Air India Apologizes After Passenger Finds ‘Foreign Object’ in Inflight Meal

Air India has issued an apology following a passenger’s unpleasant experience on a flight from Delhi to New York on September 17, where a ‘foreign object’ was found in the onboard meal. The airline has launched an investigation in collaboration with its catering service provider and promised to take preventive measures to avoid such incidents in the future.

In a statement on Saturday, an Air India spokesperson said, “We are aware of a social media post by a passenger regarding a foreign object in the inflight meal served on AI 101 from DEL to JFK on September 17, 2024. Air India works with reputable caterers who supply to leading airlines globally, adhering to strict SOPs and multiple checks to ensure the quality of meals offered to our guests.”

The spokesperson added, “We are concerned about the customer’s experience and have raised the issue with our catering partner to investigate further. Necessary actions will be taken to prevent any recurrence of such incidents in the future.”

This is not the first such incident involving the airline. In June, a passenger on an Air India flight from Bengaluru to San Francisco reported finding a metal blade in his meal. The passenger shared his experience on social media, stating that he discovered the metal piece while chewing his food, though no harm was done.

Air India responded at the time by confirming that the foreign object originated from a vegetable processing machine used by their catering partner. Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Air India, said, “We have worked with our catering partner to implement stronger measures, including more frequent checks of the processor, especially after chopping hard vegetables, to prevent any recurrence.”

The airline reiterated its commitment to ensuring passenger safety and maintaining high standards of food quality.