American Airlines is experiencing a catering meltdown on flights from London Heathrow, with travel experts now advising passengers on the carrier’s flights from the British capital to take a packed lunch with them or be prepared for lengthy delays.
The meltdown couldn’t come at a worse time for embattled chief executive Robert Isom, who promised only last month to “reclaim American’s reputation as the world’s premium global airline” amidst calls for his sacking.
AA:
— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) March 1, 2026
"Unsure why, but until further notice all AA LHR departures will be double catered from the US. Bare minimum catering, including in premium cabins. Only protein or veg option. No ice cream. Understanding is all food will be flown in from the US."
Unknown duration on this,…
And yet, just a few short weeks later, it’s been revealed that American Airlines is struggling to load catering on flights from its busiest and most premium international destination.
For context, American’s operation at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) is huge. The Texas-based carrier operates up to 19 flights per day between Heathrow and nine US cities.
In fact, American Airlines accounts for nearly a quarter of all seats available between Heathrow and the United States, and in 2024, the carrier is estimated to have carried 14.5 million passengers between the US and London.
American Airlines has been contacted for comment, but has still not explained what is causing the catering meltdown, although there are various reports of what is behind the problems, first reported by trusted aviation insider JonNYX on X.
One of the leading theories is that American is in the midst of a botched catering provider transition, and the new catering supplier is struggling to get to grips with the airline’s enormous operations out of Heathrow.
In an attempt to mitigate the effects of the meltdown, sources have confirmed that American Airlines is supplying catering from the United States – what is known in the industry as ‘double catering,’ in which all of the catering supplies for both the outbound flight to Heathrow and the return flight are loaded at once.
This is highly unusual, especially for long-haul transatlantic flights, where a catering uplift at the destination airport is standard procedure.
The reason it’s so unusual is that not only is it difficult to keep food fresh for so many hours, but also because airliner galley’s are designed on the assumption that what is being loaded on board is only required for one flight.
When you start double-catering, significant cuts need to be made to what can be offered, because there simply isn’t room on board for the standard service.
In some cases, flights that have already been double catered and then are being loaded with the full service at Heathrow, but flights are being delayed as a result.
After American’s profits plunged by 84% in 2025, Isom has come under enormous pressure to resign with the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) issuing a vote of no confidence in him and the Allied Pilots Association (APA) demanding face-to-face talks with the airline’s board of directors.
Isom has, however, stood firm, maintaining that the board has its full support in him to deliver a questionable business strategy.
American Airlines continues to lose ground to Delta and United Airlines, which have both positioned themselves as premium airlines, commanding higher air fares. Unions, however, question whether Isom can really deliver on his promise to make a premium pivot.
With no official confirmation from the airline over what exactly is going on at London Heathrow, travelers with bookings over the coming days would be best advised to pack some snacks.
