Air Fayre

What Air Fayre does

Air Fayre is a privately held in-flight catering company founded in 1997 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The company provides catering and provisioning services to commercial passenger airlines, cargo airlines, and professional sports charter operators at major U.S. hub airports, including LAX, MEM, IND, SNA, PSP, SBA, and several other Southern California airports. It operates what it describes as a patented "split catering model" in which food production is outsourced to specialty local suppliers while Air Fayre retains responsibility for demand planning, assembly, the "total chill chain" cold logistics, ramp provisioning, and post-flight cleaning. This separation allows the company to concentrate internal resources on operational execution rather than kitchen production.

The company's core technology is Scorpio, a proprietary enterprise resource planning system that extracts demand data directly from airline reservation systems or infers it from usage patterns to automate replenishment planning and reduce meal shortages or overstock. Operations are supported by a purpose-built 101,000 sq. ft. facility five miles from LAX (expanded in 2018), a new kitchen in Memphis opened in 2024, and an Indianapolis operation launched in 2024. Additional sustainability infrastructure includes a Power Knot LFC biodigester for in-house food waste processing. The company is CCPA-compliant and operates under FDA food-safety standards.

Air Fayre's revenue model is B2B transaction-based catering fees under negotiated enterprise contracts with airline procurement and operations teams. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, but is positioned as transparent and lower-cost than traditional integrated caterers due to a lean corporate structure and outsourced food production. The go-to-market is direct enterprise sales, targeting airline decision-makers through relationship-based selling. Named customers include United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, FedEx, Cargolux, and unspecified major league sports franchises. Reported scale metrics include 4.7 million meals served and 54,000 catered flights, with the Indianapolis site alone serving 80+ cargo flights per day.

Name

Air Fayre

Legal name

Air Fayre

Website

https://airfayre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Air Fayre is a privately held in-flight catering company serving commercial passenger airlines, cargo carriers, and charter operators across major U.S. hub airports via a split-catering model with proprietary ERP technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Airline Catering Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Air Transportation (4881)

SIC

Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581)

akta.pro primary industry

Catering & Cabin Logistics Operations (THABAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ground Handling (Ramp, Baggage, Turnaround) (THABAIAC), Airport Food & Beverage Concessions (THABALAD)

Keywords

• Airline catering services
• In-flight meal provisioning
• Cargo flight catering
• Split catering model
• Airport logistics services

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. In-Flight Catering Services: B2B catering services provided to commercial passenger airlines, cargo airlines, and charter services. Revenue generated through contracts for food production, logistics, assembly, transportation, and aircraft provisioning. Pricing is transparent and competitive, with cost control benefits passed to airline customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Air Fayre provides in-flight catering and provisioning services to commercial passenger airlines, cargo airlines, and charter operators under a patented split-catering model. Food production is outsourced to local specialty suppliers, while Air Fayre owns logistics, meal assembly under a total chill chain, refrigerated transport to the ramp, and galley loading. The company serves major hub airports including LAX, other Southern California airports, Memphis, Indianapolis, and Portland for clients such as United, Delta, FedEx, and Cargolux.

Product overview

Air Fayre is an airline catering company offering two core service lines: Commercial In-Flight Catering for passenger airlines and Cargo Flight Catering for cargo airline crews. The company operates a unique 'split-catering model' where food production is outsourced to specialist suppliers while Air Fayre focuses on logistics, assembly, and transportation. The proprietary Scorpio ERP system integrates across the catering value chain to manage demand forecasting, supply chain operations, and multi-location coordination. Services are delivered through a 'total chill chain' process covering food production, assembly, delivery, and post-flight cleaning across operations in Southern California, Memphis, and Indianapolis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Scorpio: Proprietary enterprise resource planning (ERP) system used for optimization, data accuracy, and issue anticipation.

Products and services

• Commercial In-Flight Catering End-to-end in-flight catering service for commercial passenger airlines covering meal and beverage provisioning, assembly under a total chill chain, refrigerated transport, and galley loading at airport hubs. Targeted at major domestic and international passenger carriers seeking reliable, on-time performance and strict adherence to food specifications.
• Cargo Flight Catering Dedicated in-flight catering service for cargo airline crews, including menu variety sourced from external food suppliers, crew meal logistics, and on-time delivery to scheduled all-cargo flights. Targeted at cargo operators such as FedEx and Cargolux that require reliable crew meal provisioning with competitive pricing and operational efficiency.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.7M meals served
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Delta AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2024Air Fayre provides in-flight catering for Delta Airlines, one of the world's largest air carriers, at Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) and Palm Springs International Airport (PSP). Flight preparation completed at LAX facility with state-of-the-art refrigerated vans ensuring meal quality. Partnership started October 2024.
• CargoluxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2024Cargolux, one of the largest scheduled all-cargo airlines in the world, selected Air Fayre as their in-flight catering partner at Indianapolis International Airport (IND). Decision driven by Air Fayre's reputation for reliable, on-time service and consistently high-quality food for crew. Aligns with Cargolux's commitment to reliable flight schedules and delivery standards. Demonstrates Air Fayre's ability to deliver outstanding service to major cargo airlines across the United States.
• United AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Expanded partnership with United Airlines includes new services at Indianapolis International Airport (IND) and John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Santa Ana. Long-standing relationship at LAX paved the way for this expansion. United Airlines became first commercial airline client at IND in June 2024, validating Air Fayre's quality and reliability.
• FedExcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024FedEx was the first client at Air Fayre's new Indianapolis International Airport (IND) location when operations expanded beyond Southern California in early 2024. Validated Air Fayre's ability to deliver quality catering services in new markets.
• Power Knot (Biodigester Supplier)supportingTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Air Fayre uses Power Knot LFC biodigester for sustainably processing airline food waste. The biodigester disposes food waste within 24 hours through natural decomposition, producing CO2 and water. This partnership enables Air Fayre's sustainability initiatives and carbon-neutral waste processing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• LSG Sky Chefs: The world's largest in-flight caterer, serving 300+ airlines across a global network of kitchens. Directly competes with Air Fayre in airline catering, but at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth; serves as the benchmark incumbent Air Fayre must displace or avoid.
• Gate Gourmet: Swiss-based global in-flight catering and hospitality provider serving passenger airlines at major hubs worldwide. Comparable to Air Fayre in core service offering (full-service airline catering) but with significantly broader international footprint and incumbent contracts.
• dnata: Emirates Group-owned airport services and in-flight catering division operating globally. Provides comparable airline catering services alongside broader ground handling and airport operations; competes with Air Fayre for commercial and cargo airline contracts in the US and abroad.
• Gategroup: Swiss airline catering and hospitality company (now part of gategroup/TAV Airports portfolio) operating one of the largest global in-flight catering networks. Overlaps with Air Fayre's core service lines and competes for the same major airline RFPs at a global scale.

Direct peers

• DO & CO: Austrian premium airline catering, hospitality, and event catering group. Comparable to Air Fayre as a high-quality, premium-positioned airline caterer with proprietary logistics capabilities and a focus on operational excellence at major hubs.
• Newrest Group: French multinational in-flight and remote-site catering operator with presence across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia. Directly competes with Air Fayre for airline catering contracts at hub airports, offering a comparable multi-segment (passenger + cargo crew + charter) service mix.
• Flying Food Group: US-based in-flight catering company serving major airlines at JFK, LAX, ORD, and other hubs. Closest direct US-headquartered competitor to Air Fayre with similar passenger and cargo airline client base and comparable hub-anchored service model.

Regional players

• SATS Ltd. Singapore-based market leader in gateway services and in-flight catering across Asia-Pacific. Comparable as an integrated airline catering operator focused on hub operations, though primarily serving Asia-based airlines and not directly competing with Air Fayre in the US.
• Alpha LSG: UK-based joint venture between LSG Sky Chefs and Alpha Airports Group providing in-flight catering to UK and European airlines. Comparable service offering to Air Fayre but focused on European markets rather than US hubs.
• Servair: French in-flight catering subsidiary of Air France (part of gategroup until 2023 acquisition by TAV Airports). Comparable to Air Fayre in airline catering operations, but concentrated on European and African markets and historically tied to Air France.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/airfayre
• Facebookfacebook.com/159297334093263
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/air-fayre

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Air Fayre