Air India asks pilots to stop ordering special meals & take regular ones

NEW DELHI: Air India has barred its pilots from ordering special meals for themselves and asked them to take the regular meals ordered by the airline. Flight caterers say it is a regular practice to get special meal requests from AI pilots, something that ranges from whatever they may wish including very expensive meals. Special meals will be allowed only for medical reasons.

AI’s director operations, captain Amitabh Singh, wrote a mail to pilots saying: “It has been brought to (his) notice that flight crew are ordering special meal/s which is against rules. The only crew, who for medical reasons, may order for special meals, (that is) food recommended by doctor. (as per rules) ‘crew should adhere to the meal schedules laid down by the company and should not authorise meal uplift on their own’.”

“In light of the above, all cockpit crew (pilots) are instructed not to order special meals as and when operating a flight / staff on duty movement. GM-catering to take note of the same and issue necessary instructions to all dealing heads. GM-catering to liaise with office of ED-operations to get a list of pilots, who will be requiring special food for medical purposes only. ED-operations to get the above instructions uploaded on crew portal on priority,” captain Singh’s order says.

Airline sources say cockpit crew routinely orders burgers, biryani, lassi, soup and desserts from catering. “They very often send a mail listing their meal preference to catering department before operating flights. These extra pilot meals tend to be costlier than the meals ordered by airline and had to be sent over and above the normally uplifted crew meals,” say sources.