Flying Catering Out of Puerto Rico and Hawaii: USDA Agricultural Inspection Guide from Maui (PHOG / OGG)
Flying catering out of Puerto Rico and Hawaii involves one step that surprises many crews on their first trip: the USDA agricultural inspection. Hawaii and Puerto Rico are part of the United States, yet flights from the islands to the US mainland pass through an agricultural check, because the islands' climate supports fruit flies, plant pests and plant diseases that the mainland wants to keep out. Fresh produce on board, including some of the fruit in a catering order, is part of what the inspection looks at.
Global Diners prepares VVIP inflight catering in our own kitchens in Paris, Nice and Madrid and in our kitchens across more than 2,500 airports, including Maui Kahului (PHOG / OGG), Honolulu (PHNL / HNL) and San Juan (TJSJ / SJU). This guide explains how the inspection fits into a departure, which foods travel smoothly to the mainland, how we plan menus for these routes and how crews can make the whole process calm and simple.
Why the islands have an agricultural inspection
The US Department of Agriculture, through its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), protects mainland farms and forests from pests and plant diseases found in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. For this reason, passengers, baggage and aircraft travelling from these islands to the continental United States go through an agricultural inspection before departure or on arrival. It is a routine part of island flying, and operators who fly these routes regularly plan for it in the same way they plan fuel and handling.
Flights arriving in Hawaii have their own step too: the state asks arriving passengers to complete an agricultural declaration for plants, animals and certain foods. Our team keeps both directions in mind when we plan a menu, so the catering supports the paperwork rather than adding to it.
Route | Agricultural step | Global Diners catering approach |
Hawaii to the US mainland | USDA agricultural inspection of passengers, baggage and the aircraft | Cooked dishes, commercially packed items and fruit chosen for the route |
Puerto Rico to the US mainland | USDA agricultural inspection before departure | Puerto Rican flavours in cooked form, with fresh produce planned carefully |
US mainland to Hawaii | Hawaii state agricultural declaration on arrival | Menus with clearly labelled items, easy to declare |
Between the Hawaiian Islands | Interisland rules can apply to some plants and produce | Island menus prepared at the departure airport |
Rules are set by the authorities and are updated from time to time, so we always recommend that crews confirm the current requirements with their handler or FBO for each trip. Our article on coordinating catering with handling agents explains how we work together on the day.
Which foods travel smoothly to the mainland
The inspection focuses on fresh fruit, vegetables, plants, flowers, seeds and soil. Cooked and processed foods are generally simple to carry, which makes it easy to design a generous menu for a flight to the West Coast or the East Coast.
Cooked hot dishes: kalua pork, roast chicken, seared fish, mofongo and rice dishes, packed for the galley oven.
Cooked vegetables: roasted, steamed or puréed vegetables prepared in our kitchen and sealed for travel.
Breads, pastries and desserts: Portuguese sweet bread, malasadas, flan, cakes and tarts.
Dairy and cheese: cheese boards, yoghurts and butter, kept in the cold chain.
Commercially packed snacks: macadamia nuts, chocolates and packaged treats from the islands.
Seafood: poke, sashimi-style fish and cooked prawns, packed chilled.
Fresh fruit chosen for the route: fruit commonly approved for travel, or fruit that is served and finished during the flight.
Tropical favourites such as papaya, mango, lychee and fresh herbs are a delight, but many fresh fruits and vegetables need treatment or certification before they can travel to the mainland. The simplest approach is to enjoy them in Hawaii or Puerto Rico, include fruit that is commonly approved, and let our team suggest the right balance for each departure.
Hawaii: island menus for the flight home
Flights from Hawaii to the mainland are long, often five hours or more to the West Coast and longer to the East Coast. A full service works beautifully: a light meal after take-off, a warm main course, snacks and a breakfast or afternoon tea before arrival. Hawaiian flavours bring the islands on board: poke with rice and sauces on the side, kalua pork, seared ahi, grilled mahi-mahi, Maui onion salads made with cooked or approved ingredients, haupia coconut pudding and Kona coffee.
Kahului on Maui, Honolulu on Oʻahu and Kona (PHKO / KOA) on the Big Island all follow the same principles. Our guide to private jet catering in Honolulu (PHNL / HNL) and the Hawaiian Islands covers the islands in more detail.
Plan the menu with the route in mind, and the agricultural inspection becomes just one more calm step in a beautiful departure from the islands.
Puerto Rico: Caribbean flavours to the mainland
Flights from San Juan to Florida, New York and the north-east are shorter but just as popular. Puerto Rican cooking travels wonderfully in cooked form: mofongo with garlic sauce, arroz con gandules, pernil, pastelón and alcapurrias, finished with flan or tembleque. Fresh tropical fruit is best enjoyed on the island, or chosen from fruit commonly approved for travel.
Both San Juan (TJSJ / SJU) and San Juan Isla Grande (TJIG / SIG) serve business aviation in San Juan. Our guide to private jet catering in San Juan shares the island's seasons and flavours.
A simple checklist for crews
Tell us your route and destination when you order, so we plan the menu for the agricultural inspection.
Choose cooked dishes, commercially packed snacks and fruit commonly approved for travel for the mainland leg.
Keep the catering labels and the order confirmation with the aircraft documents for easy reference.
Serve fresh tropical fruit early in the flight, or enjoy it on the island before departure.
Confirm the current inspection arrangements with your handler or FBO before each departure.
Hand any remaining fresh produce and catering waste to the handler on arrival, in line with local rules.
Catering waste from international flights and from flights leaving Hawaii and Puerto Rico is handled in line with US agricultural rules at the arrival airport, and handlers on the mainland manage it every day. Our guide to crew catering for layovers and multi-day trips covers crew meals for longer island rotations.
How to order
Email order@globaldiners.com with the aircraft registration, airport, date, delivery time and passenger count.
Add dietary needs, allergies and VIP preferences in the same message.
Order 24 hours ahead and mention your mainland destination, so we can plan the menu for the agricultural inspection.
Receive your dedicated quote and a written confirmation from our specialised team.
Our team coordinates the delivery time with your FBO or handler at Maui Kahului (PHOG / OGG), Honolulu (PHNL / HNL), Kona (PHKO / KOA) or San Juan (TJSJ / SJU).
The Global Diners menu card, with caviar, smoked salmon, fine cheeses and pastries, is available on every departure, with halal, kosher, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices and allergen labelling on every item. Wine and Champagne can be included subject to local rules.
Maui Season Calendar for Private Jet Catering at Maui Kahului (PHOG / OGG)
Kahului is Maui's main airport, serving the resort coasts of Wailea, Kā'anapali and Kapalua as well as Upcountry and Hāna. The year-end holidays, the humpback whale season and the US school breaks are its liveliest weeks. In these periods, place catering requests a little earlier than the usual 24 hours, confirm passenger numbers and dietary needs as soon as you can, and plan full meals, generous snacks and crew meals for the long sector to the mainland.
Event | When | Where |
Christmas and New Year holidays | Mid-December to early January | Wailea, Kā'anapali, Kapalua and island-wide |
Humpback whale season | December to April | 'Au'au Channel and the waters off West and South Maui |
Spring break and Easter | March to April (varies) | Island-wide |
Makawao Rodeo | Early July | Oskie Rice Arena, Makawao, Upcountry Maui |
Winter big-wave season | November to March | Pe'ahi (Jaws) and the North Shore |
Christmas and New Year holidays at Maui Kahului (PHOG / OGG): Mid-December to early January
The year-end holidays fill Maui's resorts and private homes, and Kahului sees its highest volume of business jets, mostly from the US West Coast and Canada. Order a week or more ahead, and confirm return catering early. For the 5-hour-plus flight to the mainland, plan breakfast or a full meal, Hawaiian fruit, snacks and crew meals for the whole duty period.
Season dates and event weekends change from year to year, so please confirm timing with our team when you place your order.
Culture and heritage near Maui Kahului (PHOG / OGG)
Maui was the scene of the 1790 battle at 'Īao Valley, part of Kamehameha I's unification of the islands. Lahaina served as the royal capital of the Kingdom of Hawai'i and a 19th-century whaling port. The Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum in Pu'unēnē recalls the island's plantation era.
Dining and shopping near Maui Kahului (PHOG / OGG)
Maui's food reflects Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino and Portuguese roots: poke, kalua pork, loco moco, saimin and shave ice, plus Maui onions, Kula vegetables and island-grown coffee. Mama's Fish House near Pā'ia has served fresh fish since the 1970s. Pā'ia and Makawao offer surf shops, galleries and boutiques, while the Shops at Wailea and Whalers Village in Kā'anapali cover luxury brands and resort fashion. Farmers' markets sell papaya, pineapple and banana bread.
Also on the Global Diners network: San Juan (TJSJ / SJU)
Founded in the early sixteenth century, San Juan is one of the oldest cities founded by Europeans in the Americas. La Fortaleza, the governor's residence, and the San Juan National Historic Site are inscribed together by UNESCO. The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico in Santurce and the street murals around Calle Cerra reflect a strong contemporary scene, and the Casa Bacardí visitor centre in Cataño tells the story of rum.
Puerto Rican cooking blends Taíno, Spanish and African influences: mofongo, arroz con gandules, pernil, alcapurrias and lechón, the roast pork for which the mountain road of Guavate is famous. La Placita de Santurce turns into an open-air party at night, and Condado has a strong restaurant scene. For shopping, Old San Juan offers galleries, cigars and crafts, while Plaza Las Américas and The Mall of San Juan are the main malls, the latter with luxury brands.
FBOs at every airport in this guide
Here are the business aviation terminals (FBOs) at each airport mentioned above. Our team coordinates every catering delivery with the FBO or handler you choose, and our own kitchens deliver planeside at Paris (LFPB / LBG) and Nice (LFMN / NCE).
Maui Kahului (PHOG / OGG): Atlantic Aviation and Signature Aviation
San Juan (TJSJ / SJU): Airport Aviation Services and Jet Aviation San Juan
Honolulu (PHNL / HNL): Atlantic Aviation, Castle & Cooke Aviation and Signature Aviation
San Juan Isla Grande (TJIG / SIG): Isla Grande Flying School & Service Corp. and Modern Aviation
Kona (PHKO / KOA): Atlantic Aviation, Big Island Jet Center and Signature Aviation
Frequently asked questions
Is catering on flights from Hawaii and Puerto Rico inspected by the USDA?
Flights from Hawaii and Puerto Rico to the US mainland go through a USDA agricultural inspection that focuses on fresh fruit, vegetables, plants and similar items. Cooked and processed foods are generally simple to carry. Please confirm the current arrangements with your handler or FBO for each trip.
Which catering items are easiest to take to the mainland?
Cooked hot dishes, cooked vegetables, breads, pastries, desserts, cheese, seafood and commercially packed snacks travel smoothly. Fresh tropical fruit is best enjoyed on the island or chosen from fruit commonly approved for travel.
Can Global Diners plan a menu for the agricultural inspection?
Yes. Mention your mainland destination when you order at order@globaldiners.com, and our specialised team will suggest a menu built around cooked dishes, packaged items and fruit suited to the route.
What is the Global Diners client portal?
The portal, coming very soon, is designed to bring the Global Diners menu, order requests, confirmations and documents into one space for crew, operations and finance. Until it opens, all orders go through order@globaldiners.com.
Can I get poke and Hawaiian dishes on a flight from Maui (PHOG / OGG)?
Yes, Hawaiian dishes can be prepared for departures from Kahului Airport (PHOG / OGG) on request. Poke is packed chilled with rice and sauces on the side, and cooked options such as kalua pork, seared ahi or grilled mahi-mahi suit the longer flights to the mainland. Tropical fruit, haupia and malasadas can be added for dessert or breakfast.
Can Global Diners cater a long flight from Kahului (PHOG / OGG) to the US mainland?
Yes, Global Diners caters departures from Kahului Airport (PHOG / OGG) to the West Coast and beyond. For flights of five hours or more, we recommend a full service with breakfast or a light meal, a main course for reheating, snacks and desserts. Island flavours can be combined with familiar classics, and crew meals can be included in the same order.
Explore more destinations and guides
Private jet catering in Maui Kahului (PHOG / OGG)
Private jet catering in San Juan (TJSJ / SJU)
Private jet catering in Honolulu (PHNL / HNL)
Planning a flight from the islands?
Whether you depart from Maui Kahului (PHOG / OGG), Honolulu (PHNL / HNL) or San Juan (TJSJ / SJU), Global Diners prepares menus planned for the route and the agricultural inspection, with one menu, one specialised team and one dedicated quote. Send us your schedule and we will take care of the rest.
To request a quote, email order@globaldiners.com with your aircraft registration, airport, date, delivery time and passenger count. Our specialised team replies with a dedicated quote for your mission.
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