What Happens to Inflight Catering If a Flight Is Diverted?

A diversion is one of aviation's most operationally complex scenarios — and catering is almost never the first thing addressed when an aircraft unexpectedly lands at an unplanned airport. But eventually, if there are people on that aircraft who need to eat, catering becomes the question. Here's what happens and what to do.

What Happens to Existing Catering

If the diversion happens before catering was consumed, the food on board is still available — subject to the time it's been at its current temperature. The flight attendant's job is to assess whether the existing catering remains safe to serve at the diversion destination.

The practical test: how long has it been since catering was loaded? Cold items that have remained in galley refrigeration are generally safe. Items that were out for service and then didn't get eaten — and have been sitting in a potentially-warming galley during a long diversion hold — should be assessed for temperature integrity before being served.

If Catering Hasn't Arrived Yet

If the diversion happens before catering was delivered — the aircraft diverted before its scheduled departure — call DFK dispatch immediately. The situation you're now describing is an AOG at a new location: "We were going to depart from PIT, we're now at CLE due to weather, we need catering here within [X] hours."

DFK dispatch will assess what's achievable at the diversion airport within your timeline. In our hub markets, this is often very manageable. At airports outside our primary network, we'll tell you honestly what we can coordinate and what alternatives exist.

The Continuation: Catering at the Next Departure

For a diversion that involves a lengthy hold followed by continuation or rerouting, the catering question shifts to the departure from the diversion airport. Treat this exactly as you would an AOG catering order: call dispatch with your new departure airport, your timeline, and your catering requirements. We'll build from there.

The Diversion-Specific Protocol

When contacting DFK dispatch in a diversion situation:

1. Identify yourself and your original order reference if one existed
2. State the diversion airport clearly (ICAO code preferred)
3. State the FBO you'll be using (or ask dispatch to suggest one if unknown)
4. State your estimated departure window from the diversion airport
5. State passenger and crew count and any critical dietary requirements

DFK's dispatch team handles diversion catering requests as priority situations. We understand the operational context — you're managing multiple urgent tasks simultaneously. We'll give you a straight answer on what we can do, commit to a delivery window, and execute. Call us immediately: +1 (866) 328-7905.