India's booming aviation sector has prompted the world's largest airline catering and in-flight solutions provider LSG Sky Chefs to make India its major hub and open four new facilities in the country next year.
"We are planning new facilities at Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata," Chief Operating Officer, Asia-Pacific, H K Cheung told PTI in Bangkok.
LSG Sky Chefs is the sole independent international airline caterer in India and has a presence at the old airports of Hyderabad and Bangalore. It is building facilities at Hyderabad and Bangalore to replace the existing ones.
"India is a major market where there is a strong demand for top-quality in-flight
catering services," Cheung said. The market size is around $100 million and growing, Cheung, who was in the Thai capital to attend the International Travel Catering Association Asia-Pacific conference, said.
India has a large middle class but the number of air travellers is comparatively small, Cheung said. However, the boom in Indian aviation industry is here to stay and the number of air travellers is increasing at a rapid pace, he added.
Asked how the company would take on domestic players in India, Cheung said "as a global leader, we have developed expertise for various markets and we are bringing a new perspective to India, keeping in mind the rich culture and varied tastes."
