Press Release

Gate Gourmet and ARINC in Strategic Partnership for On-Board Sales Programs

April 30, 2008 – ARINC Incorporated and Gate Gourmet, a global leader in airline catering and onboard retail management, today said they will work together to market on-board sales programs for the world’s airlines and passenger rail systems.

Under a memorandum just signed, Gate Gourmet will offer ARINC’s cutting-edge SkyBuy™ sales technology as the standard in its buy-on-board programs while ARINC will work exclusively with Gate Gourmet on outsourced catering and buy-on-board projects. The two companies plan to introduce SkyBuy to retail programs already under way at three leading airlines – easyJet and Norwegian in Europe and Jetstar in Asia.

SkyBuy sets a new industry standard for onboard retail management through the use of a wireless point-of-sale system to streamline in-flight sales transactions. With SkyBuy, airlines are able to sell food and beverages, in-flight entertainment, duty-free items, rail passes—even tickets to ground shows and entertainment—with the flexibility of payment by credit card, cash, or smartcard, and in multiple currencies.

SkyBuy uses a new communications solution—ARINC’s patent-pending Mobile Communications Gateway—to upload sales data automatically into back-office systems, thus maximizing revenue and transparency while shrinking administrative costs.

“Gate Gourmet will now take its success with ‘buy-on-board’ programs for our airline customers to the next level with SkyBuy,” stated Herman Anbeek, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of gategroup. “It is an industry breakthrough in sales management systems, reducing the workload of flight attendants and providing airlines and caterers with near real-time data on sales and inventory,” he said, adding that the same system could easily be adapted for passenger rail operations.

“The global airport footprint and retail model of Gate Gourmet fits perfectly with ARINC’s aviation and communications expertise,” stated Robert Sapitowicz, ARINC Vice President, New Business. “Together, we can offer airline customers a powerful and complete onboard retail solution—from procurement, preparation and delivery to the aircraft, to accurate sales tracking and inventory management.”

SkyBuy is unique in the industry in bringing a wireless network to the aircraft, which eliminates the need to physically transport data devices or storage media between the aircraft and the terminal. Airlines benefit from an easy process for reconciling inventory, cash and commissions without the need to invest in their own hardware and systems.

About gategroup:
Gate Gourmet is the world’s largest independent airline catering and logistics provider, serving more than 250 airlines in nearly 100 locations. Founded in 1992, Gate Gourmet has dual headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, and Reston, Virginia, USA. The company has substantially expanded through acquisitions, leading to the creation of gategroup, the leading global provider of above-the-wing services representing 11 brands. The gategroup portfolio integrates the world-class competencies of partner companies in three areas -- catering and hospitality, airport handling and logistics, and in-flight solutions. For more information, visit www.gategroup.com.

About ARINC:
ARINC Incorporated, a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, provides communications, engineering and integration solutions for commercial, defense and government customers worldwide. Headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland with regional headquarters in London and Singapore, ARINC is ISO 9001:2000 certified. For more information, visit the web site at www.arinc.com.