What Direct Aviation Group does

Direct Aviation Group is a privately-held, founder-owned holding company headquartered in Nuth, Netherlands, operating four wholly-owned subsidiaries across the aviation services value chain. The group provides inflight catering equipment supply (Direct Air Flow, est. 1992), galley insert equipment manufacturing under the Aluflite brand (Korita Aviation, est. 2006 in Suzhou, China), aviation technical services including borescope inspections, transition management, and CAMO (Direct Aero Services, est. 2014 in Dublin, Ireland), and aviation recruitment (Direct Personnel, est. 1994 in Dublin, Ireland). The group serves airlines, aircraft lessors, MRO providers, airline catering companies, and rail operators globally.

Korita Aviation manufactures lightweight, durable galley equipment including trolleys, containers, oven racks, and drawers, holding EASA, FAA, CAAC, CAAS, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, and AS 9100D certifications, plus approved supplier status with Airbus (NELI for A320/A330/A350/A380), Boeing, COMAC, and Bombardier. Direct Aero Services provides aircraft engine borescope inspections across major engine platforms (CFM56, CF34, LEAP, V2500, GE90, CF6, GEnx, PW4000, Trent series) and holds EASA Part-145, FAA, and UAE CAR 145 approvals. Distribution partners extend the group's reach into Latin America, India, and Singapore.

The business model combines one-time hardware sales (galley equipment), professional services (technical inspections, transitions, CAMO), and contract-based recruitment placements. Pricing is contact-based and not publicly disclosed. The group operates with 11-50 employees, is founder-owned by Mieke Bougie and John Reidy since 1992, and shows no evidence of external funding or public listing. Marketing relies on industry trade shows (WTCE, Growth Frontiers), direct enterprise sales, and digital presence.

Name

Direct Aviation Group

Legal name

Direct Aviation Group

Website

https://directaviation.aero

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Direct Aviation Group is a founder-owned holding company operating four aviation service subsidiaries: inflight catering equipment supply, galley insert manufacturing (Aluflite brand), aircraft technical services (borescope inspections, CAMO), and aviation recruitment. It serves airlines, aircraft lessors, MROs, and rail operators globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Galley Equipment & Aviation Technical Services

NAICS

Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)

SIC

Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing (Fixed-Wing) (IMABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Business & General Aviation Aircraft Manufacturing (IMABAAAC)

Keywords

• Aviation galley equipment
• Inflight catering equipment
• Aircraft technical services
• Aviation recruitment services
• Aircraft asset management

Headquarters

HQ city

Nuth

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Galley Equipment Manufacturing & Sales: Korita Aviation manufactures galley insert equipment (trolleys, containers, oven racks, drawers) for aviation and railway industries. Direct Air Flow supplies certified galley equipment from stock to airlines and catering companies.
2. Inflight Catering Equipment Supply: Direct Air Flow sources and supplies certified inflight galley equipment and aircraft passenger service accessories from a global sales and distribution centre in Nuth, The Netherlands, meeting EASA, FAA, CAAC and CAAS standards.
3. Aviation Recruitment Services: Direct Personnel places pilots on short-term and long-term contracts for airline partners, as well as aviation executives, aircraft engineers, and cabin crew positions.
4. Technical Support & Asset Management Services: Direct Aero Services provides technical consultancy including aircraft engine borescope inspections, transition support, transition management, maintenance oversight, maintenance reserve reviews, and CAMO services for lessors, airlines, and operators.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Direct Aviation Group operates four aviation-focused subsidiaries: Direct Air Flow supplies certified inflight catering equipment from stock; Korita Aviation manufactures the Aluflite range of lightweight galley insert equipment (trolleys, containers, oven racks, drawers) for aviation and railway industries; Direct Aero Services delivers aircraft technical support and asset management (borescope inspections, transitions, CAMO, maintenance oversight) for lessors and operators; and Direct Personnel places pilots, engineers, and aviation executives on short- and long-term contracts.

Product overview

Direct Aviation Group is a holding company operating four distinct aviation service businesses established between 1992 and 2014. The group consists of: (1) Direct Air Flow - an inflight catering equipment supplier with stock position for standard galley inserts; (2) Korita Aviation - a galley insert equipment manufacturer producing the Aluflite range for aviation and rail industries; (3) Direct Aero Services - technical and asset management services for aircraft leasing including borescope inspections, transitions, and CAMO; and (4) Direct Personnel - aviation recruitment specialists placing pilots, engineers, and executives. The companies operate from headquarters in Nuth, The Netherlands, with manufacturing in Suzhou, China and offices in Dublin, Ireland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aluflite: A lightweight galley equipment product range including half size meal and waste trolleys, full size meal and waste trolleys, folding trolleys, Atlas and KSSU containers, oven racks, and drawers manufactured by Korita Aviation.

Products and services

• Direct Air Flow - Inflight Catering Equipment Supply Inflight catering equipment supply service providing certified galley inserts, carriers, cabin interior products, airline catering equipment, and passenger service accessories from stock at the global sales and distribution centre in Nuth, The Netherlands, meeting EASA, FAA, CAAC, and CAAS standards. Targeted at airlines and aviation catering companies.
• Korita Aviation - Aluflite Galley Insert Equipment Manufacturing Manufacturing of the Aluflite range of lightweight, durable galley insert equipment for aviation and railway industries, including half size meal and waste trolleys, full size meal and waste trolleys, folding trolleys, Atlas and KSSU containers, oven racks, and drawers. Certified to EASA, FAA, CAAC, CAAS and OEM standards; official NELI supplier for Airbus A320/A330/A350/A380, with Boeing, COMAC, and Bombardier approvals.
• Direct Aero Services - Aircraft Technical Support & Asset Management Technical support and asset management services for aircraft lessors, airlines, and operators covering the full life cycle of leased aircraft, including 360° aircraft parking and storage, aircraft engine borescope inspections (CFM56, CF34, LEAP, IAE V2500, GE90, CF6, GEnx, PW4000, PW100, Trent 700/800/1000/XWB and Honeywell/APS APUs), transition support, transition management, maintenance oversight, maintenance reserve reviews, and CAMO. Holds EASA Part-145, FAA, and UAE CAR 145 approvals.
• Direct Personnel - Aviation Recruitment Services Aviation recruitment services placing pilots on short-term and long-term contracts for airline partners, as well as recruiting aviation executives, aircraft engineers, and cabin crew. Backed by 28 years of aviation staffing experience delivering quality candidate matches for airline and aviation industry customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 3 inflight galley equipment manufacturers worldwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Airbus (NELI Supplier Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorita Aviation officially became a new supplier of NELI (New Equipment List Item) for Airbus in October 2019, covering all major aircraft programs: A320, A330, A350, and A380. This supplier qualification involved a formal 'Supplier's Qualification Assessment' process that started in September 2017.
• The Boeing CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorita Aviation received Quality System Approval from The Boeing Company in 2012, enabling the manufacture and supply of galley equipment for Boeing aircraft programs.
• COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorita Aviation received Quality System Approval from COMAC in 2015, enabling manufacture and supply of galley equipment for COMAC aircraft programs.
• BombardiercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorita Aviation is an approved supplier for Bombardier aircraft programs.
• Distribution Partners — Latin America, India, SingaporecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKorita Aviation has dedicated official distribution partners located in Latin America, India, and Singapore to support aviation customers globally alongside the main sales office in Nuth, Netherlands.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GA Telesis: GA Telesis is a global aviation services group providing MRO, borescope inspections, CAMO, and asset management to aircraft lessors and operators. Its technical services overlap with Direct Aero Services' borescope/CAMO/transition offering for the Dublin-centered lessor community.
• Diehl Aviation: Diehl Aviation is a leading tier-1 supplier of aircraft cabin systems, galley inserts, and lavatories. It is a head-to-head competitor to Korita Aviation across Airbus and Boeing platforms and supplies OEMs with BFE/SFE galley equipment.
• Geven S.p.A. Geven manufactures aircraft cabin interiors, galleys, and seat-related equipment. It competes with Korita Aviation in OEM galley insert supply and shares the same tier-2 supplier positioning relative to Safran Cabin and Diehl.
• Rishworth Aviation: Rishworth Aviation is a long-established aviation pilot and crew recruitment specialist serving airlines globally. It directly competes with Direct Personnel's pilot/executive placement business across the same customer base.
• AIM Altitude: AIM Altitude is a specialist manufacturer of aircraft cabin interior components including galleys, stowages, and inserts for commercial aviation. It competes directly with Korita Aviation for BFE galley content on Airbus and Boeing programs.
• AerFin: AerFin provides aircraft end-of-life, transition, and technical management services for lessors and operators. It competes with Direct Aero Services on leased aircraft transitions, borescope inspections, and asset management services.
• Safran Cabin: Safran Cabin (formerly Zodiac Aerospace) is the world's largest manufacturer of aircraft cabin interiors including galley inserts, trolleys, and catering equipment. It directly competes with Korita Aviation's Aluflite range across major commercial programs and is the principal share-leader in the inflight galley market.
• Bucher Group (Aircraft Cabin Equipment): Bucher Group supplies aircraft galley equipment, trolleys, and inserts to commercial airlines and rail operators — directly overlapping with Korita Aviation's aviation and railway galley manufacturing business.

Broad incumbents

• TransDigm Group (BE Aerospace heritage): TransDigm owns former BE Aerospace products including aircraft galley inserts and catering equipment through its TransDigm aerospace subsidiaries. It is a much larger, public aerospace components platform that competes with Korita Aviation's galley insert offerings at the component level.
• CAE (Pilot Training & Workforce Solutions): CAE is a global aviation training and workforce solutions provider that includes pilot resourcing and recruitment for airlines, overlapping with Direct Personnel's recruitment capability at a much broader scale (training + placement).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dpirecruitment
• Facebookfacebook.com/DirectPersonnelInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/direct-aviation

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Direct Aviation Group