WTCE shares highlights from a successful event 2025

The organizers of World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo (WTCE), an event for experts in the sectors for Inflight Catering, onboard services and passenger comfort, have published a summary of the show 2025, which took place from April 8th to April 10th. The three-day event welcomed over 4,500 participants from the airline, the rail and cruise sector and the supply chain on board.

Representatives of more than 165 individual airlines visited WTCE, including prominent international airlines such as Qantas, Etihad, Air France, British Airways, KLM and American Airlines. Over 1,600 high -ranking decision -makers took part in the VIP and confirmed the important role of the event for buyers on board. These VIPs added the advance for a connected passenger trip and also included buyers of airlines that visited WTCE from neighboring Aircraft Interiors Expo in order to explore technologies, solutions and products that can increase the offer from Inflight.

Simone Walli, who works together with culinary art and food & beverage onboard concepts for Austrian airlines, announced their experiences at WTCE 2025: “It was a fantastic opportunity to meet with suppliers and caterers, to network effectively and to discover new opportunities. Must-go.”

As part of the VIP program, the participants received exclusive access to the VIP lounge sponsored by CAE and a premium backpack with more than 15 samples from WTCE exhibitors.

A large selection of products and technologies that are exhibited

The WTCE exhibition area contained a mixture of almost 300 exhibitors, whereby over 90 new exhibitors participated in the established industry leaders who were all interested in presenting their progress in passenger experience, including food and drinks, technology, amenities and tableware. The participants received a comprehensive overview of the developing landscape and the most important trends, from culinary offers to passport -oriented amenities and the latest technological solutions, to environmentally friendly products.

For those who concentrate on the restaurant on board, the presence of large catering companies such as DNATA, on the way International, Frankenberg, Sats Catering, Flying Food Group, around noon, Foodcase International and Cuisine Solutions have offered an insight into the future of the Inflight guest. These companies presented a variety of gourmet meal solutions and options that are supposed to bring an impression of luxury and fine food into heaven.

The culinary representations complemented the leading beverage suppliers such as Diagao Global Travel, Bottega Spa, Castello Monte Vibiano, Inflight Initiative and Maison Sichel presented their premium selections and underline the importance of a well-rounded beverage program when improving the passenger trip. An important focus here was to boost the offers without alcohol and low alcohol to ensure that all drinks preferences can be met with taste and style.

A number of well -known retail brands also presented offers for airlines, rails and cruise companies. Here like Love Corn, Joe & Sephs Gourmet-Popcorn, Capri Sun, Nairns Oatcakes, the drinks bakery and more offered offers for short-distance routes and inexpensive airlines that can be offered as retail options on board.

The exhibition also shone on the comfort and experience of the passenger by the presence of leading amenities and cable animals such as Linstol, Buzz Products, Formia, Kaelis, Kimirica Hunter, Clip and Bayart Innovations. These exhibitors presented innovative solutions to improve the passenger experience through thoughtful design and high -quality products.

An important highlight was the new exhibitor village, in which over 30 new companies who wanted to introduce fresh perspectives and innovative offers to the industry. This area served as a turntable for the operators to discover emerging products, solutions and technologies that imagine increasing the onboard services. The exciting new brands included France Macaron and the Mallows.

Guidelines in the industry

In order to further improve the visitor experience, three targeted exhibitor tracks have highlighted must visiting the must and offer a focus on important industry trends. This year WTCE hired the Tech Trail and, among other things, stages the most modern technological progress of companies such as Unisto, Omnevo, Skytender and Tourvest Retail Services.

Here the solutions of security improvements and retail platforms over AI-operated inventory and planning tools. Many ideas have been developed to optimize operational efficiency, sustainability and generation of additional income, since the technology becomes an essential element of the onboard service.

In addition to this new initiative, the well-recorded Wellbegg-Walk-Through returned and led visitors to exhibitors such as Wessco International, Procurall Solutions, 4700 BC.

The always popular steps to sustainability trail also offered a practical guide for environmentally conscious solutions with exhibitors such as Callington, Valrhona Selection and Bottega Spa, which demonstrated the commitment of the industry for a more sustainable future for onboard services. These hiking trails offered the participants an efficient way to explore the innovations that shape the future of the industry.

A vision for the future

The key of Travel Theater program, a considered collection of knowledge, attracted considerable attention throughout the WTCE 2025. The program included more than 55 industry leaders who entered the stage. These pioneers from all over the world conducted convincing discussions about the most urgent topics and emerging trends in hospitality and services on board.

The diverse three -day agenda included everything, from the latest culinary innovations and decisive sustainability initiatives to the developing landscape of special meals and the increasing importance of nutrition and well -being during the trip. In addition, strategic approaches to increase the holistic passenger experience, which went beyond the aircraft cabin to include airport lounges, and the integration of connected technologies, also key areas of the focus.

The five WTCE ambassadors started the agenda by shared their top tips for the event. The ambassadors are Melissa Adamski, the travel nutritionist and founder of Nutted Out Nutrition; Matt Crane (founder of the Aviation Sustainability Forum (ASF); Kelly Stevenson, director of Jetvine; Julianne Ponan MBE, owner and CEO of Creative Nature Superfoods; and the latest addition to 2025, Kai Kosicki, Independent Expert and Consultant at the Hayward partnership.

Her introduction was followed by a particularly committed session entitled “The Human Touch”, in which the balance between technological efficiency and the human element was examined in the customer experience, in which panellists from Blue Skies, retail in motion, data clarity and Easyjet and DELI -Lites were moderated.

Including nutrition needs and preferences with the title “Improvement of customer experience and loyalty from the perspective of allergy and nutrition” focuses on the decisive steps that airlines, caterers and airport lounges have to take to ensure the security and satisfaction of passengers with food allergies.

Here the WTCE ambassadors Melissa Adamski and Julianne Ponan by Simone Walli were accompanied by Austrian Airlines, Sharon Huetson, Head of Business performance and Inflight retail at Easyjet, and moderator Marc Garde, Global Special Meals Program Director at Foodcase International.

The discussions focused on the rapidly growing aviation industry in the region and made its position as one of the fastest worldwide, the fastest worldwide, the fastest growing area is fastest worldwide. The phenomenal increase in the cost-effective and ultra-low-cost straps in the region, paired with an accelerated international expansion, was emphasized as a key transformation that shapes the aviation landscape.

Lance Hayward, founder and managing director of Hayward Partnership, moderated the meeting. Dario Barrera Medina, director of Inflight Experience at Avianca Airlines, gave insights into the drivers of her success and her future plans. Paula Lafora Ornosa, director of customer experience at Iberia; and Dominic Alexander Purvis, Senior Vice President for product and customer experience at Latam Airlines, who offered all valuable perspectives from the Latin American market.

Faciliate connections

WTCE Connect, which underlined the important role of Expo in the promotion of industrial partnerships, made WTCE Connect easier, the committed platform of the event for previously arranged meetings, over 1,500 confirmed meetings in this year increase of 20% compared to 2024. This tool was invaluable for exhibitors that wanted to build up new relationships and expand their reach.

Max van Coillie, Travel Retail Manager Asia/Me at Neuhaus, emphasized the influence of the platform: “Our exhibition at WTCE 2025 was absolutely fantastic. We were well prepared with 15 planned meetings with high-end decisions.

Shona Thomson, event manager of WTCE, said about the event of 2025: “All types of passengers are now being considered, and there is a real view of the people who make aircraft, trains and cruises in trips. All preferences and needs are ensured, of which the commitments that set out. Airlines – which were always in full strength – that the passenger experience is getting better and better.

“WTCE 2025 has brilliantly demonstrated the dynamic ecosystem, which shapes the passenger trip and emphasizes the critical need for collaborative and future supply chain. We appreciate all experienced catering companies, exciting foods and drinks, fire brands, passenger supply improvements, transforming technology providers and visionary airlines 2026, and the visionary airlines, which this year, this year, this year, we hoped that this year, which is to be enjoyed.

Further information on the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo 2026, which takes place in Hamburg Messe from April 14th to 16th, 2026, visit: