AIR TRAVEL TRIVIA

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LSG SKY CHEFS, the world's largest airline caterer, served 427 million meals for 260 airline customers worldwide in 2001.

JETBLUE AIRWAYS which limits passenger meals mostly to blue potato chips, used its no-meals policy in a recent marketing campaign. The airline gave away T-shirts with the words "It was never meant to fly" over a picture of a chicken. 

AMERICAN AIRLINES spent about $425 million on food for domestic passengers in 2001.

ABU DHABI AIRPORT SERVICES (ADAS)  claims to hold a world record for the fastest full turn-around of a widebody aircraft. The record was achieved when a British Airways flight, using a Boeing 777 arrived from London and needed to depart on time.

ADAS staff supervised passenger disembarkation, baggage offloading, aircraft cleaning, loading cargo, mail, loading of baggage and supplies, and outbound passengers in just under 40 minutes - compared to a normal minimum time of 60 minutes.

In 2001, DUBAI DUTY FREE sold 1,570,214 cartons of cigarettes, 2,003,151 bottles of liquor, 2,909 kgs of gold, 101,824 watches, 690,502 bottles of perfume, 52,119 mobile phones ... and a lot of other products as well!! 

SINGAPORE AIRLINES spends about $700 million on food every year and $16 million on wine alone. First class passengers consume 20,000 bottles of alcohol every month and Singapore Airlines is the second largest buyer of Dom Perignon champagne in the world. 

Singapore Airlines have a programme called "Book the Cook" which sends out menus to first and business class customers. 

CATHAY PACIFIC  started the "Best Chinese Food in the Air" promotion in 2001, which offers passengers more than 60 dishes from some of Hong Kong's famous restaurants. 

Cathay Pacific aircraft are equipped with toasters, cappuccino makers, rice cookers and skillets - to make freshly scrambled eggs.

Northwest Airlines has removed children's meals from its US domestic flights in a move to cut costs, as the airline faces increasing pressures due to the economic downturn. 

Additionally, from September, Northwest will no longer offer low-sodium, diabetic, gluten-free, lactose-free, or low-calorie meals to economy class passengers. 

The cost cutting measures sees the number of speciality meals reduced from 17 to six - Northwest will continue to offer special meals for Jewish, Moslem and Hindu passengers. 

A  KLM 747-400 flight from Amsterdam to Australia carries an average of just over 1,000 kilograms of food, and some 1,324 litres of drink - from mineral water to wine and whisky.

Extra supplies are often taken onboard in Singapore, and for Business Class passengers alone there are close to a hundred bottles of champagne on board.

Quantities of wine KLM uses in a year

46 million quarter litre bottles (Tourist Class)

80,000 bottles of champagne

380,000 whole bottles (Business Class)

Virgin Atlantic says catering is its third biggest cost after fuel and engineering-maintenance.

Apparently Delta Air Lines spends $8 million a year on wine alone.

A business-class meal with wine costs an airline about $50 in raw materials. 

However, for every dollar spent on food and drink another $3 is spent on cabin crew service, preparation, loading, and getting it to the passenger - the total cost is closer to $200.