Airline Code [BER]
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Tags :Continental Europe, Air Berlin
Gate Gourmet has agreed to purchase airline catering units in five German cities from Air Berlin and SCK Sky Catering Kitchen. In addition, Air Berlin has agreed to a new long-term catering contract with Gate Gourmet in Germany and the rest of Europe.
The flight kitchens included in the transaction are located at Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Münster/Osnabrück, Leipzig/Halle and Paderborn. The five facilities serve approximately 18,000 flights p/a, with Düsseldorf the largest single unit at approximately 10,000 services annually.
The five-city operation, which is formally named SCK DUS GmbH& Co KG Düsseldorf, is a joint venture between Air Berlin and SCK Sky Catering Kitchen GmbH Bordverpflegung & Co Service KG. SCK Sky Catering Kitchen GmbH Bordverpflegung & Co Service Ulm continues to operate its facilities in several other German cities.
“We are very pleased to include these five facilities into the Gate Gourmet portfolio. They are an important strategic addition to our network, and we see them as a key acquisition in our long-term strategy to secure Gate Gourmet’s position in the German airline catering market,” said Guy Dubois, President and CEO Designate of gategroup, the umbrella brand representing Gate Gourmet and ten other brands.
“The addition of Air Berlin’s catering business at its busy Düsseldorf hub and the new multi-year contract with the airline elsewhere significantly strengthens our relationship with this fast-growing and innovative European carrier,” said Philippe Op de Beeck, gategroup Senior Vice President & President of the Central Europe, Middle East & Africa region.
“With Gate Gourmet, Air Berlin found a global partner that perfectly suits our worldwide flight network. The optimized purchasing will grant us synergetic effects,“ said Thomas Ney, Senior Executive Inflight Service Air Berlin Group.
The transaction is subject to review by competition authorities in Germany. Terms of the agreement are confidential.
Gate Gourmet was founded in 1992 and has dual headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, and Reston, USA. The company has substantially expanded through acquisitions, leading to the creation of gategroup, the leading global provider of above-the-wing services representing eleven brands. .
Air Berlin is Germany’s second largest and the fourth largest airline in Europe. The airline was founded in 1978 and has been enjoying steady growth ever since. Air Berlin operates services to major cities throughout the world, as well as to the most popular holiday destinations. The airline also has a dense network of domestic services between German cities. Besides Air Berlin, the Air Berlin Group comprises the Austrian airline NIKi (24%), the Swiss airline Belair (49%), Munich-based airline dba (100%) and, since Mar-07, also the Düsseldorf-based LTU (100%). In 2007, the Air Berlin Group carried 27.9 million passengers. Air Berlin currently operates 124 aircraft and has over 8,000 employees.
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Gate Gourmet to purchase five airline catering units in Germany from Air Berlin and SCK Sky Catering Kitchen 
