Texas Pacific Group, a US private equity firm which specialises in turning around distressed companies, has been given three weeks to re-negotiate the debts of Gate Gourmet, its airline food service company at the centre of last week's strikes at London's Heathrow Airport.

Texas Pacific bought Gate Gourmet for Sfr1bn (€644m) in November 2002, from bankrupt Swiss national carrier Swissair, after working on the deal for over 12 months.