Food service on domestic airlines has drastically changed in recent years.
American Airlines just built a 214,000-square-foot facility at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The facility prepares 15,000 meals per day with robots for over 800 flights every day. The new kitchen is more automated to meet the demand of passengers and minimize delays in catering. Global travel demand is expected to double by 2040, according to the International Air Transport Association.
“We have some of the highest load factors we’ve ever had in the history of American. And so we wanted to build the next generation of catering facility that would grow with us,” said Brady Byrnes, senior vice president of inflight and premium guest services at American Airlines.
Nearly 3 million passengers fly every day in the U.S., according to the Transportation Security Administration. Recent increases in premium seat purchases have put pressure on airlines to provide better and more food options.