The world’s largest airline catering and in-flight solutions provider LSG Sky Chefs has decided to make India its major hub and is planning to open four new facilities in the country next year.
“To meet growing demands of India’s booming aviation sector, we are planning new facilities at Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata,” Chief Operating Officer, Asia-Pacific, H K Cheung said.
LSG Sky Chefs is the sole independent international airline caterer in India and has a presence at the old airports of Hyderabad and Bangalore. It is building facilities at Hyderabad and Bangalore to replace the existing ones.
“We see India as a major market where there is a strong demand for top-quality in-flight catering services,” Cheung said. The market size is around $100 million and growing, Cheung, who was in the Thai capital to attend the International Travel Catering Association (ITCA) Asia-Pacific conference, said.
India has a large middle class but the number of air travellers is comparatively small, Cheung said. However, the boom in Indian aviation industry is here to stay and the number of air travellers is increasing at a rapid pace, he added.
Asked how the company would take on domestic players in India, Cheung said “as a global leader, we have developed expertise for various markets and we are bringing a new erspective to India, keeping in mind the rich culture and varied tastes.”
