NETHERLANDS. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has embarked on a pilot food delivery service with HMSHost International and food delivery disruptor Deliveroo.
Schiphol Group says the move makes Amsterdam the first airport in Europe to experiment with F&B delivery to passengers at the gate.
The pilot aims to broaden the services provided to passengers and test traveller interest in the service.
Passengers flying from Pier E can order food and drinks via the Deliveroo app or website on their mobile phones and have their order delivered to their gate within 15 minutes. The trial period runs until the end of March. Food can also be ordered as room service from the Mercure Hotel located in Departure Lounge 3 – located beyond passport control.
Meals can be ordered from outlets such as Kebaya, The Market, The Grill and The Oven located in the Street Food Market and delivered by scooter for a €2.50 charge. If the pilot scheme is successful, it will be extended to Pier D in March.
“Schiphol is always looking for ways to best serve its passengers. Passengers spend a relatively large amount of time at their gate. This is an extra service that we would like to offer them,” said Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Director of Consumer Products & Services Tanja Dik.
“Passengers spend a relatively large amount of time at their gate. Although we of course have a diverse range of catering options in our piers, not everything is available. This initiative allows us to broaden the service we provide to our passengers.”
[Video – Food Delivery at the Gate, HMSHost International at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport]
Deliveroo Benelux General Manager Mathieu de Lophem said: “Deliveroo’s mission is to provide the best food delivery experience in the world, and there is no reason why that should be limited to the home or office.
“With delivery to the gate now available at Schiphol Airport from a selection of HMSHost International restaurants, passengers no longer need to miss breakfast, lunch or dinner even when they may only have minutes to spare before boarding.”
HMSHost International CEO Walter Seib added: “We create places and environments where our guests are the centre of attention. Places where the experience, hospitality and attention to detail is paramount and people feel at ease. Innovative technological developments help us to reach all our guests in a busy environment like an airport, and it makes the process of travelling easier and more efficient.
“With ‘Food Delivery at the Gate’ we have, in cooperation with our business partner Schiphol, a scoop in European airports. In this way we try to reach even more travellers who would like to enjoy their meal without a hurry before they board the plane, and pay sincere attention to the digital needs of our guests. Hence creating ‘Places To Be’.”
Dik commented: “In addition to the extra service for passengers, there’s also a practical side to this initiative. For years Schiphol has been welcoming more passengers. Last year, over 68 million people from hundreds of countries came through the airport.
“The fact is that space for additional retail and catering outlets in the terminal and the piers is limited. That’s why we come up with innovative concepts like this and keep a close eye on trends in technological and digital developments.
“If we see opportunities, we’ll then implement them in the hope that we can improve the passenger experience even further. We are very eager to hear our passengers’ feedback.”
NOTE: The Moodie Davitt Report also publishes The Foodie Report, the world’s only media focused on airport (and other travel-related) food & beverage. The Foodie Report e-Newsletter is published every two weeks and The Foodie Report e-Zine every month.
Please send all news of food & beverage outlet openings, together with images, menus, video etc to Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com to ensure unrivalled global exposure.
The company also organises the annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards. This year’s FAB will be held in Helsinki on 20 and 21 June. Click here for details.
