Airline tech trolley as a service

In-flight catering innovation

The circular economy system focuses on more efficient use of our scarce raw materials, but also on the application of new supporting business models that will be vital for a successful, sustainable future. In other words, our existing models, often centralised around the product, will have to be fundamentally reinvented.

With this in mind, Econocom and AeroCat already worked together some time ago to improve the airline catering model. We came up with a light, innovative trolley and an accompanying economic model that focuses on the use and less on the possession of the trolley. The (ecological) advantages of the trolley are great: up to 30% less fuel costs, lower CO2 emissions, use of recyclable materials, etc.

Through increased digital possibilities and with the support of Flanders Circular, we want to strengthen these ideas and introduce a whole system innovation, and thus facilitate the transition to a circular economy. The physical trolley can evolve into an intelligent Airline Tech Trolley as- a-Service (ATAAS), which means a fundamental transformation in what is known now, as a conservative market.

To meet this challenge, we worked together with De Ster, the Flemish division of Gategroup, which, with 750,000 trolleys under management, is the world market leader in airline catering.