Air India to give packaged snacks on short flights to avoid spoiling of cooked food
NEW DELHI: On Thursday, Air India had decided to give packed boxes with long shelf like cookies or peanuts on flights with duration of less than one hour. They used to give meal trays that usually have freshly made sandwiches or samosas.
A senior official in Air India said, “With sandwiches or samosas, there would sometimes be complaints of them getting spoilt. This move will stop such complaints. These boxes will be kept at the entrance of the aircraft and passengers will pick them up as they board. They can eat it on the flight or take with them. We are not going to have direct saving on meal cost by this switch.”
He added saying, “Removing these things will mean slightly lighter planes and some fuel saving. Multiplying it with number of flights and planes, this will mean some saving. And we are looking at every single item to cut costs and increase revenue.” Earlier in 2017, Air India made a decision to go all veg in economy class of all domestic flights. The saving from this step can be used.
“The CEO of Jet Airways admitted to the committee that in recent times, the quality of food served in Jet has deteriorated and assured that it will be improved in a few weeks,” said a committee on transport.
A senior official of a leading inflight caterer on condition to stay anonymous said, “When an airlines asks for this, we give them the option of replacing chocolate dessert that cost about Rs 30 with kheer that comes for about Rs 12. If an airline has already come to kheer and wants further cost, they start offering chocolates or biscuit packs costing Rs 5. Airlines tie up with the biscuit manufacturer and get a special price on bulk purchase.”
The anonymous official added that, “In veg dishes, paneer(starting Rs 210/kg) makes way for cheaper potato and prawn(Rs 900 plus/kg), lamb(Rs 450 plus/kg) and fish(Rs 250 plus/kg) and make way for cheaper chicken(Rs 190 plus/kg). The main meal box goes from three(dish-rice-daal) to two items.”