Deregulation and consolidation
Deregulation of US airlines in 1978 changed nearly every aspect of airline
operation, including catering services. In the drive to reduce costs, food service
was cut back or even removed completely. The fewer flight attendants and
greater number of feeder flights made it difficult or impossible to offer food
service (Tabacchi and Marshall, 1988). In the mid-1980s, the business of flight
catering changed further as airlines began selling of their flight kitchens and
outsourcing food production (Pilling, 2001).
Flight-service decisions became crucial to meet the needs and expectations
of passengers and to differentiate the product. The trade-off between premium
services and the costs of providing it demanded much of the airline product
planner (Shaw, 1985). Lighter meals have become the trend with SAS introducing
a self-service sandwich selection, Swissair introducing cuisine modern, and
Air One introducing first-class meals prepared by stewards at a buffet (Dana,
1999). TWA introduced à la carte meals for members of the TWA frequent flight