarnations continue to shape the beverage segment.

“The effect of Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks is immense and they both have played a significant role in raising the quality of coffee in America. Clearly Starbucks has led the revolution for quality-based coffee based drinks, and thus the demand for good coffee has been on the increase,” says Moland. “Increasing the quality and awareness of quality is good for any industry and clearly Starbucks deserves credit for increasing the customer’s level of awareness.”

Marcel Vogel, co-founder of Axxent Tea and Coffee concurs: “Starbucks has been very positive to the coffee and tea business in general,” he says. “The more attention they give to quality and new flavors, the more interesting things happen.”

More specifically, Keith Johnson, CPO/EVP of Fresh Brew Group says that consumer awareness has brought greater demand for 100 percent Arabica coffee. This has led to roasters such as Fresh Brew Group to improve upon darker roasting coffee profiles. The company has also tracked consumer demand by age. The popular darker roasted coffees have long been the favorite of younger consumers, says Johnson. However, he adds there has been an overall tapering off, replaced with

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demand for a medium-dark and not ultra-dark profile that the company has seen in the past decade.

But a strong brand and a well-known name can only get a company so far, says Vogel. “(The) question is whether an airline does want to be related to a big player or do they want to have their own identity? We notice that airlines more and more are looking for unique concepts and brands to distinguish themselves from others.”

Axxent launched in 2006. Though still a new supplier, Vogel and co-founder Arnoud Francken have worked for other longtime Dutch suppliers. Francken was previously with packaging supplier Helios, while Vogel was export director for Drie Mollen, a well-known coffee supplier. Currently, airlines are approximately 10 percent of the company’s business. Axxent has its main customers in Western Europe, among them Ark Fly, Corsair and Icelandair. However, Axxent customers may look to the company’s convenient location near a major airport for station supply “so we are thinking and acting global,” said Vogel.

These days, global thoughts are not merely confined to ambitions and growth. Companies like Axxent and Mother Parker’s are nearly required to look at the impact of their businesses on the home countries where they source their products.

The airlines are reaching out to companies with an eye on public pressure to serve products that are sustainable and fair to the producers.

This has involved, for companies like Mother Parker’s, affiliations with several organizations and a hands-on effort that has meant funding the development of schools and families and other local community endeavors.

“The awareness of where our products come from and those who make them is not something that is isolated to just the airline industry,” adds Moland. “There is a consumer awakening that has occurred and as good corporate citizens, the airlines and other industries are responding.”

Axxent Tea and Coffee is an international licensee for Fairtrade, a group that monitors markets to make sure growers are compensated based not on markets, but pricing that allows them to see a reasonable return on their efforts and production.

Axxent recently finished building a day care center in Sri Lanka with the Fair-grounds Foundation that the company formed by investing the proceeds from the sale of coffee and tea concepts it has developed.

The big player The worldwide reach and the scope of products made by Nestlé Professional for the travel catering puts the company in a singular place among the industry. Almost all of the major airlines have the company among their portfolio of suppliers, giving the Swiss giant a wealth of market information in many product categories in airlines, cruise and ferry and rail sectors.

For the company, this involves keeping up with the changing demands of its travel sector customers with an ever-changing array of products, many of them bound for the buy-on-board programs that are reshaping airline food service worldwide.

In such an environment Julian Sokoloff, Key Accounts Manager at Nestlé Professional, says the company has distinct advantage for the airline seeking sales to the passenger.

“In a normal retail environment, where space is not dramatically limited, they can indulge in their heart’s desires,” he says. But in a cabin with limited space, an airline needs to appeal to as broad 70

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Starbucks baristas will soon been serving up the popular brews at Oslo Airport

Iced lattes for the

Norway market

Extending an agreement that started in 2008, SSP and Starbucks announced in mid-June the first of coffeehouse giants stores in Norway will be opening at Oslo Airport in early 2012.

Since the Seattle-based Starbucks began working with SSP, 29 stores have opened in airports across Europe. Starbucks has a goal of opening more stores in primary travel channels.

“We’re delighted to be building on our successful operation of Starbucks coffee houses across Europe, an playing a role in establishing the brand in Norway,” said Morten Solberg Nilsen, Managing Director of SSP Norway, in the June 16 announcement of the deal. “We’re confident that Starbucks will be the ideal compliment to the suite of restaurants we will be operating at Oslo Airport.”

OSL is increasing capacity, and by 2017 when terminal 2 is completed, it will have the capacity to accommodate 28 million passengers per year.

a passenger base as possible. High volume, mainstream products have the best chance.

But even a company with such a broad appeal needs to keep looking inward and listening to customers. Nestlé spends CHF 2 billion (US$2.4 billion) per year on product research and development. That leads to a number of changes in product lines.

“More than 25 percent of our products are being refreshed every year,” says Sokoloff.

“This can be updated packaging onwards, but more often will mean recipe changes as we continually search for healthier and more sustainable ways to manufacture our products.”

Most recently, Sokoloff says that has meant changes not only in its confectionery products such as Kit Kat chocolate bars, but also its Nescafé Gold brand.

Nestlé is the world’s largest purchaser of coffee beans. It operates an extensive network of direct purchasing with growers and sends out teams of agronomists to stay close to their product and ensure profits for the producers and high quality for Nestlé.

“(The) question is whether an airline does want to be related to a big player or do they want to have their own identity? We notice that airlines more and more are looking for unique concepts and brands to distinguish themselves from others.”

Marcel Vogel, Axxent Tea and Coffee

The coffee experience Coffee producers are aware that the presence of a particular brand has never sold a seat on an aircraft. But that has not stopped Fresh Brew Group from actively marketing its newest brand names, Journey’s, Accolades and Kova, and testing them against a number of better-known coffees.

“If they compare to ‘known brands,’ they will see a better cup,” says Fresh Brew’s Keith Johnson.

For most people, “a better cup” can be

enough to turn anxiety and fatigue on a hectic morning into an enjoyable experience they did not expect, and one that coffee makers and airlines search the world to bring to them.

Moland is also happy that the myths of stunted growth are being put aside and solid research is showing that coffee berry juices are now a possible source for valuable antioxidants in addition to being a luxury reward for consumers.

“Who knows what else we will see on the market in the 10 years,” he said. www.pax-intl.com

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Tea’s turn Loose leaf and chai poised to take their place with other high-quality offerings in the airline trolley

W

“

e have high expectations for loose tea.”

Marcel Vogel’s efforts to bring a loose tea product for inflight service may seem like a laborintensive venture for flight attendants, but the co-founder of Axxent Tea and Coffee in the Netherlands insists that it does not have to be the case.

Nor should a passenger have to go without a creamy chai product or the latest of the healthy products that consumers read about everywhere: green tea.

Tea has been a development priority for Axxent in recent months. The company introduced its Tea of Life and Sunleaf Original teas brands for the airline industry to go with its Legends Telling Teas, T’amore brand and its Blond Amsterdam teas in six flavors with signature triangle shaped tea bags. In the future, Vogel sees great potential for a chai product for airlines service.

Since the company held a demonstration and discussion on tea at last year’s IFSA Asia/Pacific Conference, Dilmah Tea has added Qantas Airways to its Axxent Coffee and Tea developed list of seven other airline customers. The company’s Dilmah the Tea of Life Exceptional rage of Italian Almond, Rose, French Vanilla and Ceycollection

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lon Pekoe will be available for in business class. Its English Breakfast, Earl Grey Green Tea and Herbal Infusion will be will be in the airline’s lounges. The company’s Gourmet Range of Green Teas and Infusions are also found inflight on Qantas.

Airlines sales are a small, but important customer base of Dilmah, says the company’s Director of Marketing, Dilhan Fernando. “The importance of the airline segment goes beyond the value of sales alone since the opportunity of presenting guests of a cup of tea inflight is integral to our Seven Star Luxury Experience, and also a challenge we value,” he tells PAX International.

That challenge, he says, presents itself in the cabin environment. Tea flavor is especially sensitive to water quality. Chlorinated water is less than ideal for fresh tea service he says. Corralling far-flung cabin crew in for training sessions on the ground is another challenge that while occurring in nearly every hospitality industry is more difficult when working with airlines.

The first ever Dilmah School of Tea took place from the March 30 to April 2 in Colombo, Sri Lanka and was attended by hospitality professionals from around the world including Australia, China, Dubai, Singapore, Indonesia and New Zealand.

The Dilmah School of Tea seeks to inspire passion in tea through knowledge of the artisan aspects of tea among hospitality professionals, tea aficionados and consumers with strong emphasis on versatility of tea in gastronomy, food pairing and tea mixology.

Dilmah Tea plans to hold a second such event in September 2011.

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Table manner

Two tableware companies discuss the steps they take to give the tray setting an elegant appearance and feel

W

By Chantelle Boyal

hether it’s a short haul or long haul flight, national or international, the process of organizing a flight and the many encounters and interactions that occur along the way can have passengers feeling anxious, uneasy and restless. Once passengers have boarded the aircraft and settled into their seats, a common question crosses their mind: What will they (the airline) serve for dinner?

Equally as integral as the meal itself is the way in which it is presented to the passenger.

That presentation holds with it the possibility of making a lasting impression. As paying customers, passengers expect to feel as though they are receiving the best service and quality in which they are entitled to, whether or not they are flying first class, business class or economy.

Cuts like a knife AMKO International produces and supplies rotable tableware products made from stainless steel and porcelain to the airline, rail, and food service industries. Included in its tableware line is chinaware, glassware, cutlery and amenities. Supplying to airline customers such as Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, the AMKO team is led by Ann Mottola, Vice-

President of Sales along with Joe Catarino, Managing Director.

“Some of the more prestigious carriers and those that are looking to distinguish their service are now getting back to offering reusable better-looking products onboard. We are also seeing a trend to using various other items to complement the dining experience on board.

I think the major push is differentiation and adding items that complement their dining service,” says Catarino. “AMKO produces and supplies mainly reusable tableware products.

Reusable stainless steel cutlery and porcelain dinnerware, aside from being reusable, look good, enhance dining experience, are better for the environment and people prefer to use stainless steel cutlery and porcelain chinaware when dining.”

He comments on the advantages of reusable tableware products for an airline’s environmental initiatives and the long term affects of both reusable and disposable.

“AMKO specializes in reusable products and our impact on the environment is much smaller than what the companies that sell disposable tableware are creating. Our products are reusable and there is less concern about the environment since this material is 100 percent recyclable,” he says. “Disposable tableware wastes a lot of resources and is

rarely recycled, creating waste. If an airline is using reusable cutlery they completely avoid the process of creating a single use item, no solid waste is created. Disposable tableware is less costly, but the trouble is that the cost of plastic cutlery doesn’t account for its full environmental cost. It doesn’t account for the landfill space needed and the increased energy used to manufacture it.”

When asked to comment on rapidly rising commodity prices, Catarino shares that material prices are somewhat stable and have been for awhile, but it’s the manufacturing costs that are trending upwards along with transportation. “AMKO is not using any new materials, and almost all dinnerware we produce is made from ceramic or glass, and all of our flatware is made of stainless steel,” says Catarino.

Rotable tableware has not changed much over recent years, says Catarino, and cutlery is still made from stainless steel or sterling silver and dinnerware is made of either ceramic or glass.

“Some airlines are adding several new items to their service and while doing so, enhancing the total dining experience for their passengers in either business or first class. We as a company will always steer our airline customers to products that are better for the environment and that enhance the dining experience for their passengers. Stainless steel flatware and porcelain dinnerware is easy to care for, durable and low in cost.”

Flight Service Products (FSP) GmbH provides eco-friendly paper products such as tray mats, which can be printed according to virtually any request

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AMKO International produces and supplies reusable tableware and flatware products made from stainless steel and porcelain to enhance the dining experience

Source Globally... Deliver Locally!

Reduce, reuse, recycle Flight Service Products (FSP) GmbH based in Emmerich am Rhein, Germany produce and supply non-woven products to airlines and various customers throughout the catering industry. Their tableware products are made from natural paper qualities, which resemble linen and are soft to the touch. Included in its in flight tableware supply, FSP produces cocktail napkins, traymats (including non-skid), trolley covers, hot and cold towels and more.

“The material we use mainly for napkins is an airlaid material. This is a high-quality material, which looks like linen. We also use a material called Toptex, which is a latex-free airlaid material without any binders. All of our materials are FDA approved,” says Evelyn Billion, Sales Manager for FSP. Billion shares that FSP’s products are customizable in various ways and they strive to fulfill every customer’s request. “Our products are available in printed or un-printed versions. For any event, whether it’s an airline’s anniversary or a current special offer, we are able to do whatever is required,” says Billion.

Billion adds that the most common requests are logo printing, or images representing a country, on tray mats for example, which FSP has provided for the Bavarian Oktoberfest.

For the last 10 years, Distribution and Service (DSI) has built a reputation of excellence in the travel catering sector. By helping guide customers through the process of importing and U.S. distribution, DSI can ensure on-time delivery of frozen and dry goods across North America.

This know-how means that for DSI’s airline, cruise line and rail customers, sourcing can be done on a global level and brought into the United States, without hassle. A five million cubic foot warehouse on the East Coast and a three million cubic foot warehouse on the West Coast are ready night or day to receive your freight and push it forward quickly and safely. Whether your shipment is a full load or a single pallet, you can rest assure that you have a qualified team of operational experts who will work around the clock to protect, transport and deliver your frozen and dry goods.

Distribution & Service, Inc. 10565 Fairfax Blvd., Suite 303 Fairfax, VA 22030 Mike Aevermann Phone: (705) 267-9616 x104 Fax: (703) 267-9615 www.dsi-360.com

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SUPPLIER FOCUS

Upping the stakes John Schwartz of Wente Vineyards and Denise Poole of AMI Wines weigh in on inflight trends and the effect of major airline consolidations on the competitive landscape

T

By Maryann Simson

wo high-profile mergers involving four major U.S.-based carriers have changed the face of North American aviation. The amalgamation of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines has resulted in the retirement of the Northwest Airline web site, name and signage, while the fusion of United Airlines and Continental Airlines has led to the creation of United Continental Holdings, Inc. the new holding company for United Airlines and Continental Airlines. Once this second merger has been completed, United will be the single largest airline in the world today.

“The most obvious result of airline consolidation is that there are simply fewer customers,” says Denise Poole, CEO of AMI Inflight and AMI Wines. “So each bid that comes up is more important than ever, espe-

cially since many of the bids come up only once a year.”

Both Delta and United fit into this category, meaning that if an opportunity to take the contract home is missed, that window of opportunity has closed for a significant amount of time. “We are investing all possible resources into these bids because if you are shut out, then you will have to wait a whole year. With so few customers, these wins have become increasingly important,” Poole says.

With bigger airlines naturally come high volume tenders. Gone are the days when a business class placement on one of these merged carriers was under 2,500 cases per cycle. In the new North American market, that same placing might demand upwards of 6,000 cases per cycle, effectively raising a new and increasingly common question. Can quality pro-

ducers make enough wine to fulfill the order?

“It eliminates some of the suppliers,” Poole admits. “In some cases, the number of cases the airline wants is a winery’s entire production for the year. As a result, they do not want to sell it at the discounted price that airlines require when they are getting full margin on retail placement. It’s great marketing for them, but if they are not meeting their production costs then it really does not help them, so that is something we are running up against. On the flipside of that, if you do have a winery that is big enough to play in that game, it is a very important sale for them.”

Besides adjusting to larger bids and fiercer competition, many suppliers have a sharp eye on ballooning commodity prices and fluctuating currencies. In fact, the company has taken to practice of buying a currency exchange (a line of cash that locks into an exchange rate) as soon as an airline says yes.

This is done to protect everyone involved; however transport is another story.

“You can contract a winery for the price, but with freight there is no contract,” Poole explains. “You can win a bid this year but

“The most obvious result of airline consolidation is that there are simply fewer customers, so each bid that comes up is more important than ever.”

Denise Poole, CEO of AMI Inflight and AMI Wines (left) pictured here with Janine Bennet, AMI Group’s Director of Sales

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you might not ship it until next year. You just have to hope and pray that the freight has not gone up. Surcharges could be added at any time.”

John Schwartz, of Wente Vineyards says he feels that in addition to financial pressure and consolidations, environmental conservation and demand for customization have bolstered demand for features such as lighter weight glass or PET plastic bottles and even wine labels that will resist separation when exposed to moisture.

“To be a successful supplier you have to keep up with industry trends,” he tells PAX International. “The airline market in the 1970’s, 80’s and to some degree in the 90’s was rather stable and you knew what was going on. In the last 10 years however, there have been many changes.”

Recently, Wente has been working with several of its airline partners on programs designed to increase onboard sales revenue, add value for the passenger and provide a unique brand differentiating opportunity.

“We’re working with a couple of airlines, Virgin America being one and Frontier being another, who are dabbling in the 375milliliter premium wine market,” Schwartz reveals. “So Virgin America is giving passengers the option to buy a quarter bottle or for an upsell, they get a 375 milliliter of a higher quality.”

The 375 milliliter program features whites and reds in a screw cap bottle and rolled out at the end of June. Theyhave garnered positive feedback from passengers and the airlines involved.

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Come and see us at IFSA Seattle

Stand No. 341 September 13-15 2011 For more information please contact info@en-route.com www.en-route.com www.pax-intl.com

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SUPPLIER FOCUS

Intervine celebrates 20 years with landmark contract win

T

he last 12 months have been anything but dull for Intervine, Inc. a Napa, California-based supplier of international wines to the global travel sector. Besides celebrating its 20th year of supplying an international wine portfolio to airlines and cruise ships around the world, Intervine has been honored with a top supplier diversity award from Delta Air Lines and won a landmark, multi-year contract to manage the entire inflight wine program of US Airways.

If that was not enough, Intervine brought in Ed Matovcik as its new president. With a Columbia Business School MBA and deep roots in the international wine industry, Matovcik quickly began adding new talent to Intervine’s Logistics & Distribution team as well as other departments that provide full management services to its customers.

“Winning the competitive bid to manage US Airways’ full program was a turning point for our company and a seminal event in the evolution of inflight wine service,” Matovcik said. “Rather than piecemeal its wine selections, US Airways understood the benefit of leveraging Intervine’s international purchasing power to construct a cohesive wine program that controls costs while increasing

quality. US Airways has also been able to leverage our value-added services including wine education training for flight attendants.

Increasing flight attendants’ knowledge about the wines they are serving and increasing the quality of those wines leads to greater passenger satisfaction while increasing revenue opportunities in the main cabin.”

Hector Adler, Vice President of Inflight Services for US Airways told PAX International that the carrier selected Intervine, Inc. “Because of the largest portfolio of wines from around the globe,” and for its “flawless execution of the logistically complex distribution required for the program.”

At Delta Air Line’s Star Awards ceremony earlier this year, Intervine was presented with the airline’s “Women-Owned Business of the Year Award.” As part of its commitment to supplier diversity, Delta annually recognizes small, minority and women-owned businesses who have distinguished themselves through superior operations. Intervine was awarded this year’s honors for its efficient and cost-effective supply chain management as well as its customer service.

While 2011 has been an exciting year, Matovcik says he can’t wait for 2012. “Airlines and wineries have more in common than you might think. From major mergers to Mother Nature, the only thing that remains constant for both is change. We love being at the intersection where both of these dynamic industries meet each other in the glass of passengers.”

Intervine receives Women-Owned Business of the Year Award from Delta Air Lines. Left to Right - Steve Gorman, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Delta Air Lines, Inc.; Karmetria Burton, General Manager, Supplier Diversity, Delta Air Lines, Inc.; Michael Borck, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Intervine; Colleen May, Co-Founder and CEO, Intervine; Chris Collette, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Management, Delta Air Lines, Inc. and Ed Matovcik, President, Intervine.

Newly named Treasury Wine Estates focuses on premiumization and innovation

I

n May of this year, Treasury Wine Estates was born through demerger from the Australian-headquartered Foster’s Group, a major player in the supply of beer, cider and spirits to the travel sector. Now able to focus exclusively on its extensive wine portfolio, Treasury Wine Estates is pouring extra effort into enhancing its already solid position as a one-stop shop for luxury and premium wines in addition to a full range of more commercially viable options.

“Like many of our airline partners and cruise line partners, we’re focused on luxury – the most profitable part of our business, while continually innovating to create new wine experiences for consumers at any point in the spectrum,” says Cindy Reilly, National Account Manager: Air, Cruise, Duty Free and Military.

“We’re proud to work with some wonderful partners around the globe.”

Some of the valued partners that Trea-

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sury can boast include airlines like Delta, United, Continental, American, US Airways, Air Canada, Singapore and Cathay Pacific.

Cruise lines that have, or are currently offering Treasury’s brands onboard include Carnival, Disney, Holland America, Princess, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Silversea, Celebrity, Crystal and Seabourn.

PAX International asked Reilly how her company views the big airline mergers that continue to take place in North America and she calmly replied that although it has certainly changed the competitive landscape, it is not a reason for her and her colleagues to fret.

“Mass consolidation makes the environment more creative, challenging, competitive – and fun,” she says. “Airlines and their customers are often looking for brands they trust, and because of the quality and breadth of our portfolio, we are able to deliver exactly what they want. This year has been an especially

good year for us on the airlines.”

On a similar note, when asked about the use of alternative packaging styles, Reilly again referenced her organization’s focus on quality brands like Penfolds, Beringer and Chateau St. Jean; maintaining that in the premium wine segment, tradition often trumps change.

“We are seeing some interesting experimentation in this area, but find that the consumer still prefers the traditional glass bottle,” she says, adding that although they may be partial to the cork, the more experienced wine drinkers are responding positively to the introduction of new flavor concepts onboard.

“Take for example our Beringer Red Moscato - a sweeter red wine, or our “sledgehammer wines” – bold red wines targeted to men, or our new Emma Pearl brand that is a special indulgence for women. We love to discover trends and develop products that resonate with our customers.”

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SUPPLIER FOCUS

Wine in a can: update

E

arlier this year PAX International helped introduce an innovative Miami-based company to the inflight arena through two articles published online and in print. At that time Friends Just Wine was just breaking into the travel sector and was in the midst of meeting with various airlines and cruise lines, educating both on the potential benefits of introducing French wine in a can to their wine programs.

Since those two articles were released, much has changed for the company. Thanks to a partnership with Atlanta-based D&F Marketing Inc., Friends Just Wine is now much closer to its goal of offering economically and environmentally viable solutions to airlines looking to surprise and delight wine drinkers onboard: particularly now that together, the two companies have developed the ability to let airlines choose the wine that goes into the can.

“When I saw the story on the PAX e.Newsletter, I said ‘where do I find these people!’” shared Graham Felton President and CEO of D&F Marketing Inc. “We see unique

opportunities and trends in the area of canned wine. There is much less weight in the cans than in the bottle. Second to that, it is quite innovative that we can package most any wine product than an airline might select.”

With a filling facility already established in France and another set to open in the U.S., Friends Just Wine has successfully taken a canned wine concept with a selection of just red or white French wine, and turned it into a fully customizable reality for adventurous airlines everywhere. By maintaining a very low price-point, offering to work with any wine producer and by utilizing the expertise of D&F Marketing Inc., the company has developed a turnkey solution for airlines interested in canning wines for weight reduction, differentiation and cost savings. A single 250 ml. can weighs 8 grams, 20 times less than a glass bottle with the same volume.

Shortly, the folks behind wine in a can will introduce red and white Sangria blends that will sell at equally low price points. According to Joe Peleg, CEO of Friends Just Wine, they will boast a light and unique flavor of fruit and wine together.

Friends Just Wine still offers its two original French wine choices, but can now put almost any wine into these lightweight cans

Considering an alternative to heavy glass bottles?

We can provide innovative canned wine concepts that will invigorate your wine program and save you time and money.

Choose our proprietary red and white blends or your own preferred producer – even choose the design of your can and number of cans per case!

After that, Friends Just Wine and D&F Marketing will manage your custom wine in can program from winery to consumer. A pleasant experience guaranteed!

Cans are:

Lighter than glass or plastic

Easy to store and cool

Fully customizable

100% recyclable For more information please contact: D&F Marketing, Inc. Mike Currie

Gregg Fly

817-488-6111 or 678-995-2698 or mcurrie@dfminc.biz gfly@dfminc.biz

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Stand Tall

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CRUISE NEWS The Pinnacle Grill laid on in Le Cique dĂŠcor on the ms Oosterdam

Culinary Cache

Holland America’s new partnership with Le Cirque moves across the fleet with a new menu in the works

O

nce, or possible twice a week, passengers who dine in Holland America Line’s Pinnacle Grill are guests under the toniest big top afloat, or perhaps on land as well.

The Line’s association with Le Cirque restaurants is completing its first year at sea

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By Rick Lundstrom

and has rolled out to the entire fleet. During the night at sea, passengers have a chance to sample menu items from the restaurant that launched the careers of famous chefs like Daniel Bouloud, Christophe Bellanca, Alain Sailhac, and Rick Moonen.

Le Cirque made its debut in Midtown

Manhattan in the mid-1970s. Since then restaurateur Sirio Maccioni (who himself worked on a transatlantic cruise line) has since open Le Cirque restaurants in Las Vegas and the Dominican Republic. Maccioni has also become a frequent guest on Holland America ships since the opening of Le Cirque last year.

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For the event, the Pinnacle Grill -- which seats from 60 on the line’s S-Class ships to 140 people on the Signature Class ships -- is transformed with a line of new menu offerings, wine selections and a restaurant setting designed to recreate the authentic dining experience of Le Cirque. Passengers pay a premium for the evening. The Le Cirque tab runs $39, and $59 with wine.

Since the launch in November of last year, the cruise line industry has been abuzz with Holland America Lines latest attempt to achieve culinary supremacy on the high seas. The efforts of the HAL’s Executive Chef Rudi Sodamin and Le Cirque Executive Chef Craig Hopson were noted across the industry.

“Although the standard Pinnacle Grill menu delivers on good quality cuisine and personalized service, the Le Cirque experience notches both up substantially,” writes Cruise Mates columnist David Yeskel in a January installment on the cruisemates.com website.

Allthingscruise.com columnists Tim and Linda O’Keefe noted the menu of appetizer, soup and three entrée offerings and remarked: “There is much to be said for doing a few things perfectly vs. many of them mundanely.”

Since the launch, Holland America’s Le Cirque has had a selection that begins with A Lobster Salad with Beans and Citrus. Next was a Sweet Corn Soup with Corn Fritters, Wood Ear Mushrooms and Basil. Main courses consist of Wild Halibut Leek Fondue Rocca Di Frasinello Sauce or Rack of Lamb with Goat Cheese Panisse, Artichokes and Aragula or a Côte de Boeuf with Horseradish Flan, Sweet and Sour Baby Beets for two people. Desserts are a Chocolate Souffle, Crème Brûlée Le Cirque and an assortment of sorbets.

However, the line will soon be making some changes to the Le Cirque menu. An expanded menu has been in testing on the ms Veendam this past summer. Steve Kirsch, Director of Culinary Operations at Holland America told PAX International in July that a new menu of three appetizers, two soups, five entrees and four desserts would soon be part of the service fleet-wide.

Holland America Chefs trekked to Le Cirque to be brought up to speed on the legendary restaurant’s menu.

“We develop all the recipes and we photograph each dish, and then their chef converts it to their standard recipe,” Craig Hop-

son, Le Cirque’s Executive Chef told the Village Voice columnist Lauren Shockley in April. “It's Le Cirque food and the same recipes. We just convert their high-end restaurant into Le Cirque one night a week.”

Maccioni’s first Le Cirque restaurant opened in New York in 1974 at the Mayfair Hotel, where it operated until 1997. It then moved to a larger space at Palace Hotel and was named Le Cirque 2000. With an established reputation in the culinary capital, Le Cirque again relocated in 2004 to the Bloomberg Building, opening in May 2006.

“Although over the years, monkeys, circus balls and tent shades have become symbolic representations of the restaurant, but Le Cirque’s most recognizable feature is Sirio Maccioni himself,” said a history of the famous restaurant on the Le Cirque website.

When Holland America first announced the partnership, it played heavily on the restaurant’s notable history. Stateroom televisions played screenings of the restaurant’s HBO documentary Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven. Passengers still have the chance to purchase a Le Cirque crème brûlée dish and a copy of Sirio Maccioni’s book, Sirio: The Story of My Life and Le Cirque.

www.pax-intl.com

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COMPANY PROFILE

Auditing 2.0

The next generation of Medina Quality Assurance Services’ audit information solution is scheduled for important updates over the next several months, promising more access By Rick Lundstrom

T

hanks to technological advancements, users of a web-based program created by a company that conducts audits of airline caterers and food service manufacturers will, over the next few months, have an easier time accessing and interpreting results of inspections.

Medina Quality Assurance Services announced the upcoming changes to its new eQuality Management System (eQMS) in July. By early next year, the company promises a second phase where caterers at facility and corporate levels will be able to view their performance based on the audits, submit corrective action plans and correspond through a “communication portal.”

“The first generation was impressive in its ability to allow Medina Quality customers to access all of their audit reports through a secure web application that also enabled them to summarize audit results in user friendly graphs and charts by station, supplier, region etc.,” said Kate Richardson, Client Manager Airlines at Medina Quality. “However, when it was created five years ago, the technology limited what could be accomplished in a web-based application.”

With the new eQMS system, Richardson said station managers, executives and quality assurance teams at the airlines will have easier access to airline caterer performance information and archived documentation and communication related to the airline’s inflight food quality assurance programs.

Since its introduction of an airline food supplier quality assurance pooling program

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known as the Quality & Safety Alliance - Inflight Services (“QSAI”), the company has been working in partnership with the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Going forward, Richardson says that Medina Quality will continue as a strategic partner with IATA, but also rely more on an Airline Council representing the carriers participating in the program and a Technical Committee composed of representatives of airlines and their caterers.

Apart from the technological changes and the efforts of the Airline Council, officials at Medina Quality say that the company’s QSAI auditing program will remain much the same.

“Any major differences would have been detrimental to some of its core objectives,” says Richardson. “Reducing confusion and building consensus.”

Under the QSAI Program, airline participants submit a list of airline catering facilities that they wish to be included in the audit program.

Medina Quality shares the information with airline clients, which receive the audit reports and related follow-ups. The company says when more than one airline uses the same facility; they will split the associated fees and expenses to conduct the audits.

“It is like having a turnkey, robust and sophisticated food quality assurance department that also works on the development of policy and industry best practices” said Richardson.

In addition to supplying airlines with audit reports, Medina Quality stresses that one of their objectives is to help airline caterers understand the industry’s food quality and food safety

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

expectations. The goal is achieved through time-tested standards and interpretation guidelines. Caterer input takes place through the Technical Committee, where members can propose changes or amendments based on new scientific findings, legislative requirements and manufacturing processes.

“The QSAI Program hopes to be able to reach those facilities and food consumers and continue to use this forum to work together on new standards and programs that will further protect against food safety risk and improve quality,” adds Richardson.

Medina Quality has been in business since 1980, managing quality and food safety programs for the airlines. The company has conducted more than 15,000 audits. The company currently audits between 30 and 40 percent of the world’s airline catering operations and 50 to 60 percent of the inflight food production worldwide.

The company maintains a suite of services. In addition to working with airlines and caterers, Medina Quality audits food manufacturers, conducts investigations on foreign body incidents and food poisoning allegations and potable water quality. The company also conducts HACCP accreditation audits for food manufacturers.

Over the years, the company said the QSAI Program has taken an industry with multiple standards and methodologies and created a harmonized model that protects passengers, satisfies legal and regulatory requirements and protects airlines and caterers from the negative consequences of unsatisfactory food quality.

“Through the QSAI Program, airlines and their caterers are now working together on their common goals,” said David Medina, Chief Operating Officer. “Using the same benchmarks, avoiding confusion, redundancy cost and resources.”

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PAXSEPOCT11:PAX Magazine 07/08/11 3:44 PM Page 86

WHAT’S

HOT!

Savoir Fare appetizers and hors d’oeuvres

Company Name: AUI (Albert Uster Imports) Company Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland Description: Recent demand for vegetarian, seafood, and classic American flavors lead us to create an exciting and enticing new line of Savoir Fare appetizers and hors d’oeuvres especially for you, the discerning chef.

Savoir Fare items are crafted with the highest quality ingredients, are inspired by authentic flavors, and look and taste hand-made. With this new Savoir Fare collection you will stand out as a first-class chef while saving on time, labor, and cost.

Visit AUI at IFSA Seattle: Booth # 405P

Double Decker Red wine

Company Name: Wente Family Estates Company Location: Livermore, California Description: Tamás Estates introduces Double Decker Red, a blend of red grapes including Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Barbera from sustainably farmed, estate grown vineyeards. Aiming to create a robust yet smooth blend, Támas Estates presents a red wine with mouth-filling flavors of blackberry, black cherry and plum.

Visit Wente Vineyards at IFSA Seattle: Booth #228

Hickory Farms treat

Company Name: GoPicnic Company Location: Maumee, Ohio Description: Hickory Farms offers a tasty treat for passengers from every food group. Selections range from Hickory Farm’s artisan collection, sesame, caraway and sea salt crackers, gourmet cheese spread, white cheddar, hardwood smoked, beef sausage, all-natural, classic fruit blend, allnatural almonds and roasted cinnamon almonds.

Visit Hickory Farms at IFSA Seattle: Booth # 116, 118, 120

Premium IFE audio

Luxurious blankets

Company Name: Orvec International Company Location: Hull, United Kingdom Description: Orvec International expands its cozy blanket range and introduces new fleeces. One of the new additions includes a grey ribbed fleece, developed with Iceland air and embroidered with the slogan “Missing the hot springs? Warm yourself with this instead.” Passengers can warm up quickly and settle in comfortably with Orvec’s new additions.

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Company Name: SkyMax Company Location: Isernhagen, Germany Description: SkyMax offers premium in-flight entertainment headphones covering all the needs of today’s airline customers, ranging from economy to first class, passive in-ear buds to sophisticated active noise cancelling headphones in various sizes and colors.

SkyMax also offers the customizing of headphones for added value.

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Deliciously classic

Creamy camembert slices

Company Name: Alpenhain Company Location: Pfaffing, Bavaria Description: Alpenhain introduces new frozen camembert slices. They are simple and quick to prepare with hot and cold dishes and are ideal for sandwiches, suited for gratins, as a browned topping or with salad. The frozen 10 gram slices are available in a pack containing six slices in 1 kilogram bags.

Company Name: PreGel America Company Location: Concord, North Carolina Description: PreGel America presents its 2011-2012 Novelties campaign revealing seven new products.

Under the campaign slogan, “American-Inspired, Italian Made,” the seven featured novelty products include: Pino Pinguino Chocolate Topping, Mango Super Sprint, Salted Peanut Traditional Paste, Grisbi Chocolate Nocciola Arabeschi (Hazlenut cookies and cream), Krocco Peanut Arabeschi (Peanut cereal crunch), Cherry Bon Arabeschi and five flavored Coriandolina Popsicle coatings. Aiming to bring back fond childhood memories and reinvent classics, these mouth-watering reinventions are the perfect summer treat.

Gluten-free food

Company Name: D&F Marketing Inc. Company Location: Tucker, Georgia Description: GG’s Original provides prepared gluten-free food items for passengers with specific dietary needs. Using age old recipes just like GG (Great Grandma) used to make, the gluten-free meals are tasty, affordable and healthy.

Visit D&F Marketing at IFSA Seattle: Booth# 415

www.pax-intl.com

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WHAT’S HOT!

Fun activity pack for kids

Company Name: Watermark Products Company Location: Mascot, New South Wales Description: Watermark Products presents its newly launched Etihad kid’s activity packs. Made up of a range of bags and incorporating Etihad’s four custom characters, the kits are jam packed with fun activities to keep little ones occupied and entertained during medium and long haul flights. Included in the fun kit is a handful of games and activity books which were all designed specifically for Etihad.

A cup of blond

Company Name: AXXENT Tea & Coffee Company Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Description: Known for its creative teapots and mugs, Blond-Amsterdam introduces A Cup of Blond, six different tea blends to accompany its earthenware. The flavors are Refreshing mint tea, Green tea jasmine, Green tea lemon ginseng, Earl Grey, Black tea red fruit and Black tea Apple cinnamon. The pyramid teabags are packed in an illustrated bag with 25 pyramid teabags.

worldwideonestopsolutionprovider

Your access to the next generation of global solutions and services.

MPP TEC the largest independent company to offer a ONE-STOP solution & service to Inflight Caterers.

MPP TEC the only company bringing business know-how and years of experience to caterer’s world-wide, located in its Belgium HQ with its founding group “CLE”, a pioneer in: • MPP Airline Catering Systems & Global operations • IN-FLITE MANAGER Catering Systems & Global operations • LEAN Management [CI – Continuous Improvement] • Consultancy in Quality management [ISO, HACCP, BRC, IFS, ...]

• MBM [Micro-Bio-Metrix] Laboratories, affiliated with state Universities MPP TEC technology trusted in five continents by leading caterers as the elected Airline Catering Business software system provider serving 20++ catering stations in business management efficiency.

MPP TEC setting the Industry Standard

Mercury award winner

Visit our website: www.mppitec.com Contact us at: +32 11 340 340, info@mppitec.com Meet us StandE7 318-319 Meet us at atITCA ITCACologne Dubai stand 88

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WHAT’S HOT! Delicious calzones Elegant frosted glassware

Company Name: AMKO Group Company Location: Plainview, New York Description: AMKO Group introduces frosted glassware for in-flight service. The frosting process can be applied to most clear glassware, either in a white frost or color frost. It is an attractive alternative to help make glassware more appealing, contemporary and stylish.

Visit at IFSA Seattle: Booth # 123P

Company Name: D|F Marketing GmbH Company Location: Frankfurt, Germany Description: Perfect for those who like to tingle their taste buds, D|F Marketing GmbH offers single-wrapped calzones in a variety of ethnic flavors. The different flavors range from Indian style with Cajun sauce or chawal masala, Arabic style with chicken or vegetables and Asian style with thai chicken or green curry.

Italian style is also available. The calzones can be single wrapped in heatable foil, on a paper liner, in a snack box or as bulk products for direct service.

All packaging can be individualized.

California Rabbit Wine

Company Name: Intervine Inc Company Location: Napa, California Description: Intervine Inc. launches California Rabbit wines in Hopping White and Hopping Red in a 750ml light glass packaging. Also available is Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot in 500ml Tetra Pak cartons. The wines are vibrant and fresh and offered in eco-friendly packaging.

Comfortable earbuds for clear listening

Company Name: Global Inflight Products (G.I.P.) Company Location: Redmond, Washington Description: Global Inflight Products introduces its new premium earbuds. Simple and sophisticated, these headphones provide hours of quiet, noise-cancelling listening. The earbuds are available in a variety of materials and colors such as plastic, silicone and wood. The colors available are black, silver, red, dark wood, light wood and fun animals such as turtles, penguins and dolphins for kids.

Visit G.I.P. at IFSA Seattle: Booth # 404,406,408 Visit G.I.P at APEX Seattle: Booth # 809

Tasty artisan chips

Company Name: Harvey Alpert & Company Company Location: Grapevine, Texas Description: Harvey Alpert launches its new Boulder Canyon naturally salted Rice and Adzuki Bean chips, perfect for airline meal boxes or as a sandwich or salad accompaniment. These tasty artisan chips are the perfect balance of crispiness and bold taste and are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals.

They are all-natural, gluten and MSG free, certified kosher and contain no trans fat or cholesterol.

Visit Harvey Alpert & Company at IFSA Seattle: Booth # 432, 435-438, 534, 536

34° Crispbread Crackers

Company Name: The Hoffmna Group, LLC Company Location: Seattle, Washington Description: The Hoffman Group introduces 34° Crispbread Crackers for passenger services. Wafer thin and lightweight, the crackers are baked without oil and are made from only a handful of natural ingredients.

They are available in six tasty flavors: Natural, Whole Grain, Sesame, Cracked Pepper, Rosemary and Lemon Zest. The crackers are also available in single-serve packs.

Visit the Hoffman Group at IFSA Seattle: Booth # # 200P - 207, 209P, 212P

www.pax-intl.com

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WHAT’S HOT! Fun and tasty snack kits

Company Name: Oakfield Farms Solutions Company Location: Grapevine, Texas Description: For the kid or ‘kid-at-heart’, Oakfield Farms Solutions offers snack kits featuring food, fun packaging and a ‘surprise’.

The kits can be packaged in either stock or custom containers and can be tailored, customized and/or branded. Custom packaging can include colorful graphics with games and puzzles and the ‘surprise’ can be sourced by Oakfield Farms. The snack kits are also shelf-stable.

Visit Oakfield Farms Solutions at IFSA Seattle: Booth # 432, 435438, 534, 536

Refreshing MGD 64 Lemonade

Company Name: Miller Genuine Draft/MDG 64 Company Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Description: MGD 64 Lemonade is the perfect summer refreshment, super light and lemon flavored. With only 64 calories and 2.4 grams of carbs, this limited summer release contains natural lemon flavors and is crisp and refreshing. MGD 64 Lemonade is available in 12oz cans and bottles.

Visit MillerCoors at IFSA Seattle: Booth #226P

New and improved galley inserts

Company Name: Zodiac Aerospace Group Company Location: Herborn, Germany Description: Sell GmbH introduces a new series of galley inserts, available from the second quarter of 2012. The new line of inserts is consistent with new technology and requirements in combination with advanced and classic product design. With a focus particularly on weight reduction, Sell’s new oven comes with 6.5 kg weight savings compared to its current generation oven.

Visit Zodiac Aerospace Group at AIX Seattle: Booth#321

FROZEN FROZEN VEGETABLES VEGE TABLES

HORS D D’OEUVRES ’OEUVRES & MINI PASTRIES PASTRIES

IQF mono vegetables and blends Bundles

Bite-size appetiz Bite-size appetizers ers A ssorted petits ffours ours Assorted

Kettle Brand natural potato chips

Company Name: The Hoffman Group, LLC Company Location: Seattle, Washington Description: Kettle Brand, the original natural potato chip, introduces a handful of new flavors and varieties. Made from whole sliced potatoes, the chips offer a bold crunch. Now available is Kettle Tias Tortilla Chips, Reduced Fat Potato Chips and the newest flavor, Zesty Ranch. In addition, Kettle Brand offers a 100-calorie baked line offered in three flavors.

Visit the Hoffman Group at IFSA Seattle: Booth # 200P - 207, 209P, 212P

Airline clubs shower kits

PORTION PORTION CONTROL C ONTROL PPACKS ACKS Bonne B onne Maman Maman P Preserves reserves Maille Mustard M aille M ustard

FFor or mor moree information inffor ormation www.whitetoque.com www.whitetoque.com info@whitetoque.com info@whitetoque.com 1 800 237 6936

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Company Name: WESSCO International Company Location: Los Angeles, California Description: WESSCO International offers premium shower products, dispensers and shower kits to enhance the passenger experience in airline clubs. Airline clubs that have special showers are switching to name brands and some clubs even offer airline branded kits with name brand products for passenger use. Showers in first class international lounges have become the norm and some clubs have paired with spas so layover passengers get the full treatment.

Visit WESSCO at IFSA Seattle: Booth#421P, 520P

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ASSOCIATION NEWS Hamburg, the site of this year’s Seatrade Europe Cruise & River Cruise Convention, is the second-busiest port in Europe, after the port of Rotterdam

Cruise convention to ponder environmental issues

“T

he cruise industry is aware of its need for action in respect of sustainability and is at an experimental stage”, said Helge Grammerstorf, Managing Director of the Hamburg-based SeaConsult. “There are a lot of interesting and promising concepts to reduce the environmental impact of cruise ships.”

Ways for cruise shipping to reduce its environmental impact will be discussed at the Seatrade Europe Cruise & River Cruise Convention September 27-29 at Hamburg Messe.

Environmental protection will be taken up at the “European Rules” conference session, supported by Global Maritime Environmental Congress (GMEC). Discussion will center on new regulations, technology and operational procedures.

During the show, industry suppliers will also present their latest products for the reduction of energy and water consumption. Oldenburg-based Deerberg-Systems, a well-known maritime waste management solutions supplier, will demonstrate its technology, as will Hobart, market leader for commercial flushing systems. Convotherm Elektrogeräte will present ecological solutions for its state-of-the-art combi steamers, while Ecolab Deutschland will focus on efficient cleaning and sanitizing technology.

Hamburg-based cruise line, Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten, has launched a program with climate organization Atmosfair, which developed the first “cruise climate calculator,” to compensate carbon dioxide output.

“Co-operation with Atmosfair gives us and our passengers the opportunity to make a contribution to climate protection and to encourage ecologically-friendly and sustainable cruising,” said Sebastian Ahrens of Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten.

Ports are also actively exploring the possibilities of shore power or LNG supply, so cruise ships can cut auxiliary engines in port. The new cruise terminal in Hamburg-Altona includes tracks for power and LNG Airfayre ...............................7 AMI Group .........................21 AMKO................................14 ARINC ...............................43 BOSE.................................13 Castello Monte Vibaiano ....87 Certified Angus Beef..........68 Cuisine Solutions...............64 D&F Marketing Inc.............29

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supply, so that both solutions could be implemented in the future.

The Port of Lübeck in Germany already supplies ferries with shore power, but there are no concrete plans to supply cruise ships as yet. At the Baltic Sea port of Kiel, Germany, port authorities are also considering shore power, but are watching pilot projects in other ports.

UPCOMING EVENTS 2011 International Flight Services Conference and Exhibition September 12-15, Airline Passenger Experience Association September 11-15, Aircraft Interiors Expo/Americas September 12-14, All are at the Washington State Convention Center, Seattle. For more information Contact IFSA at (404) 252-3663, e-mail ifsa@kellencompany.com for APEX call (212)297-2177, e-mail info@apex.aero, for Aircraft Interiors Expo call 44 (0)208 910 7126 or e-mail michele.footitt@reedexpo.co.uk.

ITCA Dubai Exhibition 2011 October 25-27, Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre for more information, contact ITCA at +44(0)1483 419449 Cruise Shipping Asia November 16-18, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. For more information info@cruiseshippingmiami.com. Or call 609-759-4700.

2012 Cruise Shipping Miami, March 12-15, Miami Beach Convention Center. For more information info@cruiseshippingmiami.com. Or call 609-759-4700.

Gulfood Conference and Exhibition, February 19-22, Dubai. Fore more information, contact the Dubai World Trade Centre 971 4 332 1000 or email info@dwtc.com Aircraft Interiors Expo, and World Travel Catering Expo, March 27-29, Hamburg. For more information call 44 (0) 208 910 7126 or e-mail michele.footitt@reedexpo.co.uk.

Marine Hotel Association Conference & Trade Show, April 15-17, Peabody Hotel, Orlando. . For more information, contact the association at (415) 332-1903.

IFSA Asia/Pacific Conference, April 22-24, South Korea For more information Contact IFSA at (404) 252-3663, e-mail ifsa@kellencompany.com

A D V E R T I S E R ’ S I N D E X digEcor..............................17 IFPL...................................39 Norduyn ............................41 DSI....................................76 Korean Air ...........................4 NOVO-FOODS....................45 En Route International .......78 Linstol ...............................11 Oakfield Farms Solutions...83 F.S.P. GmbH.......................70 LSG Sky Chefs...................96 Onboard Logistics .............48 Rockwell Collins ................95 Formia...............................18 Lumexis ............................35 SELL .................................49 Friends Just Wine..............80 Medina Quality ..................15 Servair ................................2 Global Inflight Products......53 Meiko................................33 SITA ..................................37 GoPicnic............................67 MillerCoors........................25 SkyMax .............................16 IDB Deutschland................20 MPPiTEC ...........................88

Spafax...............................31 Tequila Correlejo ...............81 The Hoffman Group ...........19 Watermark Products..........73 Wente Vineyards................71 WESSCO International .........9 White Toque ......................90 WK Thomas.......................63

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A taste of the world HUD display

Real-time day/night 3D maps

Hi-Focus maps

53 destinations worldwide Servair brings you a taste of the world – a taste journey into four continents for our airline, company and group clients.

What’s more, we prioritise great service and the respect of local specificity in order to better meet our clients’ needs.

Finally, we offer our clients the highest possible quality professional restaurant and airport standards, see we meet their service expectations.

The ultimate passenger experience begins with a map. © 2011 Rockwell Collins, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Rockwell Collins’ Airshow® 4200 and 4200D systems provide the most advanced moving map and in-flight information applications ever. Delivering rich 3-D graphics, real-time flight information and new features through distributed in-seat channels. All in an easy-to-install, easy-to-maintain package.

To find out more, visit www.rockwellcollins.com.

www.servair.fr

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Visit us at APEX 2011 Expo, exhibit #1001.

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