Caterer Do & Co's sales double as airlines add flights, bolster premium service (updated)
17/02/2023 08:21
(Adds background and details on outlook and results)
Feb 17 (Reuters) - Austrian airline and event catering
group Do & Co DOCO.VI on Friday said its nine-month sales more
than doubled as travel and major sports events get back on track
after pandemic-driven closures.
The "Flying Chef" said its airline catering division expects
to see a further increase in air traffic demand as airlines fly
more frequently and to new destinations, while also being more
willing to improve service in their premium classes.
The group, which fed more than 80 million passengers on over
553,000 flights last year, said its airline catering unit's
nine-month revenue of 759.75 million euros ($808.45 million) -
around 73% of the group total - was its strongest ever.
Do & Co, which is expanding its business activities in the
United States, last year signed KLM Royal Dutch Airlines as a
customer for the high-frequency locations at New York's JFK
Airport, Chicago and Los Angeles.
It also further deepened its partnership with Qatar Airways
through a new partnership in Doha and intensified cooperation at
London's Heathrow.
The group, which also caters VIP guests at big global events
including 21 Formula 1 races in the 2023 Grand Prix season, said
demand in its event catering division was also expected to
remain high especially in the premium segment.
The group's total sales reached 1.04 billion euros in the
nine months to the end of December, compared with 495 million a
year earlier.
($1 = 0.9398 euros)
(Reporting by Anastasiia Kozlova and Anna Mackenzie in Gdansk;
Editing by Milla Nissi)
((Anastasiia.Kozlova@thomsonreuters.com;
Anna.Mackenzie@thomsonreuters.com))