FLYING FOOD GROUP

LOS ANGELES, CA.  In the wake of numerous complaints about worker safety and other abuses, the body that runs LAX – Los Angeles World Airports or “LAWA” – has decided to put a major airline caterer for international flights, Flying Food Group, on a status akin to probation.

Companies serving LAX must obtain a special permit called a Certified Service Provider License from the City.  Complying with worker protections is a condition of such licenses, which have historically been granted for periods of five years.

Flying Food Group has been embroiled in controversy for years, as five different government agencies issued citations or complaints against the company for issues ranging from paying workers less than the minimum wage to serious safety hazards.

In response to persistent complaints from workers, LAWA has now decided to deny FFG an ordinary five-year license, and instead issue the company a conditional term for a period of just six months.  It is expected that LAX will continue an ongoing investigation of FFG’s record during this period to determine whether the conditional license should be continued.

Given this development, major airlines that have been sourcing from FFG–including Virgin Atlantic, Air New Zealand, Air France, Lufthansa, Swiss Airways, ANA, Japan Airlines, and Qantas–may need to look to alternative suppliers for their inflight meals.

Serving the airport is a lucrative business, with Certified Service Provider License holders collectively making close to a half billion dollars a year. Flying Food Group is one of the highest-grossing of these companies, making $112 million in revenue in FY 2025.

In April 2026, the Board of Airport Commissioners granted LAWA staff the authority to approve new 5-year terms for all 77 firms that have entered into Certified Service Provider Licenses.  LAWA staff  created three categories for license renewal: five-year renewals for low risk companies and industries, one-year renewals for companies and industries with higher risk and six-month probationary renewals that require more in-depth review.

LAX placed Flying Food Group in the final category, which workers have taken to calling the “penalty box.”  The move follows years of worker complaints to City leaders by Flying Food Group workers, who have raised concerns about alleged wage theft, retaliation, sexual harassment, and other issues at 48 LAWA meetings.

Over the last several months, two separate reports have detailed the company’s long record of labor abuse: one report co-authored by the former Deputy Director General of the International Labor Organization–and another report endorsed by a Truth Commission of major labor and civil rights leaders and experts.

Most recently, last month Cal/OSHA issued the company four new citations it deemed “serious,” including two citations for failing to ensure that workers could exit cold storage rooms–a hazard for which it was previously cited and which led to a near tragedy during a fire in January in which two workers were found in a cooler room that had been locked from the outside.

Workers and labor leaders reacted to the decision as a positive step in the efforts to hold City licensees accountable for worker abuse, while at the same time urging the City to LAWA and Mayor Karen Bass to now revoke Flying Foods Group’s conditional license.

Elisa Valencia, a worker at Flying Food Group, said:
“I am glad the City has taken this step to begin to hold FFG accountable. We work hard serving travelers and we deserve to work in conditions that do not endanger our lives.”

Susan Minato, Co-President of UNITE HERE Local 11, said:
“No company is above the law. For years, Flying Food Group workers have courageously spoken out about unsafe conditions, wage theft, and a culture that puts profits ahead of people.  We’re now finally seeing the City begin to listen to their cries for help.  But while this is an important first step, the truth is that this company has committed more ‘red cards’ at this point than any we’ve ever seen and they have no business operating at LAX.”

The City of Los Angeles has already issued six determinations finding Flying Food Group or its subcontractors in violation of the airport minimum wage ordinance and is currently investigating an additional complaint. Since 2017, the company has settled two wage theft class-action lawsuits totaling more than $4.5 million.

Today’s decision represents a significant step forward for airline catering workers who have spent years demanding safer workplaces, legal compliance, and accountability from one of LAX’s largest service providers. Workers will continue to organize until full accountability is reached.