Emirates reverses the decision, to continue with the "Hindu meals"

NEW DELHI: Emirates on Wednesday canceled its decision to halt "Hindu meals" from its flights after receiving criticism from social media users in India.

Earlier this week, the Dubai-based carrier said it would abandon the "Hindu meals" of food while continuing to offer vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals consistent with the religious beliefs of the Indians. But social media users have expressed strong opposition to the decision, forcing Emirates – the largest foreign airline in India in terms of flights inside and outside the country – to reverse its decision .

"On the basis of our customers' feedback, Emirates confirms that we will continue to offer a Hindu meal option, in order to facilitate the identification and demand of this option by our Hindu customers," said the company. Wednesday evening.

"Emirates has always provided a wide variety of special meals that can be ordered at least 24 hours in advance to meet the medical or religious needs of our customers, including our Hindu customers … We are constantly reviewing our offer, taking into account membership and customer feedback.Food and beverages are an integral part of any Emirates flying experience and our menus are created by great chefs to reflect the culture and the Emirates' diverse customer preferences, "the statement added.

Most major airlines offer meal options based on several factors such as religious, medical and dietary considerations for reasons of clarity. Air India and Singapore Airlines, for example, have special "religious" menus on their menu. These include: Hindu Non Vegetarian Meal (HNML) that does not contain beef, veal, pork, smoked and raw fish; Muslim / Muslim meal (MOML) that does not contain alcohol, pork and is prepared according to the halal method; Kosher meal (KSML) prepared according to Jewish specifications and containing meat.

The vegetarian meal of international airlines has several options like Indian vegetables (no meat, seafood and eggs); Jain (not onions, garlic, ginger, mushrooms and root vegetables); Oriental and vegan (no dairy product).

"Not everyone is a seasoned traveler knowing the subtle differences between meal options given by the airlines. Hindu non-veg means no beef and has been chosen safely by Indian travelers There may be confusion by people booking tickets in the early days, "said a Delhi-based travel agent.