Press Release

First Workers Return to Gate Gourmet

Heathrow, Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - Eric Born, managing director of Gate Gourmet UK and Ireland, announced today that the first group of workers to be re-engaged by Gate Gourmet had returned to the company's Heathrow site, in line with the agreement reached with the TGWU in Brighton, on 26th September.

13 former Gate Gourmet workers, who have signed compromise agreements, completed their refresher training on Friday and began working at Heathrow on Tuesday 13th December. They are working as drivers and loaders.

All the workers were dismissed for participating in the illegal wildcat strike in August. The company is not required by law to make any offers to re-engage former employees and is doing so voluntarily. So far the company has received compromise agreements from 193 former workers.

Eric Born, Managing Director of Gate Gourmet UK & Ireland, said:

"I am pleased Gate Gourmet's offers of re-engagement are being taken up by some of our former staff. It is good to be able to welcome them back to Gate Gourmet as we continue to resume a full service for our customers."

"With the offers of re-engagement and compensation payments for many of our staff who have signed compromise agreements now in place, Gate Gourmet has put the unfortunate events of August behind us."

"Our task now is to continue the modernisation of our company so that we can ensure Gate Gourmets viability at Heathrow well into the future."

Founded in 1992, Gate Gourmet is the world's largest independent airline catering, hospitality and logistics company with dual headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, and Reston, VA, USA. The company has substantially expanded its products and services recently through acquisitions and strategic investments. The portfolio now includes cabin service ware (deSter); comfort/entertainment items (Harmony); packaged food components assembled in central production units (Supplair); design and delivery of brand-linked customer environments (Performa); service staff recruitment and training and crew leasing (Elan); aviation services such as cabin cleaning, aircraft washing and deicing and passenger services (Fernley/IAS); catering security (Gate Safe); business applications (eGate Solutions); and supply chain optimization (partnership with Pourshins).