Carlos Aviation Catering Network

What Carlos Aviation Catering Network does

Carlos Aviation Catering Network GmbH is a privately held German company headquartered in Schoenefeld, Brandenburg, that operates inflight and lounge catering services at 20+ airports across Germany and Austria. Its core offering is the direct delivery of freshly prepared fine dining dishes, canapés, sushi, vegan options, and full beverage service (wines, champagnes, juices, soft drinks) to aircraft on the apron, FBOs, and handling company facilities. The company is certified by the LBA (Luftfahrt Bundesamt) as a regulated supplier of in-flight supplies under licence DE.RSC.060, and operates HACCP-compliant kitchens, FDA-aligned food handling, and EU LMIV allergen labelling, with all deliveries executed by its own trained staff in refrigerated vehicles.

The company serves three customer segments via distinct propositions: Private Aviation Catering (the primary segment, serving private jet owners, charter operators, and business aviation clients with 24/7 hotline-based ordering and last-minute flexibility), AirMeals airline catering (tailormade First/Business/Economy-class and Buy-on-Board solutions for commercial airlines), and Airport Lounge Catering (full turnkey lounge concepts, design, and 365-day catering for First and Business Class lounges). Ancillary concierge services — including floral arrangements, laundry, newspapers, ethnic food sourcing, restaurant pickup, and shopping — round out the offering. Distribution is hybrid: own fleet and staff at major airports, with handling-company partnerships used for billing settlement, FBO-side storage, and last-mile coverage of remote airfields via external couriers.

The revenue model is transaction-based and quote-priced, with pay-as-you-go billing (major credit cards accepted, direct billing or handling-partner settlement available), layered surcharges for deliveries, waiting, night service (10 PM – 6 AM), rush orders under 12 hours, and Sunday/holiday surcharges. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and the company is owned and operated by Executive Director Martin Henschel with no disclosed external investment, parent company, or acquisition history. Geographic reach is Germany plus one Austrian airport (Salzburg), and the company self-describes as Germany's leading private inflight catering company.

Name

Carlos Aviation Catering Network

Legal name

Carlos Aviation Catering Network GmbH

Website

https://aviation-catering.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carlos Aviation Catering Network GmbH is a privately held German company that delivers freshly prepared inflight catering, beverages, and concierge services to private aviation clients, commercial airlines, and airport lounges across 20+ airports in Germany and Austria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inflight Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (72232), Mobile Food Services (72233)

akta.pro primary industry

In-Flight Catering & Meal Services (THABAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

In-Flight Operations Support (Cabin Logistics, Loading, Inventory) (THABAMAJ), Airport Food & Beverage Concessions (THABALAD), Airline / Rail / Cruise Catering (THAFAIAF)

Keywords

• Inflight catering services
• Private aviation catering
• Airline meal production
• Airport lounge catering
• FBO catering delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Schoenefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Inflight Catering Delivery: Freshly prepared fine dining dishes, canapés, fingerfood, sushi, main courses, vegan options, desserts, and kids menus delivered directly to aircraft, FBOs, and handling companies at German airports
2. Beverage Delivery: Full beverage service including water, sparkling water, soft drinks, freshly squeezed juices, beer, wine, and champagne
3. Additional Services: Concierge services, flower arrangements, laundry and dry cleaning service, international newspapers and magazines, shopping requests, ethnic food ordering, and restaurant pickup services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Carlos Aviation Catering Network provides premium inflight catering services — freshly prepared fine dining dishes, canapés, sushi, main courses, vegan and kids menus, plus beverages — delivered directly to aircraft, FBOs, and handling facilities at 20+ airports across Germany and Austria. Operations run 24/7, 365 days a year, supported by HACCP-compliant kitchens, refrigerated delivery vehicles, and trained in-house service staff. The offering extends to airline catering (under the AirMeals sub-brand), full airport lounge catering concepts, and ancillary concierge services such as flowers, newspapers, laundry, and restaurant pickup.

Product overview

Carlos Aviation Catering Network is Germany's leading private inflight catering company operating as a single unified catering service with multiple specializations. The core offerings include Private Aviation Catering (with 24/7 hotline and direct airport delivery), AirMeals Airline Catering (tailor-made solutions for commercial airlines), and Airport Lounge Catering (full-service lounge concepts). Supporting services include Beverage Service (wines, champagnes, soft drinks), Concierge Services (flower arrangements, newspapers, laundry), and comprehensive Menu Catalogues. All deliveries are made with refrigerated vehicles and trained service staff, with certifications from LBA and HACCP compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AirMeals: Tailor-made airline catering solutions including food concepts for First-, Business- and Economy-class, logistics, and Buy-on-Board concepts.

Products and services

• Private Aviation Catering Specialized inflight catering service for private aviation clients (private jet owners, charter operators, business aviation) featuring freshly prepared fine dining, full beverage service, concierge add-ons, and direct delivery to aircraft and FBOs at 20+ German and Austrian airports, available 24/7.
• AirMeals Airline Catering Tailor-made airline catering solution (sub-brand AirMeals) for commercial airlines, covering food concepts for First-, Business-, and Economy-class, logistics support, and Buy-on-Board concepts, with HACCP-compliant production and direct delivery to aircraft.
• Airport Lounge Catering Complete lounge catering concept for First and Business Class airport lounges, covering food, beverages, and full lounge design from furniture to glassware, with 365-day, 24-hour operational support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving 20+ airports across Germany and Austria

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Air Culinaire Worldwide: US-originated inflight catering specialist focused on private and business aviation globally. Closest niche-comparable peer to Carlos - both serve private aviation operators with premium on-demand catering and similar kitchen-plus-refrigerated-delivery model.
• Do&Co: Austrian premium airline and event caterer listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange. Operates private aviation and lounge catering globally alongside its airline catering business, the most direct comparison to Carlos's premium positioning across private, commercial, and lounge segments.
• Servair: Air France-KLM's catering subsidiary providing airline catering, inflight logistics, and lounge services primarily across French-speaking Africa and Europe. Similar multi-segment catering model with comparable refrigerated delivery operations.
• Newrest Group: French-headquartered international catering group with strong presence in airline catering, inflight catering logistics, and lounge services across Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Comparable in serving multi-segment catering across multiple geographies.
• Flying Food Group: US-based airline and inflight caterer serving scheduled carriers, private aviation, and lounges. Comparable end-market mix and operational model, though primarily North America-focused.

Broad incumbents

• dnata Catering & Retail: Emirates Group subsidiary operating one of the world's largest airline catering networks with inflight catering, buy-on-board, and lounge services across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
• Gate Gourmet: Swiss-based global airline catering group serving scheduled and charter carriers in major hubs. Provides comparable inflight catering logistics to Carlos though scaled primarily to high-volume scheduled operations.
• LSG Sky Chefs: World's largest airline catering group, wholly owned by Lufthansa. Operates across scheduled airline catering, lounges, and private aviation, overlapping with Carlos across all three customer segments though dominated by commercial airline volume.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/carloscatering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carlos-aviation-catering-network

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Carlos Aviation Catering Network