Digital precision in motion: Newrest’s factory-first catering model

July 25, 2025

As airlines and rail operators demand ever more agile, efficient and customised onboard catering, Newrest is reimagining production through its Digital Factory concept. A new facility, opened in Madrid in May 2025, integrates robotics, real-time data and modular design.

Newrest is scaling its Digital Factory model to elevate both performance and workforce value. The latest development – a 14,000-square-metre Digital Factory in Madrid – is capable of producing 25,000 meals and 1,500 trolleys per day. The site services 130 daily flights operated by 42 airlines through a fully automated, multi-client production environment.
The facility is engineered to handle simultaneous production for multiple airline clients, with its lines automatically adapting tray layouts in real time according to destination, aircraft type and passenger class.
Following earlier launches at Paris-Orly in March 2023 and Sucy-en-Brie in early 2025, the Madrid facility brings new levels of scale and operational flexibility to Newrest’s catering capabilities. By connecting directly to airline information systems, the factory synchronises demand forecasts with production to optimise cost control and eliminate waste.
At the heart of the facility are robotised Tray Set Up (TSU) lines equipped with 3D cameras and fully integrated with Newrest’s proprietary Winrest ERP platform. The robots receive manufacturing orders and autonomously prepare trays and snack trolleys, without human handling.
While automation drives throughput, Newrest’s operating model is intentionally human-inclusive. Employees are not replaced, but instead retrained for evolving roles that interact with robotics, oversee digital systems and support precision-driven workflows.
With ambitions to open two Digital Factories per year, Newrest is positioning the model as a global solution for modern, scalable onboard catering across air and rail sectors.

 

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