Air India announced that it will no longer provide halal-certified non-vegetarian meals for Hindu and Sikh passengers. However, travellers can pre-book a Muslim Meal (MOML), which will still be halal-certified.
This decision was announced on Sunday, November 10, making a major shift in the airline’s meal service policies, aimed at addressing the dietary preferences of its diverse passenger base.
The change has been made after years of campaigns against what some people have referred to as the “halal mafia”, with many passengers having certain issues regarding the provision of halal meals in an environment that is predominantly Hindu and Sikh. The airline’s new policy allows for non-halal non-vegetarian choices that cater to the interests of passengers of different faiths.
MOML pre-booking
Previous categorization of meals by religious affiliation has been criticized for being polarizing. Due to the differences between “Hindu Meal” and “Muslim Meal,” various debates concern the question of representation in airline services.
Though Air India claims that its Hindu Meal does not serve beef or pork, such strived change to permit the pre-booking of MOML. However, they have still made pre-booking of MOMLA available allowing -halal-certified meals for passengers who prefer it.
In a press release, AIR India wrote that “MOML (Muslim Meal): Prebooked meal labelled with ‘MOML’ sticker is to be treated as a special meal (SPML). Halal Certificate will be provided only for the uplifted MOML meal. All meals in the Saudi Sectors will be Halal and a Halal Certificate will be provided in Jeddah, Dammam, Riyadh, and Medinah sectors, including Haj flights.”
This policy change is seen by many as a victory for those advocating for more culturally sensitive meal offerings on flights.
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