Stuck at the terminal? Brands love it – Airlines/Aviation News

To enjoy a sesame-crusted tuna with cucumber salad or a baba ganoush from Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen, you definitely need a ticket from India, but the search ends at the airport, where the celebrity chef will soon bring his famous outlets.

In a first-of-its-kind foray into India by the celebrity chef, travellers at Mumbai Airport can enjoy an exclusive dining experience at Ramsay’s signature concept outlets Gordon Ramsay Plane Food, Street Pizza, Street Burger and Gordon Ramsay Plane Food To-Go. Opening in partnership with F&B operator Travel Food Services (TFS), the first outlets will offer artisan pizzas inspired by London’s vibrant street food scene, as well as gourmet burgers and meals.

With international travel expected to grow by 22.5% year-on-year in 2023-2024 and around 70 million departing passengers in fiscal year 2024, it only makes sense to use airports as a retail platform.

Andy Wenlock, CEO of Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, said: “Indian airports are the new stage for culinary travel and we are excited to see how travellers embrace these vibrant, flavour-packed dining experiences.”

Varun Kapur, Managing Director of TFS, a company that manages over 380 quick service restaurants, bars and food and beverage outlets at travel hubs in 19 cities in India and operates 27 airport lounges worldwide, said: “We are building on the food revolution at Indian airports.”

“Ramsay’s iconic brands will offer an unparalleled fusion of taste and finesse, adding excitement to the journey of Indian travellers,” Kapur added.

Similar offers are available in abundance only at the airport, be it collectibles, gifts, confectionery, liquor or F&B outlets. Exclusive travel retail offers play a crucial role in personalising the airport duty free segment as they provide exclusive access to consumers.

“The products are not available in stores in the city and are often tailored to specific regions like the Indian subcontinent or the Middle East or even to a particular operator or retailer. This is a key differentiation strategy. The contribution of these exclusive brands and stock units is growing as more shoppers are looking for collectible and gift items that are not readily available elsewhere. The products are found in the liquor segment and are in the premium to luxury segment. However, confectionery and cosmetics brands are increasingly adopting this differentiation strategy,” said Abhijit Das, head of marketing at Delhi Duty Free, adding that the travel retail segment is expected to gain more traction and attract more investments from brands in the next five to eight years.

For example, Global Drinks, a Hong Kong-based branding agency and supply chain provider, capitalized on the growing popularity of Japanese whisky in India and launched premium Japanese whisky Misaka exclusively for travel retail in a distribution partnership with newly formed Delhi-based Platinum Liquids. Italian luxury house Bulgari, part of the LVMH group, also recently collaborated with Hyderabad Duty Free to launch its Allegra fragrance collection in the duty-free channel.

In addition to Ramsay, celebrated chef Wolfgang Puck, who has been creating the menu for the Oscar Governors Ball for three decades, is also known for opening exclusive outlets at airports. Wolfgang Puck Kitchen + Bar at Bali Airport opened in 2023, The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck opened at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia in 2016, at Singapore Changi Airport in 2017, and at Hong Kong International Airport in 2019 in collaboration with Lagardere Travel Retail. In 2021, Puck opened his first restaurant in Austria at Terminal 3 of Vienna Airport in collaboration with F&B partner SSP.

Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL) was the first airport to bring Wolfgang Puck to India alongside James Martin Kitchen, PF Chang’s. The airport counted 32.86 million domestic passengers and 4.67 million international travelers in the financial year 2023-2024.

Ospree Duty Free, a one-stop-shop for duty-free shopping experience at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai Terminal 2, has exclusively launched Kylie Cosmetics in Asia in October 2023. The store achieved a 44% year-on-year increase in revenue from its duty-free arrivals and departures in FY2024. “With 52% revenue from departures, our store combines entertainment, relaxation and shopping incentives to keep travellers entertained while they wait for a pleasant shopping experience,” said Avishek Bambi Das, CEO, Ospree Duty Free (formerly Mumbai Travel Retail Private, a joint venture between Adani Airport Holdings (AAHL) and Flemingo Travel Retail (FTRPL)). The exclusive experiences include live tastings of Tequila Don Julio 1942 in December 2023 and organizing meet-and-greet sessions with actors like Shah Rukh Khan and Anil Kapoor. Fashion contributes 16% of Mumbai’s departures, with an average daily footfall of 35,000; cosmetics contribute 15%, with an estimated incremental sales growth of Rs 4 crore monthly for all brands combined.

CSMIA recorded over 13.4 million passenger trips in the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, including 3.7 million international and 9.7 million domestic trips.

Around the world, Changi Airport and Jewel in Singapore offer exclusive F&B offerings such as GoPizza, which offers Chili Crab Pizza as a tribute to Singapore’s famous dish. Old Seng Choong Bakery specialises in handmade biscuits and offers four Changi-exclusive flavours.

Changi Airport handled 16.5 million passenger movements from April to June 2024, up 13.4% year-on-year. “Over 150 leases were awarded in the last financial year, including more than 40 new Changi brands. Jewel Changi Airport saw more than 70 new brands opening across categories during the same period. Of the new entrants at Jewel, 16 were new brands to the market. Changi Airport’s e-commerce platform, iShopChangi, has doubled its brand offering to over 2,000, including more than 100 off-airport retailers across categories such as beauty, electronics and wellness, to name a few,” said Chandra Mahtani, Head of Airside Concessions, Changi Airport Group.