When the Dubai Airshow opens its doorways on 17 November, behind the unimaginable plane shows and billion-dollar offers can be an equally spectacular operation: Emirates Flight Catering’s (EKFC) culinary mission to mix extraordinary scale with precision.
EKFC, the official caterer for Dubai Airshow 2025, is making ready to serve over 300,000 meals to a various viewers of aviation and aerospace executives, authorities ministers, army delegations, business professionals, friends and guests from over 98 international locations.
This feat requires constructing two full central kitchens from scratch, deploying almost 2,600 workers members, and catering to over 150 chalets, nation pavilions and exhibition stands with delicacies as various as the worldwide aviation and aerospace group itself.
The size is critical. Over 35,000 meals have already been pre-booked for chalets and nation pavilions, 74 interns have been recruited from prestigious hospitality establishments, and the required on-site infrastructure has been in-built lower than two weeks.
However scale is barely a part of the story. By bringing all catering in-house, EKFC can guarantee constant high quality and adaptability to adapt shortly to any request.
Shahreyar Nawabi, Chief Govt Officer of Emirates Flight Catering mentioned: “On the upcoming Dubai Airshow 2025, EKFC’s focus can be showcasing what’s attainable if you mix airline catering experience with event-scale execution. Our variety of culinary expertise means we will authentically ship any delicacies, from French, Center Jap and Indian to Russian, Chinese language and Japanese dishes, amongst a large number of others. Our expert and skilled staff of cooks don’t simply perceive recipes, but additionally the cultural nuances and preferences of friends from almost 100 international locations.
We have assembled a sturdy workforce of execs and well-trained interns from prime hospitality establishments and constructed two full-scale central kitchens on-site, supported by our Dubai World Central facility’s 150,000-meal each day capability. This mixture of culinary expertise, purpose-built infrastructure, and strategic funding is operational excellence able to be examined and confirmed at an unprecedented scale.”
Constructing from the bottom up
EKFC has accomplished the development of two main central kitchens strategically positioned between the exhibition constructing and the chalets to make sure optimum service supply throughout the large occasion web site. EKFC amenities on the Dubai Airshow function chilly rooms, dishwasher areas, devoted storage, unbiased energy provide, and specialised refrigerated zones for pastry, chilly kitchen operations, and central kitchen manufacturing.
EKFC has additionally arrange workers infrastructure together with canteens, check-in amenities, welfare tents, uniform distribution centres, and relaxation areas. Every part has been constructed from the bottom up, with building commencing in late October and accomplished in roughly two weeks due to meticulous planning. One week earlier than the airshow begins, your entire operation can be stress-tested with a dry run to make sure flawless execution.
The logistics between EKFC’s DWC facility, positioned simply behind the airshow web site, and its Airshow web site operations have been streamlined, with safety scanners and airside entry capabilities already in place to make sure safe and environment friendly operations all through the occasion.
International flavours, made to order
On the Dubai Airshow, EKFC will ship genuine delicacies at scale with full menu flexibility. EKFC cooks and culinary specialists can be matched to every pavilion’s necessities. And the culinary roster reads like a world tour: braised beef cheeks in black truffle sauce, elaborate Center Jap mezze spreads complementing lamb kofta kebab, Emirati tandoori lobster with saffron rice, Indian rooster pistachio kormas, Chinese language dishes that includes wok cooking, and the record goes on.
Exhibition halls will get on-demand service with basket orders, contemporary pastries, and bespoke catering that responds to real-time wants slightly than predetermined menus. This flexibility attracts immediately from EKFC’s airline catering heritage, the place understanding various tastes, cultural preferences, and dietary necessities varieties the muse of the airline’s each day operations and distinctive regional menus.
EKFC has partnered with main manufacturers, together with a number of UAE-based ideas, to convey seven distinctive meals experiences to Dubai Airshow attendees: Origami (Japanese delicacies), Onda (premium espresso), Yann Couvreur Pastry & Barista Expertise, Dibba Oyster Bar (showcasing native Fujairah producers), an in-house salmon and caviar lounge, Bustanica Salad Bar (with poke bowl-style choices), and a Center Jap and Persian BBQ station. Emirates Leisure Retail (ELR), a subsidiary of Emirates Group, can be working Costa Espresso and a meals truck village within the airshow’s SkyView space.
Constructing workforce capability
EKFC has recruited 74 interns, together with UAE Nationals, from famend hospitality and tourism establishments, together with GLION Switzerland, EHL Lausanne, Swiss Training Group, Bukhara State College Uzbekistan, Dubai Faculty of Tourism, Ajman College, Les Roches Abu Dhabi, Zayed College, and NEST Faculty UAE.
Interns have undergone a six-month programme with cultural coaching, and they’re going to put their coaching to work, not solely in hospitality, but additionally in finance, HR, and gross sales and occasions operations.
EKFC’s workforce deployment has been a coordinated effort that leverages the complete energy of the organisation. This contains 1,800 workers which type the core staff, supplemented by 500 personnel from DWTC, 280 staff members from Emirates’ kitchens and lounges, and assist from throughout all EKFC departments.
EKFC workers will put on a customized cobalt blue uniform designed solely for the Dubai Airshow, breaking from the corporate’s crimson and black color palette.
Waste discount initiatives
With a concentrate on waste discount and utilizing sources extra consciously, EKFC has eradicated plastic bottles throughout its operations on the Dubai Airshow, utilizing glass as an alternative with recycling methods in place.
Every day, leftover meals will both be composted or donated to a meals financial institution by Dubai Municipality, with EKFC dedicated to making sure minimal waste all through the occasion. EKFC additionally sources regionally the place attainable, partnering with suppliers like Dibba oysters and Mai Dubai to assist native companies.