dnata Catering & Retail and Sunshine Coast Airport to help take regional aviation industry to the next level

Sunshine Coast, Australia, 20 December 2023 – dnata Catering & Retail, Australia’s leading inflight caterer, and Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY) came together today to discuss advancements in the local aviation industry and support businesses and communities in the region.

Today’s meeting follows dnata’s launch of their first catering facility at Sunshine Coast Airport in January, having partnered with Bonza, Australia’s newest low-cost airline. The creation of the new facility was a collaborative effort to offer quality catering & retail services for carriers locally. Since the launch, the catering services provider uplifted 250,000 retail products.

dnata’s retail experts have worked closely with Bonza’s team to select and develop a broad range of Australian made products. These include quality meals, beverages, and snacking items, helping the airline provide a fresh approach to the onboard experience and maximise ancillary revenue.

To date, dnata has invested more than AUS$ 1 million in products sourced from local Australian suppliers, including suppliers based on the Sunshine Coast. This direct investment has stimulated economic growth, fostering job creation and contributing to the overall expansion of businesses in the region.

Hiranjan Aloysius, CEO of dnata Catering & Retail Australia, said: “As Australia’s leading inflight caterer, we are committed to playing our part in the growth and development of the Sunshine Coast’s aviation industry. We will continue to invest and work in partnership with the airport to ensure a consistent world-class dining experience for passengers on board each flight. In all our efforts, we will be dedicated to bolstering local businesses and supporting communities across the region.  

“We thank Sunshine Coast Airport and our customers for their trust in our quality services and look forward to future collaboration.”

Chris Mills, CEO of Sunshine Coast Airport, said: “The Sunshine Coast and wider region is experiencing rapid growth in its population, industry and economy. It’s important the Airport continues to support this growth by creating new opportunities. We’ve invested significantly in dnata’s facility to help create jobs and opportunities for local food and beverage providers. Our work with dnata has led to the creation of the first catering and retail facility based at Sunshine Coast Airport, supporting Bonza’s all Australian menu. I want to thank dnata for their support of the Airport and local businesses across the region.”

About dnata
Including its newest catering centre at Sunshine Coast Airport, dnata Catering now operates 15 facilities with a team of over 4,000 highly trained professionals, providing tailor-made inflight catering and retail services at 10 airports across Australia.

dnata is a leading global air and travel services provider. Established in 1959, the company offers quality and safe ground handling, cargo, travel, catering and retail services in over 30 countries across six continents. In the financial year 2022-23, dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled over 710,000 aircraft turns, moved over 2.7 million tonnes of cargo, uplifted 111.4 million meals, and recorded a total transaction value (TTV) of travel services of US$ 1.9 billion.

About Sunshine Coast Airport
Sunshine Coast Airport is the fastest growing airport in Australia and the first airport in Australia to hold Level 3+ Carbon Neutrality status. By 2040, total direct employment at the Airport is expected to grow from 530 to 2,400 direct jobs and contribute an estimated $406million in total to Australia’s GDP.

Sunshine Coast Airport Pty Ltd operates and manages Sunshine Coast Airport, the gateway to the Sunshine Coast and Noosa regions, under a 99-year lease from Sunshine Coast Council which commenced in December 2017. In July 2023, Sunshine Coast Airport was declared a priority development area (PDA) by the Queensland Government.

Sunshine Coast Airport services 14 destinations including Adelaide, Albury, Auckland, Avalon, Cairns, Darwin, Mackay, Melbourne, Mildura, Newcastle, Rockhampton, Sydney, Townsville and Whitsunday Coast.