• Kenya's only in-flight caterer, NAS Servair board chairman Richard Omwela said introduction of new airport will only help improve services and food-on-board to international standards.
• NAS Servair serve an average of 18,000 meals a day for over 100 aircraft movements, from 11,000 meals in served in 2014.
Jomo Kenyatta international Airport now has a second catering company.
German's LSG Sky Chefs , subsidiary of Lufthansa in-flight catering will now operate alongside Kenya's only in-flight caterer NAS Servair.
The firm will be run in partnership with local partners.
Nas Servair chairman Richard Omwela while welcoming the new entrants yesterday said new flights and routes from Nairobi has increased the demand for airline food.
This, he said, has set up space for the establishment of a new catering unit at JKIA.
He said competition will help improve catering and on-board services.
“Every launch of new flights or airline is always an opportunity for us. We hope to maximise our capacity of 20,000 meals despite the new entrant,” Omwela said.
JKIA is currently undergoing major reorganisation to stamp it’s position as a regional hub.
The JKIA Service Charter was recently signed by all government agencies committing themselves to providing professional and quality service.
This has seen the French national carrier, Air France announcing it would launch two additional weekly flights from Paris to Nairobi, to make five flights a week.
Air France resumed flights to the city in 2018 after an eighteen-year suspension.
In December, Qatar Airways made its direct flights to Mombasa.
The latest report by Airports Council International ranked the JKIA as the fourth busiest airport in the continent, handling around 126 passenger flights daily.
Kenya Airports Authority recorded 1.54 million passenger movements in 12 months to August 2018.
NAS Servair supplies food to arlines including Kenya Airways serving as the large Rwandair Express, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Swiss, SN Brussels Airlines and Daalo Airlines.
The firm serves also serves in ship handling, microbiology laboratories and export food services.
“The industry is becoming highly competitive. Going forward, we will continue to explore further business opportunities aimed at sustained profitability,” Omwela added.
However, for catering services the company will make Nairobi the hub for food service in Uganda and Tanzania.