The main objective of this study is to provide a deeper view of the contribution and challenges ofrnEthiopian airline in-flight catering service for the development of tourism industry. This studyrnattempted to answer three basic questions: what is the current status of Ethiopian Airlines inflightrncatering services? What are the challenges facing Ethiopian Airlines inflight catering services?rnWhat is the contribution of Ethiopian airline in-flight catering industry for the development ofrntourism industry? This study was used Qualitative research method and data were primarilyrngathered from the researcher selected 9 corporate informants including, 1.the operation managerrnof Ethiopian airline in-flight catering unit, three human resource officers and marketingrndepartments 2.Ministry of Culture and Tourism inspection director and the minister advisor,rn3.with two local suppliers via expert interview and review of secondary document analysis.rnThematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data gathered via the aforementioned datarncollection instruments. The results of the study reveal that as a national flag carrier, EthiopianrnAirlines in-flight catering unit as a single section from the seven SBUs (Sub Business Units) isrncontributing a lot for the development of tourism industry through generating the much neededrnhard currency, promoting Ethiopian culture, customs, cultural foods, dressing and in generalrnbuilding the image of the country. However, the airlineâ€™s inflight catering sector is challenged byrndifferent technological factors including manual outgoing items handover process with cabin crewrn(pre-flight), the absence of location indicator like barcode scanner for crews to find loadedrnproducts easily (during flight), manual incoming items handover process with catering agent(postrnflight) and as an environmental factors Some products are not happened to be eco-friendly andrnpassengers special meal order has missed (during the flight).Based on the findings, the researcherrnconcluded that Ethiopian airlines in-flight catering service unit has a significance contribution forrntourism development and needs to improve its challenges have faced on environmentalrntechnological and passenger satisfaction. The study as would be useful both for students andrnresearchers in the field of tourism, hospitality/catering, destination management, and forrnpractitioners and tourism management representatives who may find interesting insights and ideasrnfor improvement.