The acquisition will see dnata significantly expand its operations in the US to include 121 Inflight Catering’s 21 international airlines and hundreds of private aviation customers, which it serves from its facilities at New York JFK and Nashville International airport with a team of 350 culinary professionals.
Over the past year, dnata has made several investments in growing its catering network, with recent milestones including the opening of a new catering facility in Dublin, Ireland, and the acquisition of Qantas Airways’ catering division in Australia. It is also in the final stages of completing its first catering facility in Canada, located in Vancouver, which will formally open in 2019.
Dnata’s catering team now operates from 62 locations in 11 countries, producing over 320,000 meals every day.
“We are excited to expand our operations in the United States, the world’s largest aviation market,” said Robin Padgett, Divisional Senior Vice President for dnata’s catering division. “The 121 team has the right combination of extensive experience and deep market knowledge which will support our ambitious growth plans in North America, while maintaining the customer-first approach we’re known for.”
Said 121 Inflight Catering’s Managing Partner Joe Savino, “We look forward to offering an even more outstanding value proposition in the market. We are sure our stakeholders will benefit from this co-operation.”
In addition to the catering facilities in New York and Nashville, the acquisition also includes two separate restaurants. 121’s flight catering operations will be rebranded to dnata and continue to operate under the guidance of the existing 121 management team.
