Gama Aviation announces Private Flight Global as in-flight

Tuesday 24th May 2011

Gama Aviation ratified an agreement during EBACE in Geneva last week with worldwide catering services provider, Private Flight, to develop and support its catering operations of its 80 business aircraft in its three key markets - Europe, the Middle East and the United States.

In February, Gama entered a six-month trial with Private Flight at its Farnborough, UK headquarters following an initial contact made during NBAA in 2010. After just three months of the trial and following a detailed and structured implementation process conducted by Private Flight, Gama confirmed that a firm agreement will formally commence from 1 June. This represents a significant milestone for Private Flight, as Gama will be amongst its first customers based in the USA.

Anne Chuard, Group Director of Cabin Services at Gama commented: "We selected Private Flight to realise a long-held goal to offer a consistency of service for inflight catering to all our clients as we expand our reach around the world. The service product and standard will be the same - whether a client is boarding an aircraft in Paris or New York. Private Flight is renowned for helping clients deliver quality and increased efficiencies throughout the world. Working with one central aggregator also enables us to streamline the process of ordering catering, eases the business administration and helps us to more effectively budget."

Private Flight is a member of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the International Travel Catering Association (ITCA). The company works with an increasing number of clients and has in-depth familiarity in the private aviation cabin management. This, coupled with extensive experience in five star hotels, boutique restaurants, and private residencies and private yachts of high net worth individuals offers clients a more thorough understanding of the VIP's needs and expectations.

"We are delighted to support Gama Aviation with their in-flight catering provision," said Shamir Samdjee, Director of Europe and Middle-East for Private Flight. "Our offering provides Gama with access to a truly global catering solution. Partnering with Private Flight will enable Gama to build on their premier passenger services, whilst at the same time provide a greater transparency in respect to catering costs."

About Private Flight:Private Flight operates internationally and is recognised as the evolution of in-flight cuisine. Its unique, systems-based software application for managing in-flight catering assists managers of VIP charters and private aircraft to streamline catering services. Real-time logistics reporting on orders, along with in-depth financial and managerial reporting capability enables Private Flight's clients to monitor and reduce costs and create efficiencies in their catering operation. Private Flight also enables access to premium cuisine, with professional support and advice in sourcing, auditing and managing food and beverage providers for VIP and Business Aviation operators.

About Gama Group:

Gama is an international business aviation services organization, founded in 1983 in the UK by Marwan Khalek and Stephen Wright. The group employs over 300 at bases across Europe, the Americas and the Middle East and operates over 80 business aircraft. The group's companies and affiliates hold EU-OPS, FAA Part 135 and UAE GCAA Charter Certificates, FAA Part 145 Maintenance Approvals, Part 21 Design and Manufacture Approvals and offer business aircraft charter, management, FBO, maintenance, vale ting and aviation software services.

The Group is headquartered at Farnborough Airport in the UK, with its Americas headquarters in Stratford, CT and its UAE headquarters at Sharjah in the UAE (Gama Aviation FZE). All three bases are Wyvern approved. The group operates aircraft throughout the world and has over 30 worldwide operating bases.

Photo : Anne Chuard at Gama Aviation handshakes with Richard Pryor, CEO of Private Flight, together with (left) Matt Peart, Operations and Special Projects Manager and Shamir Samdjee, Director EMEA, Private Flight.