The Manufacture of Airline Catering Equipment: A brief account of a firm which specialises in the design and fabrication of galleys and other catering equipment

AIRLINE catering is a very individual business with wide variations between the operator's requirements based on their route network, long haul or short haul, scheduled or charter. Different airlines operating the same type of aircraft often have different interior layouts to suit their own particular needs which might vary from bar service only to full hot meals. As a result the manufacture of aircraft catering equipment has become a highly specialised business. The equipment has to be light in weight but also rugged enough to withstand the inevitable hard usage it will encounter when in intensive service. Estimates as to the value of saving weight differ according to the aircraft's function and to the ratio of payload to all up weight, but an empirical figure that is often quoted for subsonic aircraft is that it is worth one hundred pounds sterling to save one pound avoirdupois. The equipment must also be tailored to fit the aircraft's interior geometry and the seating arrangements. In particular galleys must be designed to meet tight specifications that define the size and weight and must pick up with strong points provided by the aircraft manufacturer and to withstand the specified structural loads to meet the full A.R.B. requirements.