Air India implements new in-flight meal pre-booking requirement, updates halal certification policy
In a major policy update, Tata-owned Air India has announced that all passengers must now pre-book their meals before boarding, a part of the airline's restructuring following its merger with Vistara. This move is designed to streamline in-flight services and cater more precisely to passenger preferences.
One of the significant changes involves halal-certified meals. Going forward, halal meals will only be available to Muslim passengers who select the 'Muslim Meal' (MOML) option during the pre-booking process. These meals will include a halal certificate to guarantee authenticity, but general meal options will not carry halal certification unless specifically designated as MOML.
Air India's internal guidelines clarify that MOML meals will fall under the category of special meals, ensuring that passengers receive halal-certified food only if they pre-book this option. This change allows the airline to better align its meal offerings with the specific dietary requirements of its passengers.
However, the airline will maintain its practice of serving exclusively halal meals on certain international routes. Flights to and from Saudi Arabia—including Jeddah, Dammam, Riyadh, and Medina—as well as those related to the Hajj pilgrimage, will continue to offer only halal meals, in line with local standards and passenger expectations.
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Pakistan reports two more polio cases; Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
