Logistics specialist DB Schenker has called on airlines to rethink their supply chain strategies during the COVID down time and find better, more efficient and cheaper ways to supply their inflight product requirements to flights.
Speaking during an inflight services webinar last week DB Schenker’s inflight global solutions director, Hugues de Villoutreys said: “We don’t know how long recovery will take but we do know for sure we have time and we should use that time to do things that we have never done before like revising the supply chain and adjusting it to support the recovery.”
He identified three key areas of change: transportation of inflight goods, storage of goods, and usage forecasting as key, citing case studies that have shown rethinking these can save airlines 20%, 25% and 15% respectively each year.
“Take back control of your supply chain, make your suppliers adapt to a new reality. Stop looking at historic data, instead use this time to reassess the size and location of you whole inventory, create new estimates and begin again ready to adapt efficiently and follow the forecasts as new data builds.”
The webinar was hosted by airline and catering consultant, Christian Bris. During the event an online poll of showed that 100% of viewers were prioritising their F&B budgets and forcast calculations, 50% were focused on passenger service adjustments and reorganising equipment management and networks. 100% of those polled also expected their inflight service spending to be down by at least 20% post-COVID
