An agreement between Dutch airline KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and gategroup, an airline catering provider, has been formed for KLM to transfer majority ownership of KLM Catering Services (KCS) to gategroup.
Sustainable Solutions and Operational Focus
When the agreed-upon terms come into effect, KLM will sell its majority ownership of KCS to gategroup, with KLM keeping a 25% share, and gategroup acquiring 75%. The purpose of this shift in ownership is to utilise the global culinary expertise that gategroup is able to provide, and to partner this with the experience KCS has in local knowledge.
“This partnership with KLM represents an important step forward for our business in Europe. Together, we will continue to enhance performance, reliability and the overall customer experience,” said the President Europe of gategroup, Herman Anbeek.
One of the goals of this agreement is to provide well-rounded operations and reliable service to customers, through digitalisation and modernisation, and the implementation of sustainable solutions. To achieve these goals, an investment in a catering facility at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is on the horizon.
Preservation of Continuous Operations for Customers
The nature of the agreement is for KCS to continue providing the quality and seamlessness that KLM passengers are accustomed to, whilst simultaneously enhancing their operations on a global scale at a gradual pace.
“We are pleased to have found a strong and specialized partner in gategroup, with many years of experience in airline catering,” the CFO of KLM, Bas Brouns, said.
According to Brouns, this means that KLM will still be able to support gategroup in the implementation of providing the quality and reliability of catering that their customers have become used to. With the shift in ownership, KLM will be able to prioritise directing the airline’s core activities, whilst also being involved in the operations of KCS to further enhance the service they provide to their customers.
This partnership has been put in place to guarantee the long-term success of KLM’s catering services for its airlines at Amsterdam Schipol.
What has been your experience with KLM’s catering services in the past, and how do they compare to other airlines? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below.
