Airlines play a crucial role in global connectivity, enabling swift travel across continents for people and goods. However, they often face criticism regarding service quality, particularly the food served on flights. Airline meals, produced in large quantities to cater to numerous passengers, can sometimes lack in quality and freshness.
While many issues with airline food can be quickly resolved, discovering a metal blade in a meal is a far more serious matter. Such an incident can cause significant alarm and potentially spark widespread controversy. This was the case recently when a passenger found a blade in his in-flight meal on an Air India flight, prompting extensive media coverage and necessitating a response from the airline.
A passenger on an Air India flight from Bengaluru to San Francisco found a metal blade in his meal.
Journalist Mathures Paul shared his alarming experience on social media while on Air India flight AI 175. In his post on X, he described feeling a piece of metal in his mouth while eating roasted sweet potato and fig chaat, only to discover it was a blade. Paul highlighted the serious implications of such an error, especially if the meal had been served to a child. He shared photos of the blade and the meal, captioning:
“Air India food can cut like a knife. Hidden in its roasted sweet potato and fig chaat was a metal piece that looked like a blade. I felt it only after chewing for a few seconds. Thankfully, no harm was done. The blame lies with Air India’s catering service. What if a child had been served this? The first picture shows the metal piece I spat out, and the second shows the meal before it added metal to my life. @airindia”
Air India food can cut like a knife. Hiding in its roasted sweet potato and fig chaat was a metal piece that looked like a blade. I got a feel of it only after chewing the grub for a few seconds. Thankfully, no harm was done. Of course, the blame squarely lies with Air India’s… pic.twitter.com/NNBN3ux28S
— Mathures Paul (@MathuresP) June 10, 2024
Air India’s Response:
Air India promptly addressed the incident on social media, apologizing and requesting Paul’s booking details to investigate the matter further. The airline also contacted him directly, offering a one-way business class ticket valid for a year on any Air India flight, which Paul rejected, terming it a “bribe.” Air India clarified that the blade came from a machine used by their catering partner to slice vegetables.
Dear Mr. Paul, we are sorry to know about this. This does not represent the level of service we aim to provide to our passengers. Please DM us your booking details along with your seat number. We’ll ensure this matter is promptly reviewed and addressed.
— Air India (@airindia) June 10, 2024
Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer of Air India, confirmed the foreign object was from a vegetable processing machine at the caterer’s facility.
The post quickly went viral, garnering thousands of views and comments. Reactions ranged from criticism of Air India’s catering services to calls for a thorough investigation, with some suggesting the possibility of a serious security breach.
Wtf is wrong with AIR INDIA.
This is damn scary 😟
— David (@DavidforIndia) June 17, 2024
Now that’s a cutting edge dining experience.
— Keshav Chugh (@keshavchugh) June 10, 2024
If they have to serve food rich in iron, this is certainly not the way. I am sure the dieticians can recommend other cutting-edge solutions to serve healthy in-flight meals.
— Jayant Sinha (@JayantSinha_1) June 17, 2024
This incident is not the first to bring Air India’s in-flight services under scrutiny. Despite ongoing efforts by airlines to improve dining experiences, such issues highlight persistent challenges. Addressing these problems is crucial for enhancing the airline’s reputation and ensuring passenger safety.
