Alpha Flight Services builds Australia’s largest commercial kitchen in Melbourne
Alpha Flight Services has built the largest commercial kitchen in the southern hemisphere at Tullamarine’s Melbourne Airport business precinct.
The 11,000 square metre purpose-built facility, which has just opened, is capable of producing 750,000 in-flight meals a month. It is one of 11 purpose-built kitchens across the country which creates more than 1.5 million meals a month for AFS, which was established in 1982.
Elsewhere in Australia, AFS has kitchens in Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Coolangatta, Darwin, Perth, Sydney and Townsville. Offshore it has flight catering services in Europe, the Middle East and United States.
The new Tullamarine facility contains two commercial kitchens, four custom made blast chillers, a dedicated presentation kitchen, bakery, 100-seat cafeteria and waste treatment plant.
Melbourne Airport Chief of Property Linc Horton said the Melbourne Airport’s ability to operate 24/7 curfew free was a “big factor” attracting AFS to the area.
Melbourne Airport Corporation controls more than 2300 hectares of land in the area. Over recent years it has focussed on redeveloping portions – attracting amongst many tenants, industrial giant Toll, and the Essendon Football Club, which took a 21 year lease on land where in 2013 it opened the Tru Value Solar Centre training facility.
“The airport is already one of Victoria’s largest employers with more than 16,000 people working in aviation or a career that supports the airport’s wider operation, and by adding Alpha Flight Services’ kitchen we’re enhancing the existing job opportunities with exciting careers in hospitality,” Mr Horton said. “Melbourne Airport is a busting transport hub set to service 64 million travellers by 20133 and industries such as tourism, health care, leisure and recreation are noticing the potential in our growth, location and flexibility”.
