Tata-owned Air India (AI) has decided to serve ‘Muslim Meals’ (MOML) or ‘Halal’ meals only to passengers on certain routes, such as Haj and Saudi Arabia. The airline has also made it mandatory for all passengers to pre-book their meals on all routes, reported India Times.

The company’s decision was communicated to all stakeholders through an internal circular earlier this month. The move follows the airline’s merger with Vistara, also owned by the Tata group.

“Pre-booked meals bearing the MOML sticker should be treated as a special meal. A halal certificate will be provided only for upgraded MOML meals. All meals on Saudi sectors will be halal and a halal certificate will be provided on Jeddah, Dammam, Riyadh and Medina sectors, including on Haj flights,” reads the internal circular.

A senior AI official said YOU that the airline has always offered its passengers meal options, and that the latest move is part of measures to streamline meal service operations. The airline, as an isolated entity, did not insist that passengers pre-book their meals.

Merger Air India

Air India also announced several key management changes last week ahead of its merger.

“Over the past two years, the four Tata airlines have worked hard to prepare and execute one of the most complex mergers in aviation history, going from four airlines to two amid dramatic growth. and global transformation. As we now approach the end of this process, we are delighted to formalize a group leadership comprised of colleagues from the previous four airlines to drive the next phase of our journey,” said Campbell Wilson, CEO and Managing Director of ‘Air India.

The Tata Group was planning the merger of Air India and Vistara to consolidate its civil aviation businesses and create a larger domestic entity. The merged airline is expected to have a larger share of the Indian aviation market, making it a serious competitor to low-cost carrier Indigo and other airlines.

(With contributions from the agency)