Air India begins using food stocked from India for return trips

In an attempt to rationalise catering costs on international flights, Air India has started carrying food from India for use during the journey back to the country.

The airline has already begun using food items stocked from India during its onward journey to Stockholm, Copenhagen, Birmingham and Madrid, and use them when returning. The move has been taken because the food items purchased from these foreign cities are much more expensive when compared to Indian cities.

Pradeep Singh Kharola, Chairman and Managing Director, Air India, said, "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."

Air India will further start serving food from the country on its flights returning from the Gulf region.

"There are some flights like the ones going to Gulf, Singapore and even some parts of Europe, where it is possible to upload the food here (in India) only. Some work is going on in that direction. The more important thing is the taste. Whatever you can do, the European caterer's taste can't match with the Indian caterer, especially when it comes to Indian food. That is the additional benefit we get. The main thing is that the costs come down drastically," Kharola added.