Common Ground for Catering
In an effort to make catering procurement more efficient, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Airline Catering Association (ACA) released an updated Standard Inflight Catering Agreement (SICA) earlier this year.
According to a press release announcing the new agreement, the SICA template is a flexible document that can be tailored to fit local contexts, laws, regulations, customs and practices, as well as the specific needs established when negotiating the agreement. The SICA template is based on industry best practices and will be included in IATA’s Airport Handling Manual (AHM).
“The updated SICA is a significant achievement. Catering requirements are complex and a unique part of an airline’s service standard. SICA helps both airlines and caterers manage that complexity efficiently to achieve the results that travelers expect. And the collaboration between IATA and ACA has improved SICA by bringing together the expertise of both ACA and IATA. This was a successful first-time collaboration that we intend to continue and expand,” Nick Careen, IATA senior vice president for operations, safety and security, said in the press release announcing the updated template.
IATA and ACA officials stated the release of the updated template was “the result of an agreement to deepen the collaboration” between the two organizations.
The agreement, which was last updated in 2010, was highlighted during a conference session during the IATA Ground Handling Conference (IGHC) in Paris, France, this spring.
“I think the feeling amongst on-board catering companies was that it was great that there was such a document in existence. But it was a shame that this document was not being used more,” ACA’s director general Fabio Gamba said during the event.
During the IGHC, Gamba expressed the ACA’s desire to work with IATA to make the document more balanced. That goal was achieved by addressing key points, such as a previous lack of a liability clause.
“It’s really balanced,” Gamba said, adding negotiations were fair and both sides worked to understand where the other party was coming from. “It’s a consensus-driven piece of paper, and I think it works.
“It will work and it will provide the necessary assistance and background that both need,” he added.
In the press release announcing the agreement, Gamba noted the updated SICA offers clarity to the intricate work required to provide inflight meals. He said it also allows caterers and airlines to work more efficiently together.
