For decades, Emirates Flight Catering has operated across one of the region’s most complex food ecosystems, spanning aviation catering, airport lounges, large-scale events, and city-wide hospitality. Today, the organisation is expanding its hospitality vision, building on capabilities that have long existed while extending them into new food formats, partnerships, and consumer-facing opportunities.
Speaking recently, Shahreyar Nawabi, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Flight Catering, explains that the company’s evolution is about focus rather than reinvention.
“Hospitality catering is not new for us,” Nawabi says. “We’ve always operated beyond the aircraft. What’s changing is how intentionally we are bringing those capabilities together.”
Emirates Flight Catering’s experience outside aviation was recently showcased at major city events such as the Dubai Airshow, where the company delivered hundreds of thousands of meals in a single week across show days, corporate functions, and high-end hospitality.
“These are among the most demanding events in the city,” Nawabi notes. “They require precision, flexibility, and a strong understanding of hospitality expectations.”
This expertise is reinforced through the company’s extensive lounge and event catering operations, supported by continued investment in technology, training, and people.
A key pillar of this expanded vision is Bustanica, now fully owned by Emirates Flight Catering and recognised as the world’s largest vertical farm. Producing pesticide-free leafy greens using significantly less water than traditional agriculture, Bustanica supports aviation, hospitality, and foodservice operations with consistent, locally grown produce.
“Bustanica allows us to rethink how fresh food is produced and supplied,” says Nawabi. “It gives us quality, traceability, and flexibility well beyond aviation.”
The farm also enables the development of value-added food concepts aligned with growing demand for healthier and more sustainable options, reinforcing Emirates Flight Catering’s ambition to play a broader role across the food ecosystem.
Despite its scale, Nawabi emphasises the human impact behind the operation.
“Through food, we become part of people’s experiences,” he says. “Whether that’s on a flight, at a major event, or through the choices they make every day.”
As Emirates Flight Catering continues to expand its hospitality vision, the focus remains clear: applying the same discipline, care, and consistency it is known for wherever food is served.
