Press Release

Gate Gourmet Completes Purchase of Aviapartner Catering

Zurich, December 20, 2007 – Gate Gourmet announced that it has completed the purchase of Brussels, Belgium-based Aviapartner Catering from Aviapartner Group, the leading independent ground handler in continental Europe.

"We are very pleased to include the Aviapartner Catering business in the Gate Gourmet portfolio," said Philippe Op de Beeck, Group SVP & President of Gate Gourmet’s Central Europe, Middle East and Africa region. "Brussels is an important aviation market given the growth of intercontinental travel, and we see it as a key location in our long-term strategy," he said.

Aviapartner Catering has an excellent reputation and will be a significant addition to Gate Gourmet's network offering to its customers, along with the recently added partners deSter (design and in-flight service ware) and Supplair (packaged food components), said Op de Beeck, who will oversee the transition and future development. In addition, Aviapartner Catering is expected to provide synergies with IAS/Fernley, Gate Gourmet's newly acquired aviation services partner that has ground handling presence in Brussels, he said.

Aviapartner Catering Brussels offers the complete range of catering services, including meal production, logistics, dry stores, and catering loading. It currently serves 80 different menu types per day for 30 airlines. In its 11,000-square-meter facilities, 300 staff prepare some 3.5 million meals a year for some 25,000 flights. Aviapartner Catering has been awarded "A" status in the BRC (British Retail Consortium) standard, which incorporates a HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) food safety system, specific operating procedures and good manufacturing practices.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

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).