Airline Catering Education and Training

Staying abreast with airline catering education and training ensures smooth flying for your business
By Loraine Degraff, Freelance Writer/Playwright Airline caterers are an important part of the airline industry. Although your actual business takes place on the ground, the manner in which you conduct this business can have a positive or a negative effect on those that do travel in air. Thus, airline catering education and training is a worthy endeavor. Your staff must understand and meet the needs of in-flight catering. Good airline catering services ensure that customers will return to the airline company.

Students in the food catering business must learn food preparation, menu planning, budgeting and how to attend to the dining space. Students must also understand hotel and restaurant sanitation regulations and public health rules. The airline catering business takes this same knowledge and fine-tunes it to the airline industry. Training programs do exist to help with this endeavor. Choosing an appropriate training program depends on your budget and company goals. Consider the following:

1. Length of program: How much time do you have to complete the training?

2. Type of program: Airline catering information can be general or specialized.

3. Affordability: Tuition can range from a few hundred dollars to over $10,000.

4. Flexibility: Will the program fit into your work schedule?

Locate training programs that benefit the airline catering industry

Many catering and culinary schools have a variety of training programs. Choosing a program that highlights airline food catering can help your staff fine-tune skills and work more effectively.
Try:  Monroe College offers specialized training in the culinary arts. Penn Foster Career School offers a home study course. Businesses wishing to cut bottom line catering training costs may be interested in The Caterer's Office by In-Flite Manager. This innovative software covers the entire scope of the airline catering service.

Locate companies with specialty training programs that you can apply to airline catering operations

Airline catering companies can garner training from sources other than catering and culinary schools. Many companies have specialized training programs that also apply to the airline services.
Try:  E-gate Matrix provides catering companies with a plan for streamlining operations, including training to reduce business expenses. SCIS Air Security helps companies to comply with Catering Security regulations.

Get information on programs catering to specialized airline meals

With the emphasis today on a healthier lifestyle, many are looking for meals that incorporate fresh ingredients, nutrition and international cuisines. Catering to the health conscious or those with dietetic needs can put your business in the limelight.
Try:  GlutenFree Passport offers a global report outlining dietary requirements of special groups, including those on a gluten-free diet. Use this report to tailor your services to specialized groups, creating new business opportunities. Some airlines, such as Continental Airlines, have detailed descriptions of special meals they would like to have available for their clients. Become familiar with these descriptions and work towards the production of these foods.

• When choosing an airline catering school, check out staff credentials. Faculty of a qualified school should be certified by the American Culinary Federation and have a college degree and/or industry experience.
• Is the cost of airline catering training an obstacle? Inquire about scholarships, grants or loans offered by many schools and some culinary organizations.