Feeding passengers on hundreds of daily flights is one thing. Feeding an entire airshow - one of the biggest on the planet - is a different challenge altogether. As the Dubai Airshow 2025 prepares for take-off, Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) is orchestrating a culinary operation so large and so complex that it functions as a temporary, fully fledged food city. What does it take to serve 300,000 meals, build two kitchens from scratch, and satisfy guests from nearly 100 countries? We went behind the scenes.
When the gates of the Dubai Airshow open on 17 November, visitors’ attention will turn skyward: fighter jets carving through the desert air, state-of-the-art aircraft making their debut, deals worth billions being signed. But beneath the spectacle lies an equally ambitious endeavour, unfolding not in the sky but on the ground.
Emirates Flight Catering, long known for powering the culinary engine behind the world’s busiest long-haul airline, is stepping into an expanded role this year as the airshow’s official caterer. The brief is extraordinary: deliver more than 300,000 meals over the course of the event, tailor menus for over 150 chalets and national pavilions, and support exhibition halls, business lounges, delegations and VIP events - all while ensuring every dish reflects the tastes and expectations of guests from almost 100 nations.
To make this possible, EKFC has effectively built a pop-up gastronomic city. Two full-scale central kitchens have risen between the exhibition halls and corporate chalets, complete with cold rooms, pastry zones, storage areas, independent power generators, and specialised production spaces. It is an operation designed for precision and speed, yet flexible enough to create everything from Emirati tandoori lobster with saffron rice to Japanese-style dishes from Origami or elaborate French pastries by Yann Couvreur’s team.
The scale is breathtaking. More than 35,000 meals were pre-booked before the first pot was placed on a burner. Nearly 2,600 people - from seasoned chefs to interns from leading global hospitality schools - have been recruited and trained. Temporary staff canteens, check-in stations, welfare tents and uniform distribution centres have been set up as if for a major sporting event. What typically takes months of planning and construction has been compressed into just two weeks.
Behind this massive theatre of efficiency is a willingness to do everything in-house. It’s a strategic choice that allows EKFC to maintain consistency, tighten quality control, and respond instantly to last-minute requests - an inevitable part of any international event where VIP delegations, government ministers and aerospace executives flow in and out throughout the day. It also draws deeply on the company’s airline catering roots, where understanding cultural nuances and dietary needs is as essential as technical skill.
Food at the Dubai Airshow is designed to be both global and personal. Chalet menus reflect national identity, from Middle Eastern mezze spreads to Russian, Chinese, Indian and Japanese selections. Exhibition halls rely on fast, to-order service with basket deliveries, fresh pastries and real-time catering adjustments. The SkyView public area features food trucks, coffee bars and branded concepts, offering everything from oysters sourced in Fujairah to poke-style salads and a dedicated salmon-and-caviar lounge.
Yet the operation is not only about volume and variety. Sustainability has been embedded as a core principle. Plastic bottles have been eliminated, replaced by glass with an integrated recycling system. Leftover food is composted or donated to local food banks in coordination with Dubai Municipality. Where possible, EKFC sources ingredients locally, supporting producers such as Dibba oyster farms and Mai Dubai water suppliers.
All of it leads to a single objective: delivering a frictionless, world-class dining experience at an event where expectations are as high as the aircraft performing overhead. The entire system - infrastructure, talent, logistics, menu design - will undergo a full stress test one week before the airshow begins. Only then will EKFC’s temporary culinary city be declared ready.
The Dubai Airshow may be famed for its aviation marvels, but this year, one of its most impressive achievements will be built on the ground. Emirates Flight Catering has transformed a sandy expanse into a sophisticated foodservice ecosystem capable of feeding the world - literally. It’s a reminder that in modern hospitality, scale and excellence no longer stand in opposition. At their best, they rise together.
Source: Emirates Flight Catering
