Sky Chefs Inc.: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

Sky Chefs, Inc. was created in 1942 as a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines, making it, by the company's own account, the oldest independent airline caterer in the world. In 1979, Sky Chefs moved its headquarters from New York to Irving, Texas, alongside American Airlines' own move to nearby Fort Worth. Separately, in 1966, Deutsche Lufthansa created LSG Lufthansa Service GmbH as its own wholly owned catering subsidiary in Germany.

In 1993, LSG acquired a minority stake in Sky Chefs, and the two companies began jointly marketing their airline catering activities under the LSG Sky Chefs brand, making it the largest airline catering brand in the world at the time. LSG fully acquired Sky Chefs in 2001. The combined company operated for decades as a subsidiary of Lufthansa before being sold to the Aurelius Group in 2023. LSG Sky Chefs operates under the LSG Group corporate umbrella, headquartered in Neu-Isenburg, Germany, with its North American headquarters remaining in Irving, Texas.

Today, LSG Sky Chefs produces hundreds of millions of airline meals annually across more than 100 locations worldwide, serving major airline customers including a long-standing catering contract extension with United Airlines. The company's workforce includes chefs and food production staff, kitchen and galley workers who assemble in-flight meal trays, logistics and transportation personnel who deliver catering to aircraft, and quality and food safety compliance staff.

Company culture and employee programs: LSG Sky Chefs emphasizes hygiene, quality, and culinary standards as core to its brand identity, given the scale and food-safety-sensitive nature of airline catering. The company has continued to invest in food safety compliance initiatives, including a 2024 partnership to pilot FSMA 204 traceability compliance. Benefits, scheduling, and advancement opportunities can vary by role and location, so candidates should confirm specifics with a recruiter during the hiring process.

Yes. Employers in the airline catering and food service industry, including Sky Chefs, are legally permitted to conduct pre-employment background checks on job candidates, provided they comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws. In the United States, employment screening is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires employers to obtain written consent, provide disclosures, and follow adverse action procedures.

Sky Chefs is generally reported to conduct background checks as part of its hiring process, which is standard for airline catering employers, particularly given the food safety requirements and, for roles with airport access, additional security vetting tied to airport-restricted areas.

The hiring process for kitchen and production roles at Sky Chefs typically includes an application, an interview with a hiring manager, and a background check prior to a final offer. Roles requiring access to secured airport areas may involve additional background screening tied to airport badging requirements.

Background check timelines can vary based on the type of screening requested and how quickly records can be verified. Learn more about typical background check turnaround times to understand what factors can affect the process.

A typical pre-employment background check for an airline catering role may include:

Under the FCRA, criminal history reporting is generally limited to seven years for most background checks, though federal aviation security regulations may require a longer employment history review, often 10 years, for roles requiring unescorted access to secured airport areas.

Hiring decisions involving candidates with criminal records are generally made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the nature of the offense, how much time has passed, and its relevance to the role, with additional federal restrictions applying to positions requiring secured airport access under TSA regulations. Some states have adopted "ban-the-box" laws that restrict when employers can ask about criminal history during the hiring process.

Candidates can generally expect to provide personal information such as full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number, along with signed consent authorizing the background check, in compliance with FCRA requirements. Airport-access roles typically require fingerprinting and a separate TSA-mandated security threat assessment.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that regulates how employers can use background check information in hiring decisions. It requires employers to notify candidates before running a check, obtain written consent, and follow specific adverse action procedures if a decision is made based on background check results.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what Sky Chefs may see during the hiring process, helping you address any concerns before you apply. A personal background check can include:

Learn more about Checkr Personal Background Checks and explore your Checkr Profile to see what information may appear in your own background check.

If you're a candidate with a background check in progress through Checkr as part of your application to Sky Chefs or another employer, you can check your status through the Candidate Portal. For additional support, visit the Checkr Help Center.

The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. All information is for general informational purposes only. Checkr does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of this information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. This article may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader. Checkr does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites and disclaims any affiliation with the companies mentioned in this article unless otherwise stated.