Bangkok Air Catering’s state-of-the-art kitchen – opened in September 2006 with the ability to cater up to 25,000 meals per day – is currently producing an average of 11,000 meals daily. BAC presently has 14 airline clients in its customer portfolio. Besides providing in-flight meal service to airlines, BAC also offers food, beverage, and related services to four airline hospitality lounges: Emirates, Cathay Pacific Airways, Air France, and Bangkok Airways. After almost a year of operations, BAC has already shown satisfactory performance in its high-quality products and punctual service. “At BAC, we are committed to providing customers with service hallmarked by integrity and quality. A plan of growing slowly but steadily is the only way we can keep our promises to our clients,” says Linus Knobel, BAC’s Managing Director.

Just recently, Bangkok Air Catering has won two additional airline customers, EL AL Israel Airlines and ISRAIR, effective since 1 May and 7 July 2007, respectively. “We are delighted to have both airlines in our international customer portfolio. Winning these contracts demonstrates that BAC has met the security standards required by the airlines, as proven by the completion of the security audit implemented by ICAO. It also demonstrates our ability to meet the demands and requirements imposed by kosher cuisine,” says Konbel. “All our kosher products will be produced in a separate kitchen designated specially for kosher,” he continues. BAC’s frozen kosher products have a shelf life of only four months, whereas the products of other kosher suppliers have a shelf life of at least 36 to 60 months, the supervision of rabbis who examine ingredients and all aspects processing, packaging, and equipment. Besides the kosher kitchen, the unit also has two separate production areas: a halal-certified kitchen, which represents the biggest part of the kitchen; and a non-halal area, restricted to pork and alcohol products only. The kosher kitchen will be used not only for the airlines, but also for any other kosher-related business, i.e. kosher box meals. BAC aims to provide frozen kosher meals to caterers in Thailand and throughout the Asian region, or even to sell directly to airlines. BAC has successfully supplied kosher boxes to LSG (Thailand) since 30 June 2007.

September/October 2007

BAC adds customers and ethnic food service

Thailand sits at the crossroads of several religious and ethnic cultures and airline caterers in the region need the adaptability and flexibility to provide meal solutions to airlines seeking to fill the needs of a diverse group of travelers.

Bangkok Air Catering, one of three caterers at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, has recently added a kosher kitchen for its two Israeli airline customers and achieved an important halal certification from regulators in Thailand.

Currently, BAC is producing an average of 11,000 meals each day to for its 14 airline customers. Besides providing in-flight meal service to airlines, BAC also offers food, beverage, and ancillary related services to four airline hospitality lounges: Emirates, Cathay Pacific Airways, Air France, and Bangkok Airways.

However, a challenge for the caterer was providing service for two special customers: El Al Israel Airlines and Israir and their passengers. The carriers began service into Suvarnabhumi in the past six months.

As customers, the two airlines require strict adherence to kosher requirements. BAC’s kosher kitchen is completely separate from its other facilities, with its own bonded airline equipment store, warewashing and offloading area. BAC’s shelf-stable products are available for use on short notice but with the quality demanded by the airlines.

“Our kosher products possess a shelf life of only four months, whereas the products of other kosher suppliers have at least a 36 to 60 month shelf life, which makes our product is fresher and of higher quality,” says Linus A.E. Knobel, BAC’s Managing Director.

In addition, kosher food is prepared under the supervision of rabbis who examine ingredients and all aspects of processing, packaging, and equipment. At such an investment, Knobel says he sees the separate kosher unit as an opportunity that extends beyond airline catering.

“BAC aims to provide frozen kosher meals to caterers in Thailand and throughout the Asian region, or even to sell directly to airlines. BAC has successfully supplied kosher box meals to LSG Sky Chefs (Thailand) since June 30,” he says.

With Muslim travelers present in great numbers in the country, BAC has successfully sought halal certification for its kitchen. Besides that, the caterer has also set aside a small room, or non-halal area, which is restricted to only pork and alcohol products.

In June, BAC completed a successful security audit implemented by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), with no deficiencies in security oversight systems.

“At BAC, we are committed to providing our customers with service hallmarked by integrity and quality. A plan of growing slowly, but steadily is the only way we can keep our promises to our clients,” says Knobel.

August/September 2007

Creative Kitchen

Bangkok Air Catering opened the doors of its brand new state-of-the-art facility at Suvarnabhumi Airport just 12 months ago with facilities to cater up to 25,000 meals per day.

Today the kitchen is producing a daily average of 10,000 meals for its 14 airline clients and besides providing in-flight meals service to the airlines, Bangkok Air Catering is also providing food, beverage and ancillary related services to the airline lounges in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport for Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Air France and Bangkok Airways.

Two additional airlines which have recently appointed Bangkok Air Catering as their caterer out of Suvarnabhumi are ELAL Israel Airlines and ISRAIR. The contracts commenced on May 1 and July 7, 2007 respectively.

Commencing on these two new contracts, Linus Knobel, Bangkok Airport Catering’s MD said: “We are very delighted to have both airlines on our international customer portfolio. Winning these contracts demonstrates that Bangkok Air Catering was able to meet the demands and requirements imposed by kosher cuisine. All of our kosher products will be produced from our separate kitchen site designated uniquely for the production of kosher meals.”

In June, Bangkok Air Catering also completed a successful security audit implemented by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), with no deficiencies in security oversight system. With almost a year of operations, Bangkok Air Catering has already shown satisfactory performance in in terms of high-quality products and punctual services.

Says Knobel: “Our plan is to grow slowly and steadily to ensure that we can keep our promises to our clients.”

25 February 2007

Bangkok Air Catering (BAC) is planning to grow in 2007 by adding at least three new airline clients. The catering company has recently been awarded a contract by Pakistan International Airlines to provide onboard meal services to flights out of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. BAC presently provides in-flight meal services to Emirates, China Southern Airlines, Kenya Airways, LTU Airways, GMG Airlines, Malev Hungarian Airlines, Druk Air, K-Mile Air, Flyjet, and its parent Bangko Airways which operates 50 flights out of Bangkok. BAC’s kitchen is producing around 10,000 meals per day, with a planned growth of 25% in 2007. In addition to in-flight catering services, BAC also offers food, beverage and related services to airline hospitality lounges of Emirates, Cathay Pacific Airways, Air France, and Bangkok Airways.

Creative Kitchens report

After a year of delay, Suvarnabhumi Airport finally opened last September with a capacity of 45 million passengers. In the same month, Bangkok Air Catering (BAC) opened the doors of its brand new, state-of-the-art, 20,000 square metre kitchen with a capacity of producing 25,000 meals a day.

Says Linus Knobel, MD of the operation, “We aim to be the highest quality airline caterer in Thailand and one of the best in the world”

The kitchen is producing around 10,000 meals a day with a planned growth of around 25% this year.

BAC currently provides inflight meal services to Emirates, China Southern Airlines, Kenya Airways, LTU Airways, GMG Airlines, Malev Hungarian Airlines, Druk Air, K-mile Air, Flyjet and, of course, its home-based carrier Bangkok Airways, which operates 50 flights out of Bangkok. In addition to in-flight catering services, BAC has also offered food, beverage and ancillary services to airline hospitality lounges offered by Emirates, Cathay Pacific Airways, Air France and Bangkok Airways.

As a new caterer, BAC has been able to take on a brand new team of highly qualified professionals. These include chefs from India and Switzerland backed by a multi-national team.

A special area has been designated for a halal certified kitchen and BAC has employed several chefs who are specialists in the requirements of halal.

Concludes Knobel, “We had been training our staff since May 2006 and were very pleased when the prime minister of Thaialand announced that the airport was ready for action”

“Our philosophy is to grow slowly and keep our promise to customers to provide efficient, flexible, professional and courteous service at the highest level”

Creative Kitchens report

No expense has been spared at Bangkok Air Catering to source the best quality state-of-the-art equipment, cutting edge quality control systems and a consistent supply of fresh quality ingredients.

The latest investment sees the opening of a new 20,000sq metre facility at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, built specifically to reflect the company’s progressive attitude and commitment to efficiency and quality.

The new building includes a domestic and an international kitchen with a combined capacity for 25,000 meals a day, and separate areas for the preparation of meat, poultry, seafood, fruit, vegetables and Halal.

New high loaders have been bought too, capable of serving the ATR72, and all ranges of Boeing and Airbus including the latest Airbus 380.

The company believes its investment has helped position it as the leading catering partner for carriers flying into and out of Bangkok. It has a team of experienced chefs from a variety of culinary backgrounds, producing Asian, Western, Middle Eastern and vegetarian dishes to suit all needs.

The company also provides special dietary meals, has its own in-house micro-biology laboratory to constantly monitor and control hygiene conditions, and ensures all its staffs undergo regular training.

The latest addition to the team is production manager, Peter Kleeli. Managing Director is Linus Knobel, who has joined the company after a 30 year career working in some of the best hotels in the world and at Gastro Primo HK. Ltd.

Knobel said: “During my career I have had the pleasure of fulfilling the culinary requirements of celebrities such as Sophia Loren, Christina Onaiis and the Gucci family and I will adopt the same style with my airline customers and treat them all as celebrities too.

“Food and beverage is my passion and always will be. Our core philosophy at BAC is to produce products of the highest quality at the most competitive price. As an extremely reliable partner for our customers we can always be trusted to act with the utmost professionalism.