From April 14-16, the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) returns to Hamburg, Germany. It offers buyers and operators opportunities to share ideas, discuss challenges and inspire the onboard hospitality industry’s next steps.
A wide range of global carriers are slated to attend, including British Airways, Air Canada, Delta, AirAsia, easyJet, American Airlines, Lufthansa and Qatar Airlines.
More than 300 exhibitors will showcase their offerings across the three-day event, highlighting the latest developments and trends in onboard services and hospitality. New additions for 2026 include the Drinks Zone and the Discover Zone.
The First-Time Exhibitor Village will return, featuring 30 new exhibitors. The space will make it easier for visitors to navigate the show floor, bringing fresh thinking, unique flavours and new product developments into one focused location.
Other returning features include the Taste of Travel Theatre, the VIP Buyer Programme and Steps to Sustainability Trail.
On the exhibition floor, visitors will be able to reconnect with major catering companies including dnata, SATS, gategroup and its family of brands, alongside LSG Sky Chefs – Americas and Flying Food Group.
The show will also spotlight premium food companies – such as Delice de France and Around Noon – offering high-quality bakery, fresh products and food-to-go solutions tailored for airline operators. Devion,specialists in intelligent automation for the onboard catering industry, is set to unveil its latest offerings.
Beyond catering, leading onboard retail and amenity innovators will demonstrate how the passenger experience continues to evolve. Visitors can discover the latest concepts fromTourvest Retail, while companies including Kaelis and Linstol will be bringing new collections and sustainability-led developments designed for modern cabins.
New at WTCE
In total, the 2026 WTCE will welcome more than 90 first-time exhibitors. They include Banana Cph A/S, which reduces food waste by transforming overripe bananas into innovative plant-based products; NomadNibbles, whose premium grab-and-go snack boxes are tailored for travellers; Champagne Lombard; K.R.S Spicy Food, presenting traditional Thai sauces and condiments; and Hard Rock Cocktails, translating iconic bar flavours into convenient ready-to-drink canned cocktails.
Taste of Travel
Produced in partnership with Onboard Hospitality and sponsored by En Route International, the Taste of Travel Theatre will deliver three days of insight-led sessions. Across Elevated Passenger Experience, Intelligent Cabin and Business of Onboard sessions, industry leaders will share practical strategies, emerging trends and real-world developments shaping the next generation of airline service. The full programme is available online.
New Discover Zone
A new space, the Discover Zone in Hall A4, will highlight snacks, confectionery, beverages and amenities from more than 20 curated exhibitors, including Farmley, Banhoek Chilli Oil, Hello Straw and Neuhaus.
VIP Buyer Programme
The VIP Buyer Programme offers onboard buyers and airline teams additional benefits throughout the event. Its lounge is sponsored by PAXIA, whose platform enables airlines and caterers to generate and manage meal orders for flights. Sample bags will be available to VIP attendees.
The Journey Circle
The Journey Circle is a new advisory network of senior airline and hospitality professionals, allowing visitors to learn more about what will shape the future of inflight catering and passenger experience.
Founding members include Simone Walli, Catering Manager at Austrian Airlines, Samson Arega, Group Vice President at Ethiopian Airlines and Tobias Ögren, Head of Inflight Product and catering at Sunclass Airlines. Louise Leaupepe, Inflight Experience Senior Manager at Riyadh Air, Hari Ghotra and Shiada Drysdale, both from Virgin Atlantic, are too.
The Discover Zone is an interactive discovery space to showcase onboard-ready products designed to improve visitor experience and operational efficiency.
Wellbeing Walkthrough
Passenger wellbeing is increasingly important. The Wellbeing Walkthrough returns to showcase a curated range of related products and services.
The trail has been curated by Dr Melissa Adamski, WTCE Travel Nutrition Ambassador, and Julianne Ponan MBE, WTCE Special Diets, and Kelly Stevenson, WTCE Beverages Ambassador.
Highlighting solutions that help passengers avoid the side effects of long-haul travel while promoting long-term health and wellbeing, it will feature 13 selected companies, including Wabba, Foodcase International, Milk Ltd, and The Coconut Collab.
Steps to Sustainability
The industry is increasingly looking for ways to improve its environmental footprint and the Steps to Sustainability Trail showcases developments across the supply chain that support environmentally conscious production and operations.
Created by WTCE Sustainability Ambassador Matt Crane, the trail will highlight trends and accomplishments shaping the industry. Linstol, RMT Global Partners, The Barista Cup, Castello Monte Vibiano and Global Inflight Products are among the 20 companies selected for inclusion.
Tech Trail
The Tech Trail connects buyers and suppliers who are transforming onboard retail and catering through the use of data, digital services and automation. The immersive walk-through will focus on technologies driving the passenger experience and improving operational efficiency.
It will feature 10 exhibitors, including C8Rtech – Airline Catering Technology, which is redefining airline catering using cloud-based technology; Immfly, providing onboard digital solutions to help airlines increase revenue and enhance passenger experience; and Foodcase International BV, offering end-to-end supply chain solutions from concept to distribution.
Kai Kosicki, WTCE’s Retail Technology Ambassador, will provide insights into trends and digital innovations, giving attendees a preview of the technologies and solutions shaping the future of inflight retail and catering.
Drinks Zone
The new dedicated drinks area brings together beverage brands for onboard catering and hospitality professionals. It showcases new functional drinks, low-alcohol alternatives and sustainability-led beverages.
Kelly Stevenson, WTCE’s Beverages Ambassador, is supporting the exhibitor lineup, ensuring the zone highlights new flavours and formats designed for onboard hospitality.
Designed to help onboard buyers stay ahead of 2026 trends, the space has the potential to inspire evolving beverage programmes.
Highlights include twice-daily happy hours from 12:00-1:00 pm and 4:00-5:00 pm, plus signature serves and speciality drinks showcasing the flavours and formats shaping the future of onboard beverages.
Exhibitors will include Defiant Ones UK Limited, supplying a broad portfolio of alcoholic beverages; GEMELLii Drinks GmbH, offering Italian-crafted ready-to-drink low-alcohol mocktails and mixers; Pentrade FMCG Distribution, providing single-point-of-contact solutions for onboard hospitality operators; Amrut Distilleries P Ltd and Piccadily Distillery, showcasing India’s leading malt whiskies and premium spirits; and Picoso Limited, bringing premium spicy sodas inspired by Mexico.
WTCE Connect
Exhibitors and visitors can create accounts for WTCE Connect ahead of the show, allowing them to search for all relevant companies and products at WTCE 2026.
WTCE Connect is a meeting platform where attendees can plan their activities during the show in April and sign up to sessions and events taking place during the week.
Colleqt QR Codes will be on all exhibitor booths within the Discover Zone and Taste of Travel Theatre. At the end of each day and of the week, visitors will receive a digest of the companies they have scanned.
Shona Thomson, Event Manager of WTCE, said: “With a mix of returning favourites and new exhibitors, the event offers visitors the chance to discover the latest innovations, connect with industry peers and see where onboard hospitality is heading.”
“We’re particularly looking forward to the new Discover and Drinks Zones, which give attendees immersive ways to explore products and engage with brands. As the sector continues to evolve, we want to make sure that the show evolves with it,” continued Thomson.
The 2026 Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) will take place at the same time as WTCE.
