The International Flight Services Association (IFSA) has launched its 2026 IFSA World Food Safety Guidelines, designed as a practical framework that unifies the association’s previously separate Guidelines and Implementation Guide to simplify and strengthen food safety management across airline catering operations.
The updated Guidelines have been developed collaboratively by IFSA members and informed by internationally recognised food safety management standards, to establish the minimum requirements that airline caterers should consider when developing, implementing, maintaining and improving food safety management systems.
IFSA says the 2026 Guidelines mark “a meaningful step forward” for the multi-billion-dollar onboard services industry, which serves millions of passengers on scheduled routes around the world every day. It also advances IFSA’s long-stated goal of establishing a universally recognised food safety standard for airline catering within a globally accepted scheme.
The 2026 edition of the IFSA World Food Safety Guidelines aligns with the latest standards by incorporating elements from ISO 22000:2018, ISO/TS 22002-1:2025, ISO/TS 22002-100:2025, and FSSC 22000 Version 7. The framework can also serve as a preparatory tool for organisations pursuing ISO 22000:2018 or certification through Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)-recognised schemes.
“The launch of the 2026 IFSA World Food Safety Guidelines reflects IFSA’s ongoing commitment to supporting the global onboard services industry with practical resources that promote food safety, operational consistency, and continuous improvement,” said Allison Cooke, IFSA’s director of government affairs. “We are grateful to the IFSA members and industry leaders whose expertise helped shape this important resource for caterers, airlines, and suppliers around the world.”
The 2026 Guidelines are available to IFSA members and industry stakeholders. Following the launch, IFSA will host a series of training webinars later this year and into 2027 to provide additional guidance on key elements of the updated resource.
“As an airline, nothing matters more than the safety of the food we serve our passengers,” said Mike Fishburn, IFSA’s board director who is also senior manager of catering operations at Flydubai.
“The 2026 World Food Safety Guidelines give caterers, airlines, and suppliers one clear framework to work from, wherever in the world they operate,” added Fishburn. “Aligning our practices with the most current international benchmarks is how we protect passengers, build trust, and move the whole industry closer to a single, universally recognised food safety standard for onboard catering.”
Unveiled in front of a core audience
IFSA unveiled the 2026 Guidelines during a thought leadership session at IFSA Global Expo in Dallas, Texas. The expo is an event that brings together airlines, caterers, suppliers and technology companies to see new products and services and discuss developments in the inflight services sector, from artificial intelligence and food safety, to premium hospitality and culinary innovation. Held 8-10 September at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, the event drew nearly 1,000 attendees.
The Expo’s thought leadership programme focused on three areas with direct implications for the future of onboard service, highlighting how advances in safety, hospitality, technology and culinary innovation can elevate the passenger experience while strengthening the operations behind it.
The three key areas of discussion were:
Food Safety First: The Future of Global Inflight Standards. This session examined the role of food safety in passenger trust and operational consistency across the inflight supply chain. The discussion brought together food safety leaders from IFSA, Gategroup, Newrest and Porsche Consulting. This session also marked the launch of IFSA’s 2026 World Food Safety Guidelines.
Premium by Design: The New Era of Airline Hospitality. This session saw a panel of experts from Southwest Airlines, Saudia, Delta Air Lines, and JSX discuss how airlines are redefining premium service across cabins as passenger expectations evolve. The panellists discussed chef-driven menus, dining on demand, buy-onboard programmes, brand collaborations, and the growing role of the inflight experience in differentiation and loyalty.
Turning Data into Dinner: How AI Is Transforming Airline Catering. This session explored how airlines, caterers and technology providers are applying forecasting, digital ordering, inventory planning and personalisation to improve catering operations, reduce waste, and better align onboard offerings with passenger demand. The session brought together speakers from Airbus, International Airlines Group (IAG), United Airlines, Paxia, and SkyChefs.
IFSA Global Expo returns in 2027. Visit ifsa.aero for details.
