Gate Gourmet, one of the world’s leading independent airline catering and logistics companies has completed its acquisition of Inflight Logistic Services (ILS).

This now places Gate Gourmet (part of Gategroup) as the premier provider of onboard services in Australian aviation. ILS is based in Sydney, with its core business focusing on the low-fare airline carriers. ILS operates at six Australian locations â€" Sydney, Brisbane, Coolangatta, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. The company also provides service through business partners at seven more airports in Australia and New Zealand.

ILS provides onboard catering and other retail solutions, cash management processes, menu design, logistics and supply chain management. Among its key customers are Virgin Blue, Pacific Blue, Polynesian Blue and Regional Express.

In addition, ILS provides cabin cleaning and in-flight entertainment (personal media players) management and support services to customers including Virgin Blue and Jetstar.

Gategroup already has a substantial presence in the Australian market, primarily through Gate Gourmet, but also through member companies Pourshins and eGate Solutions. Gate Gourmet operates full catering facilities in Sydney and Darwin, which together produce an average of 2.7 million meals and handle 11,000 flights annually.

Among its largest customers are Qantas, Jetstar, United, Virgin Atlantic, Asiana and Air China. The group’s activities, however, extend beyond traditional catering and include managing onboard retail operations, cabin cleaning, supply chain management and galley planning, among others.

Inflight Logistic Services was founded in 2001 by Directors Garth Young and Ian Bollen, both of whom have more than 20 years of experience in the airline industry. From its initial servicing of nine aircraft at three Australian destinations, it has grown to provisioning more than 80 aircraft of multiple airlines for an average of 400 flights a day.

A Report By The Mole