In an aircraft, catering for passengers is delivered with a galley trolley to the individual rows of seats. Usually, the trolley is loaded with various meals and beverages according to statistical principles and with a secure surplus in order to avoid bottlenecks for some products (for example sweet or salty snacks, meat dish or vegetarian meal, wine or cola . . . ). Furthermore, the passenger's selection of a product is determined only during the flight phase by a flight attendant.
This type of supply (“catering”) using transport and delivery containers is also used in other means of transportation, such as trains.
Before a flight it is usually not known which passenger will choose which snacks, meal or beverage during the flight. The airline must therefore make an estimate, which may be based on experience and which may result in reserves of meals and beverages. These food reserves add weight to the aircraft.
Trolleys used in passenger airplanes usually have standard dimensions. For example, detailed specifications of trolleys of type ATLAS and KSSU may be found in WO 2004/028301 A1.
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