The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in collaboration with the Airline Catering Association (ACA), has released an updated Standard Inflight Catering Agreement (SICA). The use of the standardized SICA template helps improve the efficiency of inflight catering procurement across the world.
The release of the updated template is the result of an agreement to deepen the collaboration between IATA and ACA. The two organizations will also jointly promote the use of SICA among their members.
“The updated SICA is a significant achievement. Catering requirements are complex and a unique part of an airline’s service standard. SICA helps both airlines and caterers manage that complexity efficiently to achieve the results that travelers expect. And the collaboration between IATA and ACA has improved SICA by bringing together the expertise of both ACA and IATA. This was a successful first-time collaboration that we intend to continue and expand,” said Nick Careen, IATA Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety, and Security.
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“The updated SICA is a significant step that will benefit our respective members. The clarity that it brings to the intricate work needed to produce millions of inflight meals a day will help both airlines and caterers work more efficiently together. And we look forward to creating even more value for both our memberships in future collaborations,” said Fabio Gamba, ACA’s Director General.
The SICA agreement template is based on industry best practices and will be included in the IATA Airport Handling Manual which contains all the industry-approved policies and best practices to support safe and efficient ground operations above and below the wing and in the ACA’s growing library regarding onboard catering. The template is a flexible document that can be tailored to fit local contexts, laws, regulations, customs, and practices, as well as the specific needs established when negotiating the agreement.
IATA and ACA will be presenting the new template at a joint session at the 34th IATA Ground Handling Conference (IGHC) which will take place in Paris, France from 31 May to 2 June 2022.
