{"id":140437,"date":"2026-04-22T22:34:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T17:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=140437"},"modified":"2026-04-22T21:12:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T15:42:42","slug":"american-airlines-ends-heathrow-catering-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/22\/american-airlines-ends-heathrow-catering-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"American Airlines Ends Heathrow Catering Crisis With New Do&Co Contract"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FORT WORTH-<\/strong> American Airlines (AA)<\/a> has signed a temporary catering contract with Austrian catering company Do&Co to provision all its flights departing London Heathrow Airport (LHR), ending nearly two months of disrupted meal services on transatlantic routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The carrier had been double-provisioning flights from the United States since early March after abruptly terminating its long-standing catering agreement with Dnata, the ground handling arm of the Emirates Group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new Do&Co deal, which kicks in on April 22, restores full catering operations across all cabins at Heathrow (LHR), PYOK<\/a> flagged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"American
Photo: Cl\u00e9ment Alloing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

American Airlines Resolves Heathrow Catering Crisis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

American Airlines operates up to 19 daily flights between Heathrow and nine US cities, making it one of the largest transatlantic operators at the airport. When the airline suddenly ended its contract with Dnata at the start of March, it left a massive catering void that no other kitchen at Heathrow could fill on short notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without a replacement supplier in place, the airline turned to double provisioning. Under this arrangement, all food, beverages, and catering supplies for both the outbound and return flights were loaded onto aircraft at US departure points. This eliminated the need for any catering uplift at Heathrow but introduced significant operational challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aircraft galleys are not built to carry supplies for two full long-haul transatlantic flights. The additional load forced adjustments across every Heathrow-bound service, increasing workload for cabin crew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), the union representing American Airlines flight attendants, demanded additional compensation for crew members working these routes due to the extra burden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"British
Photo: Andrew Thomas | Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

British Airways and Do&Co Stepped In as a Stopgap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Starting in mid-March, British Airways (BA)<\/a>, a joint venture partner of American Airlines within the oneworld alliance, helped bridge the gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BA arranged for its own premium catering contractor, Do&Co, to supply Business Class meals on American flights departing Heathrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This partial fix restored near-normal meal service for premium cabin passengers. However, Main Cabin passengers continued to receive double-provisioned meals loaded in the United States, and the airline still lacked a formal catering contract at Heathrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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pic.twitter.com\/sfbV0cbXxQ<\/a><\/p>— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) April 21, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>