The Human Advantage in Airline Catering: How COPEX Strengthens Teams and Performance

The Human Advantage in Airline Catering: How COPEX Strengthens Teams and Performance

Airline catering is a high-pressure, fast-moving industry where every meal, every flight, and every minute counts. When companies grow and job security is stable, the challenge shifts from survival to efficiency—how can teams work smarter, not harder, to gain a competitive edge? The answer lies in how people are organized, empowered, and given the right tools to succeed.

Altair’s Catering Operational Excellence (COPEX) is built on the understanding that human behavior thrives on structure, clear roles, and continuous learning. People perform best when they know what is expected of them, have a say in improving their work, and see the results of their efforts. That’s exactly what COPEX provides.

At its core, COPEX creates a rhythm in the workplace that aligns everyone—from frontline workers to managers—toward common goals. It introduces structured daily and weekly meetings at different levels, ensuring that every person, regardless of their role, is connected to the bigger picture. This mirrors the way successful communities and organizations throughout history have thrived: through shared rituals, collective problem-solving, and clear communication.

Beyond meetings, COPEX strengthens teamwork by embedding best practices into daily operations. Standard work instructions ensure consistency, while waste analysis and root-cause problem-solving (like the 5 Why method) help teams eliminate inefficiencies. One-point lessons and knowledge-sharing frameworks allow expertise to spread naturally, preventing the loss of critical know-how when employees leave or shift roles. In many ways, this is similar to how traditional societies pass down wisdom—through structured learning and shared responsibility.

The result? A workforce that is not just following orders but actively engaged in making things better. When employees understand their impact, they take ownership of their work, leading to higher motivation, better decision-making, and a stronger sense of belonging. This is what turns a catering unit from a functional service provider into an elite operation—one that is faster, leaner, and more resilient than the competition.

By focusing on the way people naturally work and learn, COPEX doesn’t just improve processes; it builds a culture of excellence. And in airline catering, where precision, teamwork, and speed are everything, that human advantage makes all the difference.