Alpha renews Royal Jordanian contract

Nicole Mezzasalma

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The 10-year extension to the company’s inflight catering contract with Royal Jordanian airlines will come into effect in 2011

Autogrill Group’s inflight division Alpha Flight has signed a 10-year extension to its onboard catering contract with Royal Jordanian Airlines, which includes the operation of six food and beverage outlets at Amman Queen Alia International airport. The extension will come into effect in 2011. The contract represents 75% of Alpha’s revenues in Jordan, where its local subsidiary Jordan Flight Catering Co provides inflight catering services for more than 20 airlines.

The new agreement includes the possibility of providing catering services to the airline’s flights from other international airports, starting with Amsterdam Schiphol. Alpha also provides the catering in Queen Alia airport’s business lounge.

Royal Jordanian president and CEO Hussein Dabas said: “Royal Jordanian selects its food and beverage offerings for passengers to best suit their known taste and traditions, considering with great care passenger feedback from the regular onboard surveys designed to measure passenger satisfaction.”

Alpha Flight CEO Lionel Wilton complimented the “very proactive and transparent relationship Alpha enjoys with Royal Jordanian and the admiration for the dynamic manner in which the airline continues its growth, whilst maintaining the highest standards of extremely customer focused onboard service and hospitality”.

Royal Jordanian handled about 3m passengers in 2008, an increase of 18% on the previous year. Alpha Flight provides inflight catering and retail services for over 100 airlines in 11 countries and recorded revenue of €182.2m ($273m) in the first six months of 2009.