A social media user, who is a journalist according to her bio, posted a screenshot showing a Vistara Airlines menu labelled as offering 'Hindu' and 'Muslim' meals. Aarti Tikoo Singh criticised the airline for 'communalising' food choices and sarcastically questioned whether they were segregating passengers based on religious identity. She tweeted, “Hello @airvistara, why is a vegetarian meal labelled as a ‘Hindu meal’ and a chicken meal as a ‘Muslim meal’ on your flights? Who decided that all Hindus are vegetarian and all Muslims are non-vegetarian? Why are you imposing food choices on people? Who authorised this? Are you now going to communalise vegetables, chicken, and passengers on a flight too? I was so shocked by this behaviour that I ordered both meals to defy your order,” she wrote, sharing a screenshot of her ticket displaying both a "Hindu meal" and a "Muslim meal."
Singh's post quickly went viral, sparking a wave of reactions on social media. Users were divided in their responses, with some explaining the rationale behind the labels, while others urged the airline to clarify the issue.
Several users pointed out that these meal codes are not unique to Vistara but are part of an industry-wide standard. They noted that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) establishes these standardised meal codes, which are used across the aviation industry to ensure consistency and efficiency in catering to diverse passenger dietary requirements.
Hello @airvistara, why the hell is vegetarian meal called “Hindu meal” and chicken meal called “Muslim meal” on your flights? Who told you that all Hindus are vegetarian and all Muslims are non-vegetarian? Why are you thrusting food choices on people? Who authorised you to do… pic.twitter.com/46w4avU7Vs
— Aarti Tikoo Singh (@AartiTikoo) August 27, 2024
One user commented, "Have you not travelled in a while? This is nothing new; international flights also use similar classifications. Instead of writing halal, they put ‘Muslim meal’; similarly, a ‘Hindu veg meal’ might include onion and garlic, while a ‘Jain veg meal’ would exclude these ingredients."
Sanjay Lazar, CEO of Avialaz Consultants, explained, “In general aviation parlance, a Hindu Meal (HNML) is NOT necessarily a vegetarian meal—it could be a non-vegetarian meal that is not halal. Similarly, a Muslim meal (MOML) is a non-vegetarian meal that is halal.”
Sanjiv Kapoor, a seasoned aviation expert and former CEO-designate of Jet Airways, also commented on the controversy, stating, “These are standard international meal codes used globally across GDS-based airlines, not just by Vistara. However, I do think IATA or whoever is responsible should consider updating these somewhat outdated and occasionally puzzling meal codes.”