ZURICH - gategroup is focused on developing innovative food concepts, new and advanced products, and a retail business model based on market-leading trends and technology. These proven competencies continue to engender valued partnerships with major airlines, and gategroup is pleased to announce the renewal and expansion of business with easyJet and airberlin as top customers.
Leading European airline easyJet extended its contract with gategroup through 2022, an additional three years beyond the original expiration date. gategroup will continue managing easyJet’s end-to-end retail program and provisioning crew catering across the airline’s entire network.
airberlin, the second largest airline in Germany, has extended and expanded its existing partnership with gategroup for four years until the end of 2020. gategroup continues to provide catering and provisioning for the airline’s onboard service, and has extended its scope to include the retail of food, beverages and duty free items. Further, gategroup has expanded its long-haul catering business to serve all airberlin flights inbound to Germany from the U.S.
Combined, easyJet and airberlin serve more than 100 million passengers per year on about 400 aircraft. Both airlines are currently among gategroup’s top 20 customers in terms of annual revenue, with the total value of the combined agreements estimated to exceed CHF 250 million in revenue per year.
gategroup CEO Xavier Rossinyol said, “A defining component of gategroup’s Gateway 2020 strategy has been our emphasis on retail, combining innovation, technology, and culinary and operational expertise to earn and retain long-term partnerships. We are very pleased to continue our collaboration with top customers easyJet and airberlin, creating value for their passengers while also simplifying onboard retail processes. As we continue our respective work together, we will introduce new realms of retail that spark the imagination, create brand loyalty and generate additional revenue.”