Easyjet and caterer Gategroup want to launch a new solution for in-flight sales in winter 2020/21. Passengers should be able to place their orders via a smartphone app. Payment can also be made via this. With this solution, the aim is to further reduce contacts in order to be able to keep the risk of infection with regard to Covid-19 even lower.

"For the first time anywhere in the world, passengers can access a full retail offering onboard from their personal device in one place, minimizing physical contact with onboard equipment or material," Gategroup wrote in a media statement.

The solution is called "Epax" and will also be used by other airlines in the future. The caterer envisages that sales menus in the seat screens of some airlines will become obsolete. The connection to the crew is to be maintained via an onboard WLAN network. To put it simply: After ordering via the app, a flight attendant receives a notification on their device and then serves the drinks or snacks.

Gategroup emphasizes that destination-specific special offers can also be advertised via Epax. In addition, important information such as flight duration, weather reports and so on should be able to be displayed. However, the core purpose is to replace printed menus. This would subsequently also save fuel costs, since these no longer have to be carried.

“We are excited to partner with Easyjet to work on this innovative, industry-first solution, testing an end-to-end mobile in-cabin retail experience. At Gategroup, we are committed to data-driven innovation in our retail offerings that not only deliver value to the end passenger, but also help our airline partners build superior customer experiences,” said Gategroup CCO Federico Germani.

An exact date for the use at Easyjet has not yet been set, but it has been announced that the rollout will take place in winter 2020/21. In this context, it will also be interesting to see how the low-cost airline will implement this. The company does not currently offer WiFi and has not had any intentions to offer internet on board. It remains to be seen whether the attitude will change or whether a kind of "on-board intranet" will be created for sales purposes. In any case, an intranet solution could be implemented quickly and cheaply, since antennas and similar technology do not have to be installed outside.