Air India Just Found A Way To Serve You Even Older Food On Flights. Hopes It Will Save Them 49 Cr
In order to save money Air India has started serving the food stocked from India on flights returning from foreign cities. The plans aim to save around Rs 49 crore annually by serving this food on 11 return flights from eight foreign cities There have been instances in the past where the cockroaches were found the airline food and now since the airline is carrying the stocked food the passengers may get a mid-air crunchy treat.
In order to save money, Air India has started serving the food stocked from India on flights returning from foreign cities and the plans aim to save around Rs 49 crore annually by serving this food on 11 return flights from eight foreign cities. There have been instances in the past where the cockroaches were found the airline food and now since the airline is carrying the stocked food, the passengers may get a mid-air crunchy treat.
Copenhagen-Delhi, Stockholm-Delhi, Birmingham-Amritsar, Birmingham-Delhi, Vienna-Delhi, Madrid-Delhi, Singapore-Delhi, Singapore-Mumbai, Bangkok-Delhi, Bangkok-Mumbai and Shanghai-Delhi-are these 11 flights, the Air India official told news agency PTI.
PTI/representational image Reuters
"When the aircraft departs from here (India), the food is stocked in chillers to keep it fresh. So, when the aircraft is returning from a foreign city to an Indian city, this food is served to customers," the official said, assuring that it remains "fresh and tasty".
Also read: Air India Does It Again! Serves Food With Cockroach At Delhi Airport's VIP Lounge
"According to our estimates, we will be able to save Rs 48.97 crore annually on catering costs on these 11 return flights," the official said. The official also said that the airlines planes to take this initiative to "all flights where it is feasible to do 'return catering¡±.
Air India spends around Rs 600-800 crore annually on catering and this measure is undertaken to cut the cost. The official told that only two routes- Stockholm-Delhi and Copenhagen-Delhi would save Rs 17 crore per year through ¡°return catering¡±.
"Through 'return catering', we will be able to save Rs 19 crore on Singapore-Bombay and Singapore-Delhi flights.
On Shanghai-Delhi flight, we will save Rs 1.94 crore per year.
On Vienna to Delhi flight, we will save Rs 4.38 crore per year," the official said.
BCCL
"On Birmingham-Delhi and Birmingham-Mumbai flights, we plan to save Rs 4.17 crore. On Bangkok-Delhi and Bangkok-Mumbai flights, around Rs 1.87 crore will be saved," he said.
However, on Madrid-Delhi flight, the airline is estimated to save only Rs 61 lakh annually through "return catering".
Air India Chairman and Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola on January 9 has said that the airline had started carrying food from India for return journey in an attempt to rationalise catering costs on international flights.
"The food is taken from here in India in chillers and then it is heated whenever it has to be used. Catering costs for us are around Rs 600 crore to Rs 800 crore a year. Catering in India is 3-4 times cheaper as compared to catering in the West," had said Pradeep.
(With PTI inputs)
