RX, the organiser of World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) 2026, reports that representatives from more than 160 airlines from 66 countries, and procurement teams from over 50 of the world’s leading inflight caterers, attended the three-day event in Hamburg last month.
319 companies exhibited at WTCE, including suppliers of food and drink, packaging, amenities, serviceware, and onboard and catering technology. 79 of those companies were first-time exhibitors at the event. WTCE was co-located at Hamburg Messe with Aircraft Interiors Expo, which together attracted more than 4,000 passenger experience professionals.
These attendees enjoyed several new and returning features of the show, including the Drinks Zone, Discover Zone, New Exhibitor Village, themed exhibitor trails, which made it easy for visitors to find innovations relevant to their priorities. From food innovation and drink tastings, to digital solutions and sustainability-led design, the event offered a cross-section of how airlines are rethinking the passenger experience and the delivery of onboard hospitality.
Airlines and buyers come together
Senior decision-makers from 160 airlines signed up for the 2026 event’s VIP Buyer Programme, including representatives of American Airlines, United Airlines, Turkish Airlines, easyJet, Emirates, Lufthansa, Wizz Air, Delta Air Lines, Qantas, and British Airways. 14 rail companies also attended WTCE, with representations from Eurostar, DB Fernverkehr, Trenitalia, Amtrak and LNER.
The presence of buyers from major carriers gave exhibitors a direct route into procurement conversations, while also reflecting the importance of inflight catering and passenger experience in airline strategies.
Guests in the VIP Buyer programme received personalised bags containing samples of 20 products the VIPs selected in the Discover Zone, with options ranging from food and drink, to packaging and service items such as champagne stoppers.
Innovation on show
Across the WTCE show floors, companies showcased a broad range of new product developments and concepts, with many designed to help meet airlines improve efficiency, sustainability and passenger satisfaction.
In the inflight catering and service solutions sector, major exhibitors included Gategroup, Dnata, SATS, Foodcase International and Cuisine Solutions, all of which presented new approaches to menu design, service logistics and waste reduction.
Gategroup marked its 95th anniversary with a dedicated hall in which it brought together its brands (including deSter and Gategourmet) to showcase their capabilities, technologies and creativity for airline catering and the travel experience. SATS spotlighted its brands such as Monty’s Bakehouse and Gourmet Solutions by SATS on its stand, to build new partnerships and share its latest catering offerings with airlines.
Across the halls, Dnata Catering & Retail showcased a micro farm installation to demonstrate how airlines can integrate fresh herbs in their menu development while reducing waste. Another exhibitor, Around Noon, used WTCE to launch its new Arctic Deli, a range designed to meet the needs of airlines looking to serve fresh sandwiches on longer routes.
Meanwhile, En Route unveiled its En Route Club, which is a selection of sandwich options including bread rolls, ciabattas and brioches that can all be filled with different flavours to reflect regional taste trends.
Food and beverage brands introduced concepts tailored to changing passenger expectations. New flavours and snacks were presented by a number of brands, including Traiteur de Paris, which unveiled a new crème brûlée developed specifically for onboard service.
Wabba Treats brought new flavours of its vegan and allergen-free bean-based snacks, while Poshi showed its line of shelf-stable portioned olives and seasonable vegetable snacks such as artichokes and asparagus, and Farmley introduced nut and seed mixes tailored for premium economy catering. Large-scale suppliers like General Mills also had a presence at WTCE, focusing on brands such as Nature Valley and Häagen-Dazs.
Bottoms up
When it comes to tipples, Bottega presented its signature selection of Italian wines and spirits, available in small-format packaging, while Poco Vino showed its wines in a variety of colourful 187ml bottles.
Complementing the traditional wine offer, Twisst showcased its expanded range of non-alcoholic, ready-to-drink cocktails. These shelf-stable cans, featuring classics like the Mojito and Piña Colada, were positioned as an operationally efficient option for airlines looking to serve mocktails.
Luxury amenities
Amenities and passenger wellness was also a key area of the event. Linstol launched a new concept collection titled ‘The Art of Delivery’. This campaign focused on the craftsmanship, engineering and sustainability behind their products, rather than just the final aesthetic.
The company also introduced Sound by Bose technology into its inflight audio portfolio during the event. Meanwhile Formia and Kimrica Hunter brought their latest high-end, sustainable personal care products intended for global airline partnerships.
Catering technologies
Beyond catering and retail, technology and solution providers focused on digital tools that can support data-driven service, unlock ancillary revenue streams, and maximise operational efficiency in the cabin. Devion brought catering supply chain equipment to the show floor with a demonstration of its robotics. The display was a popular hit for airlines looking to automate catering processes, showcasing how robotic arms can handle high-volume tray assembly with precision and speed.
Driessen Catering Equipment unveiled its new Cool Trolley, which is designed to keep food and beverage items chilled for extended periods without using dry ice.
C8Rtech, a new LSG Group company, was showing its technology solutions for airline catering. The company’s digital tools are designed to help airlines cut complexity and elevate productivity by using data analytics to predict passenger demand and optimise inventory loading.
Omnevo also showcased its latest digital platforms, integrating point-of-sale systems and pre-order technology to personalise the passenger journey and open ancillary revenue opportunities for airlines.
Guided discovery for visitors
A series of routes devised by the show’s team of advisors, the WTCE Ambassadors, helped visitors navigate the many innovations on display. The WTCE Trails – the Wellbeing Walk-Through, Steps to Sustainability, and Tech Trail – directed attendees to special products and services from over 40 companies.
New for 2026, the Discover Zone showcased 20 innovative products across food, drink, hygiene, cutlery, cups, plates, and trays, covering the full spectrum of travel catering essentials. More than 400 attendees engaged with the products on display in the Discover Zone, using their visitor app to scan for more product information nearly 3,500 times.
The New Exhibitor Village provided a platform for over 35 emerging suppliers entering the onboard market, contributing to a broader diversification of the supply chain. Here, Life is Bananas, Hand Off Wines, Hard Rock Cocktails, Minimelis, and The Coconut Collab were among the line-up looking to entice airline customers.
The Drinks Zone saw six beverage suppliers host happy hours and tastings. Still G.I.N. by Dre and Snoop, GEMELLii, Picoso, Pentrade FMCG Distribution, Amrut Distilleries and Piccadilly Distilleries all attracted visitors in a relaxed setting.
Taste of Travel Theatre
The Taste of Travel Theatre, sponsored by En Route International, served as the collaborative heart of WTCE 2026, offering a three-day programme of tastings and high-level panel discussions.
The WTCE Ambassadors kicked off the agenda by sharing their expert perspectives on the future of the industry and the specific innovations they were looking forward to seeing on the show floor. This year’s panel featured Matt Crane, Sustainability Ambassador and founder of the Aviation Sustainability Forum; Dr Melissa Adamski, Travel Nutrition Ambassador and founder of Nutted Out Nutrition; Julianne Ponan, Special Diets Ambassador and CEO of Creative Nature; Kelly Stevenson, Beverages Ambassador and Founder of JetVine; and Kai Kosicki, Retail Technology Ambassador and founder of the ExpAir inflight consulting company.
The sessions were organised around three core pillars that reflect the current trajectory of the aviation sector. The first theme, The Intelligent Cabin, explored how AI, automation, and smart design are reshaping onboard operations. Discussions led by experts such as Vimal Kumar Rai, founder of Commercial Excellence Partners and Kai Kosicki from ExpAir, focused on using data-driven insights to better understand passenger behaviour and optimise inventory, effectively reducing waste while increasing efficiency.
The second theme, The Elevated Passenger Experience, centred on wellness, taste, and the sensory journey. Sessions under this theme, featuring Anne De Hauw, founder of IN Air Travel Experience and representatives from SAS and En Route, highlighted how nutrition-led menus and creative beverage concepts can turn a standard journey into a memorable, customer-centric experience.
The third conference stream, titled The Business of Onboard, addressed the commercial strategies needed for growth. With a particular focus on the fast-growing Asian market, industry leaders including Jeremy Clark, CEO of JCConsulting and Jon Harwood, VP of Retail at Dnata, discussed evolving business models and the importance of strategic partnerships. Melanie Berry, chief customer office at Vueling Airlines and Fernanda Veiga, chief relations officer and board member at Kaelis Group, also featured on a panel titled ‘The Cost of Good Customer Service’.
The programme concluded with a practical session titled ‘How to Get Your Product Onboard’, in which ambassador Julianne Ponan and experts from Marfo and Deli Lites offered guidance to suppliers on how to navigate complex airline procurement processes. This workshop served as a reminder of WTCE’s role as a gateway into the aviation sector for brands looking to expand.
One-stop shop
WTCE’s co-location with Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) gave visitors a comprehensive overview of the entire cabin environment. The week began with the Passenger Experience Conference (PEC) on Monday 13th April, which featured a record number of airline speakers from carriers such as United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Lufthansa Group.
These sessions provided an in-depth prelude to the exhibition, focusing on the interaction between cabin design and service delivery to create a seamless travel journey.
Shona Thomson, event manager of WTCE, said of the 2026 show: “While catering remains at the heart of the passenger journey, it’s now a much bigger picture. Sustainability, design, wellness, and the role of operations to drive efficiencies, sustainability and improve the passenger experience all play a key role in getting the passenger experience right, across the world and across all cabins.
“The industry behind it all is more motivated than ever to strike the right balance between premium service and operational reality. WTCE 2026 was once again a vital event for the supply chins to build and nurture the partnerships that will define how we will all fly over the next decade.”
WTCE 2027 will take place from 6-8 April 2027 at Hamburg Messe. You can find more information on the official WTCE site.
