What Should Be in a Flight Department Catering Vendor Agreement?

Most corporate flight departments have no catering vendor agreement — they operate on a handshake, an email relationship, or a standard purchase order that doesn't address the specific requirements of aviation catering. When something goes wrong, there's no defined accountability. A proper vendor agreement changes that.

Here's what a comprehensive catering vendor agreement should contain.

Section 1: Scope of Services

Define exactly what the vendor is providing:

• Geographic coverage — which airports are covered under the agreement, and what the protocol is for airports outside coverage
• Service types — catering only, catering plus beverage provisioning, galley stocking, etc.
• Aircraft types covered — confirm the vendor can service all aircraft in your fleet
• Minimum and maximum order parameters

Section 2: Service Level Agreement (SLA)

The SLA defines what success looks like and what constitutes a failure. Include:

• Delivery time standard: "Delivery will be completed no later than 45 minutes before scheduled departure, with a confirmed delivery window communicated no later than 2 hours before departure"
• Order accuracy standard: "Orders will match the confirmed manifest with 100% accuracy. Any discrepancy will be reported to the flight coordinator immediately upon identification"
• Lead time requirements: Minimum lead times for standard orders, rush orders, and VVIP orders
• 24/7 dispatch availability: Confirm dispatch is staffed around the clock with a specific phone number, not a general contact form

Section 3: Food Safety and Allergen Protocol

This section is often missing from informal catering relationships and is the most important from a liability standpoint:

• Require the vendor to provide copies of their commercial kitchen license, FDA registration, and HACCP plan
• Define allergen management protocol in writing — dedicated zones, equipment, and chain-of-custody documentation
• Require temperature documentation for every delivery
• Define the chain of custody for allergen-sensitive orders — who signs off, what documentation travels with the delivery

Section 4: Pricing Terms

• Per-tier pricing (negotiated rates for each menu tier)
• Rush order premium (additional cost for orders under minimum lead time)
• Cancellation policy (how far before departure can an order be cancelled without charge?)
• Price adjustment terms (how much notice is required for price changes, and what is the cap on annual increases?)

Section 5: Service Failure Remedies

Define what happens when the vendor fails to meet the SLA:

• No-show delivery: Full refund plus credit for a future order
• Order inaccuracy: Partial refund proportional to the discrepancy value
• Allergen error: Full refund and right to terminate the agreement
• Repeated failures (3+ in 90 days): Right to terminate with 30-day notice

Section 6: Confidentiality

All passenger information, flight details, and operational information shared with the vendor is confidential. This section should explicitly prohibit the vendor from disclosing passenger identity, flight schedules, or any other information about your operation to any third party.

DFK operates under a strict confidentiality standard — this commitment is formalized in every vendor agreement. Contact us to discuss a vendor agreement for your flight department.