Air India limits halal meal options to select routes as part of its merger with Vistara | Full details

Tata-owned Air India (AI) announced it will offer halal meals—often labelled as ‘Muslim meals’ (MOML)— only on certain select routes, including those to Saudi Arabia and Haj pilgrimage journeys. This shift comes as AI consolidates operations with Vistara, another Tata Group airline, as part of a strategy to streamline services.

In an internal circular issued on November 10, AI issued new guidelines requiring halal-certified meals on Saudi-bound flights. The airline will provide halal certificates for meals on routes to Jeddah, Dammam, Riyadh, Medina, and all Haj flights. For passengers on other routes, AI’s standard meal options will be available, but only if pre-booked.

The circular also details that pre-booked meals labelled with MOML stickers will be treated as special meals, and a halal certificate will be provided for these meals. This change is part of AI's broader move towards standardising meal services following its merger with Vistara.

Move aimed at enhancing service efficiency

An AI official explained to The Times of India that the airline has historically offered a variety of meal choices to its passengers. The recent requirement to pre-book meals aims to enhance service efficiency, especially as the airline prepares to operate under a unified brand after the merger with Vistara.

Last week, AI also announced key management changes to steer the merger. “Over the past two years, the four Tata airlines have worked hard to prepare for and execute one of the most complex mergers in aviation history,” Campbell Wilson, CEO and MD of Air India, said. 

“As we approach the end of that process, we are delighted to formalize a Group leadership comprising colleagues from all four antecedent airlines to drive the next phase of our journey,” he added.

The Tata Group's consolidation of Air India and Vistara is designed to bolster its position in the competitive Indian aviation market, where low-cost carrier IndiGo dominates. With this merger, Air India has created a larger, more unified domestic airline entity.