“‘I feel unsafe working:’ Airline catering workers in Phoenix say they face dangerous conditions” 12 July 2025

The familiar blue-and-white LSG Sky Chefs trucks at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport are the reason there is something to eat and drink at 30,000 feet.

Some airline catering workers, however, complain they are working in extreme conditions on the tarmac without properly functioning air conditioning in their vehicles.

… Phoenix Aviation Director Chad Makovsky told ABC15 the city launched an inspection on July 2, the same afternoon, after hearing the workers’ complaints.

“We did find instances where vehicles were not in compliance, where they did not have functioning air conditioning,” he said.

He said the city notified Sky Chefs and has given the company until July 15 to respond with a detailed plan. Then the city will make a formal determination about whether the company is in compliance with the city’s heat ordinance, he said.

In a letter to Sky Chefs obtained by ABC15 under a public-records request, the city informed the company earlier this week that spot inspections were conducted of 12 Sky Chefs trucks entering the airfield on July 2nd.

…In a letter back to the city, Sky Chefs wrote that the city’s heat ordinance does not specifically define “functioning air conditioning” nor provide a clear standard. Sky Chefs said it conducted its own temperature measurements in company vehicles on July 3 using “commercially recommended devices for properly testing the air conditioning.” Sky Chefs said its temperature readings were “significantly lower than temperatures noted by the city.”

…Sky Chefs told ABC15 in a statement Friday that the company places safety “at the forefront of everything we do.”

“We continue to work with our leadership and local teams to enhance our heat mitigation procedures to ensure the safety of our Phoenix team,” the statement said.

Sky Chefs went onto say all trucks in service at Sky Harbor have AC units installed. The units are tested regularly to ensure proper functionality and compliance with the heat ordinance.