Eastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit · FAHS / HDS · South Africa

Private jet catering at Eastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit (FAHS / HDS), Hoedspruit

Catering to your aircraft in Hoedspruit.

Eastgate shares its runway with the air force, and the lodge season sets the pace of arrivals. We cook for the galley you have and pack for the crew who will serve it, so the tray leaves the drawer ready to plate in Limpopo heat.

Menu & order Download the menu

10 hours

ideal notice, last-minute handled

Plane-side

handover at the steps

Flight deck

crew and pilot dishes, on request

24/7

a flight attendant on the line

Three of us. All ex VIP cabin crew.

We know the galley, the diet card and the 5 a.m. re-plate — because we lived them. So we built the caterer we always wished we could call.

Camille

Menu & galley logistics

Fourteen years on VIP and head-of-state cabins. Can plate for twelve in a G650 galley and still land it hot.

Inès

Dietary & labelling

The one who reads every diet card twice. If it says no cross-contact, it means no cross-contact.

Sofia

The 24/7 line

Answers at 5 a.m. when the leg moved overnight. Same-day swaps are her love language.

The local tableCooked so it travels

Regional dishes of Hoedspruit for jet catering at HDS

Limpopo is citrus, mango, avocado and litchi country, and the lowveld around Hoedspruit grows more of it than most visitors expect. A private jet menu for Eastgate starts there: sliced tropical fruit that travels without weeping, avocado that is cut at the last minute on the aircraft, and chilled platters that suit a hot afternoon on the apron.

Local specialities are game-led. Biltong, droëwors and kudu or springbok carpaccio give the inflight menu a recognisable bush-lodge character, and boerewors rolls or sosatie skewers cover the braai side of the table. Pap with tomato-onion sheba travels well in a covered tray and re-plates in the galley.

Private jet food for a safari arrival is usually a late lunch or a sundowner snack, so we pack a Limpopo cheese and preserve board with rusks and malva pudding for the sweet course. Marula and rooibos find their way into the dessert and the tea service. Every dish is described by how it finishes in your galley.

For Hoedspruit and the wider Limpopo bushveld, the question is always how the food holds in heat: sauces come separate, salads are dressed on board, and anything fried is packed to crisp in the oven.

Open the menu Download the menuPDF

Local specialities for a private jet menu at Hoedspruit: biltong, kudu carpaccio and tropical fruit, Limpopo

01Kudu carpaccio with rocket and parmesanChilled, sauce apart

02Biltong and droëwors boardChilled, no prep

03Boerewors roll with tomato relishOven, relish apart

04Pap with tomato-onion shebaOven, covered tray

05Limpopo mango and litchi bowlChilled, cut on board

06Malva pudding with custardOven, custard apart

How it works

Three steps, one message

You message us

Tail, pax, diets, timing. One message — no portal, no quote form. Answered at any hour, by a flight attendant.

We cook & pack for a galley

Leak-proof boxes, marked by guest and restriction, with reheating times written on the lid.

You re-plate and serve

Two minutes out of the drawer. Whatever you ordered for the crew comes in the same delivery, and one clean invoice follows.

At a glance · HoedspruitEastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit · FAHS

The three founders, former VIP cabin crew, on a business jet airstair — private jet catering at Eastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit (FAHS)

Eastgate sits on a working air force base in the Limpopo lowveld, where lodge guests step off the aircraft straight into safari country, and the galley has to feed them accordingly. Private jet catering at Hoedspruit is built around that rhythm: cold bush-lunch boards, hot dishes finished in your oven, and cabin crew meals packed separately. Inflight catering here leans on Limpopo mangoes, citrus and game charcuterie, while executive jet catering and business aviation catering follow your handling agent's airside rules. For delegations we also plan diplomatic flight catering, and aviation catering for the whole rotation, handed over at the FBO.

Restaurant cuisine, cooked on the ground
Fresh and local produce
Labelled by seat, diet and reheat
Aviation-ready packaging
High loader for large cabins
HACCP certified kitchens

Who we fly forTwo cabins, one standard

Business jet parked at Hoedspruit FAHS, ready for private jet catering to be loaded into the galley

Business aviationOur core

Business aviation catering at Eastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS)

Business jet catering at Hoedspruit is usually a lodge run: owners, guests, a short ground stop. Corporate jet catering here leans on chilled boards and a hot main, planned with a private jet chef who knows what survives a hot apron. VIP flight catering and charter flight catering both start from a bespoke menu agreed with you, and luxury inflight catering means cutting avocado and fruit on board, not hours earlier.

Government flight catering trays sealed and labelled for a delegation aircraft at Hoedspruit, Limpopo

State & royalDiscretion, protocol

Head of state and government inflight catering at Eastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS)

When a ministerial or royal party lands at FAHS, discretion comes first. Head of state flight catering and government flight catering are written with the protocol office, packed sealed and labelled for traceability, and VIP aviation catering handles the day-to-day service. State visit aircraft catering is confirmed against base access.

Menu highlights for private jet catering at *Eastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit*Or write your own, we cook it

Chilled private jet platters at Eastgate Hoedspruit: game charcuterie, biltong and fruit for an inflight menu

Cold galley

No oven · served in four minutes

Private jet platters: game charcuterie, biltong, local cheeses and chutneyChilled

Gourmet inflight meals: kudu carpaccio with rocket and parmesanSauce apart

Private jet snacks: droëwors, rusks and roasted nutsChilled

Tropical fruit plate of mango, papaya and citrusRe-plate cold

Avocado and prawn salad with lemon dressingSauce apart

Oven-finished gourmet inflight meals for Hoedspruit FAHS: boerewors roll, peri-peri chicken and malva pudding

Hot service

One oven · re-plated in twelve minutes

Boerewors roll with caramelised onionOven

Peri-peri chicken skewers with riceOven

Springbok loin with pap and shebaOven

Butternut and coconut soup in a lidded cupOven

Malva pudding with custardSauce apart

Make a request Download the menuPDF

A dish sealed and labelled for one guest's diet

PrincipalSealed

Nut-free · gluten-freeChecked by two people

Special meals

Halal, kosher and kids meals: inflight catering at Eastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS)

A Hoedspruit order tells us who is flying: lodge guests, a delegation, a family. Halal, kosher, vegan, gluten free and allergen free meals are each cooked and packed apart, labelled by seat. Game, nuts and shellfish are common on bush menus, so we mark them clearly and keep kids meals and other special meals on their own board, away from the guest trays.

Allergens

A sheet per guest. Separate boards, separate boxes.

ii.

Halal & kosher

Sealed, certificate in the same box.

iii.

Children

Their own menu, nothing to cut at altitude.

iv.

Plant-based & wellness

Vegan, low-carb, light — composed, never compromised.

Crew & pilot mealsOn request

Flight crew meals on request at Eastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit

Crew catering for a Limpopo rotation starts with how long the crew waits on the ground. Crew meals are a separate line, on request and invoiced with the order. Flight crew meals can be a hot plate or a cold bowl; pilot meals and cockpit meals are packed apart from the passengers. Crew meal boxes are marked CREW, and different meals for pilots are made when the operator wants them.

Meal passFAHS

Cabin crew

Box

Marked crew

Galley

Oven 6 min

Order

On request

Marked crew

Meal passFAHS

Pilots

Box

CPT ≠ F/O

Galley

Cold or hot

Order

On request

Two dishes

Eastgate Airport Hoedspruit (FAHS/HDS) runway and apron in Limpopo, South Africa, a business aviation airport

To the steps, on your slot.

Airside · plane-side · day or night

DeliveryEvery FBO

FBO catering at Eastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS): delivery to your aircraft

FBO catering at Eastgate means catering delivery to the FBO or to the aircraft itself, with the run across the base coordinated by your handling agent. Ground handling catering and handling agent catering are one conversation here: the general aviation terminal is small, and the base sets its own access rules, so we agree the door and the slot with the handling agent before anything is cooked. The order is packed for hand-over at the aircraft.

FBOHandling agentGround handlerGA terminal

High loaderLarge cabins, bizliners

Galley-door delivery and aviation catering at Eastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS)

Aircraft at Eastgate range from light turboprops to larger business jets, and the type decides how the galley is loaded. A bigger cabin may need a high loader at the door; a smaller one is loaded by hand up the airstair. Airside catering delivery on a military apron is arranged with your handling agent, so we ask for the type early. Galley catering is packed to match your galley, and aircraft provisioning is confirmed before the slot.

Mention it when you order

HACCP kitchen

Certified, inspected, with cold-chain records filed against your trip.

All FBOs served

Whichever terminal you park at, handover is at the aircraft, on your slot.

Diets read twice

Allergen sheet per guest, halal and kosher on request, sealed and labelled.

One clean invoice

Itemised and trip-report ready, sent after the leg.

About the airportFAHS / HDS

General aviation and airport catering at Eastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS)

FAHS is both a general aviation field and an air force base, and that shapes how airport catering works. Lodge transfers, charter arrivals and owner flights all pass through the same apron, so planning ahead with your handling agent helps.

Business aviation

Business aviation hub is a big phrase for a small field, but Eastgate is one for the Limpopo bushveld. General aviation traffic here is lodge charters and owner flights, with FBO services and ground handling services arranged on the base side. Inflight catering, in-flight catering and aviation catering for these flights are ordered and billed on their own. Business aviation catering and executive jet catering suit owner flights, while diplomatic flight catering covers delegations; cabin crew meals are packed separately.

Customs & food import

South African customs apply to anything arriving from abroad, and agricultural rules on meat, dairy and fresh produce are strict. For catering at Hoedspruit this means a local menu is simpler, and we flag any imported item early so nothing is held at the border.

ReviewsFrom the crews we cater for

4.7 / 5

★★★★★

Average rating from the cabin crew and pilots we cater for.

Leave a review

★★★★★LARGE CABIN

“Getting a cheese board and savoury canapés ready for 5 guests at FAHS required an order that accounted for different crew meal preferences. The Galley Girls suggested compact food boxes for the fruit plates, and that choice worked well with our storage arrangement. The sandwiches were easy to locate, leaving the crew free to focus on the remaining cabin preparation. My main takeaway from this airline catering order was the practical approach to packing arrangement.”

Hannah Z. | Chief flight attendant

Global 7500

★★★★★LARGE CABIN

“Nothing about the 9 guest order at HDS called for excess complexity: just roasted chicken and seasonal vegetables and sensible planning for a changing departure schedule. The Galley Girls updated the starters in the written order and sent back a confirmation that clearly showed our amendments. Our brief for crew meals was met with a sensible plan for galley preparation. The salads remained as originally requested, which was reassuring when we checked the latest version with operations.”

Amelia E. | Chief cabin officer — private jet

Global 7500

★★★★☆GOVERNMENT

“Passenger preferences led us to mushroom risotto and a green salad at Eastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit; 4 portions were needed, with a short ground stop factored into preparation. The order made FBO catering feel manageable because the catering handover had been considered beforehand. With several people involved, The Galley Girls kept the main courses and delivery arrangements together in a concise order update. Knowing where the starters were packed meant the crew could begin the relevant checks as soon as the order arrived.”

Vincent C. | Government flight manager

Falcon 7X

The Eastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit questionsAsked by crews

How much does private jet catering cost at Hoedspruit?+

Pricing at FAHS is shaped by access: Eastgate is a shared air force base, so the handling agent decides how the food gets airside. We quote the menu and the delivery together. Dishes with game, such as kudu or springbok, sit higher than rolls or salads, and crew meals are priced as their own line.

What is the lead time for private jet catering at Hoedspruit?+

Two things make a Hoedspruit order simple: local produce and a clear handover through your handling agent. Customs rules on imported food are the usual snag, so we avoid them. Late requests are handled, and we tell you if one needs a different dish.

What are the customs rules for catering at Hoedspruit?+

Government flights bring extra paperwork: a cleared menu, named staff, traceable ingredients. At Hoedspruit we use local Limpopo produce so very little needs declaring on customs forms, and we pack everything sealed for the aircraft.

Can you bring food on a private jet at Hoedspruit?+

Many crews carry their own snacks, and that is fine. At a base airport like Eastgate an early departure means security checks and airside escort, so a packed order is easier to pass through. Imported fruit and meat are the usual problem on the customs side.

Is catering part of a charter into Hoedspruit?+

Not as a rule. Catering is booked separately from the charter and invoiced separately. For Eastgate we like to feature one distinctive local item, such as biltong, litchi or springbok, and keep the rest simple.