WTCE 2026 report reveals the trends reshaping onboard hospitality across Asia's booming aviation market

World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) has released its newest report, exploring the cultural, culinary and commercial forces transforming inflight hospitality across Asia’s rapidly expanding aviation landscape.

With Asia-Pacific airlines transporting 390.5 million international passengers in 2025 – a 9.4% increase year-on-year – and the region’s international passenger load factor hitting a record 82.2%, Asian aviation is outpacing global growth, bringing with it a passenger base with increasingly high expectations of the onboard experience.

The new WTCE report, Bridging Heritage and Modernity in Cabins Flying Across Asia, deep dives into how airlines and their supply chain partners are responding to one of the most complex and commercially important passenger bases in the world. Contributing to the report includes senior spokespersons from SATS, Foodcase International, Cuisine Solutions, Linstol, and dnata Catering & Retail.

A focus on catering

On the catering side, the report finds that cultural authenticity is now the standard airlines are being held to across Asian routes. Culinary teams spanning over 20 nationalities are crafting regionally accurate dishes, and techniques such as sous vide are being used to preserve complex flavours across long-haul routes.

A wellness shift is also reshaping menus, with high-protein formats, plant-forward options rooted in Asian culinary traditions, and allergen-safe programmes all growing in popularity. With the Indian diaspora driving passenger growth worldwide, demand for authentic Asian vegetarian meal options is among the fastest-growing areas of focus across the sector.

Behind the scenes, AI-driven forecasting and pre-ordering systems are helping airlines personalise dining at scale while cutting waste – a combination that is quickly moving from trials on certain routes to region-wide service.

Amenities fit for all passengers

The report also examines how amenity kits have become one of the more deliberate expressions of an airline’s identity – a physical product passengers hold, use, and often keep long after landing. Asia’s carriers are among the most design-focused in the world, and suppliers are responding by drawing on regional heritage – from Japanese minimalism to Korean and Chinese beauty traditions – to create products that feel genuinely rooted rather than decorative.

Sustainability credentials are under growing scrutiny too, with materials such as recycled ocean plastics, compostable packaging and performance fibres made from natural sources now table stakes for carriers with serious ESG commitments.

Looking further ahead, the report points to a new wave of wellbeing-focused products, including digital health tools and recovery-focused solutions designed for the longer routes that are increasingly central to Asia’s growing network.

Shona Thomson, Event Director of WTCE, said: “Asia’s passengers know exactly what they want, and they’re not shy about it. The detail matters – the food, the kit, the cultural reference – and airlines that get that right are the ones people come back to. This report pulls together some brilliant thinking from across the industry on what it actually takes to get it right on Asian routes. At WTCE in April, lots of Asian suppliers featured will be on the show floor, which makes it a real opportunity to have conversations and find the right partners to deliver a memorable passenger experience.”

To read the full report, Bridging Heritage and Modernity in Cabins Flying Across Asia, visit: https://www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/en-gb/about/asia-passenger-experience-report.html