This study investigates how production practices within aviation catering generate food waste and explores how responsible production can be strengthened within the regulatory and operational constraints of the sector. Focusing on Newrest Arlanda as a single qualitative case study, the research addresses two central questions: (RQ1) How do current production practices and routines contribute to food waste? and (RQ2) How can responsible production practices be improved to minimise food waste? Data were collected through eight semi-structured interviews, including two face-to-face conversations and six written-response interviews across management, supervisory, and frontline roles. The findings reveal that food waste is structurally produced rather than the result of individual behaviour. Key drivers include forecasting buffers, rigid portioning and tray standards, departmental fragmentation across hot kitchen, cold kitchen, assembly, and dispatch, and aviation-specific food-safety regulations that classify most returned or compromised food as Category 1 waste. Data limitations further hinder organisational learning, as waste records function largely as compliance tools rather than mechanisms for improvement. These findings align with global food-service research showing that operational uncertainty, risk aversion, and regulatory pressure intensify overproduction and limit opportunities for reuse or redistribution. In response to RQ2, participants identified realistic opportunities to enhance responsible production. These include redesigning menus to be more modular, improving forecasting logic, strengthening communication between departments, and fostering leaner flows with clearer feedback loops. Staff also emphasised the need for better engagement, training, and recognition to build ownership of waste-reduction initiatives. At an institutional level, participants highlighted the importance of collaboration with airlines, airport authorities, and regulators to re-examine safety margins, contractual specifications, and opportunities for circular-economy solutions. Overall, the study proposes that meaningful waste reduction requires both internal operational improvements and broader institutional cooperation. It contributes to the limited literature on airline catering waste by integrating institutional theory and lean thinking to explain why waste persists and how responsibility can be embedded earlier in production design.