New Delhi: Tata Group-owned air carrier Air India’s meal plan has undergone changes, ranging from bookings to halal certification. This comes a day after the airline merged Vistara, Tata Group’s erstwhile joint venture with Singapore Airlines with itself. Going forward Air Idnia passengers will have tpo pre-book their meals while booking their tickets. This is a departure from the complementary meals that were offered by Air India and Vistara prior to their merger.
Air India will offer Halal-certified and general meals, depending on the passenger’s preferences. Halal-certified meals are preferred by Muslim passengers. This follows a recent controversy in which led the airline to offer non-Halal-certified non-veg meals to non-Muslim passengers.
Air India Halal-certified meal routes
Air India will offer Halal-certified meals on the following routes:
S. No.
Routes
1
Jeddah
2
Dammam
3
Riyadh
4
Medina
The four cities are in Saudi Arabia, with Medina being among the holiest places in Islam and part of the Hajj pilgrimage undertaken by Muslims the world over.
Air India meal options
Air India offers a range of meal options for passengers. From diabetic to gluten-free, the airline caters to an array of meal preferences, according to its official website. The Tata Group air carrier also has something to offer for children and infants. Air India has a Kosher meal for Jewish passengers on 72 hours’ prior notice. Jain passengers also have the option to receive non-onion, -garlic meals without any use of animal products in them.
Here’s a detailed list of meal options offered by Air India, according to their official website:
Meal name
Meal code
Description
Diabetic meal
DBML
Contains minimum salt, low-fat products and high-fibre fruits and vegetables.
Gluten-free meal
GFML
Contains ingredients such as vegetables, rice, dairy products, fruits and salt and pepper, herbs and spices, sugars and preserves, margarine and vegetable oils.
Fruit platter meal
FPML
Contains seasonal fruits. Suitable for passengers who are fasting or have dietary needs with no additives or preservatives.
Non-vegetarian meal
NVML
Passengers requesting this meal may be offered the non-vegetarian option in varying cuisine styles from our inflight menu.
On Air India flights, beef, pork and their by-products are not served.
Asian vegetarian meal
AVML
Passengers requesting this meal may be offered the vegetarian option in varying Asian cuisine styles from our inflight menu. The menu may include dairy products but no meats or eggs.
Vegan meal
VVML
The menu does not contain animal products or by-products, including eggs, dairy, or honey.
Jain meal
VJML
For passengers from the Jain community, menus prepared in Indian style will not contain any root vegetables, such as onions, garlic, or animal products.
Kosher meal
(requires 72 hours prior notice)
KSML
For passengers from the Jewish community, prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary requirements in a certified kosher kitchen. (available only on specific international flights)
Moslem meal
MOML
For passengers from the Moslem community, menus prepared in an Indian cuisine style are prepared per Muslim dietary requirements in a certified halal kitchen.
Hindu meal
HNML
For passengers from the Hindu community, menus prepared in an Indian cuisine style may include chicken, fish, eggs, vegetables, starches, or dairy products.
Baby meal
(for children less than 2 years)
BBML
Proprietary brands of baby meals are available on international flights. Parents are advised to carry baby food familiar to and preferred by their babies. Milk or baby meals can be heated onboard.
Child meal
CHML
Menus curated for children between the ages of 2 to 12. Typically, non-spicy.
Air India has revamped its catering policy by introducing pre-bookings and halal certified meals for Muslim passengers, day after Vistara was merged with the full-service air carrier. Biz News Business News – Personal Finance News, Share Market News, BSE/NSE News, Stock Exchange News Today
