New Delhi: The Air India has decided to carry food from here (India) for use during the journey back to the country, in an attempt to reduce catering costs on international flights.

The airline has already started using food items stocked from India during its onward journey to Stockholm, Copenhagen, Birmingham and Madrid, as the food items purchased from these foreign cities are much more expensive when compared to Indian cities.

Pradeep Singh Kharola, Air India’s Chairman and Managing Director, said, “The food is taken from here in India in chillers and then it is heated whenever it has to be used. The catering costs for us is around Rs 600 Crore to Rs 800 Crore a year. Catering in India is 3-4 times cheaper as compared to catering in the West.”

“More important thing is the taste. Whatever you can do, the European caterer’s taste can’t match with that of its Indian counterpart, especially when it comes to Indian food. That is the additional benefit we get. The main thing is that the costs come down drastically,” Kharola added.

“There are some flights like the ones going to Gulf, Singapore and even some parts of Europe, where it is possible to upload the food here (in India) only. Some work is going on in that direction,” he said.

In July 2017, Air India decided not to serve non-vegetarian food to economy class passengers on its domestic flights, a measure which will help in cost-cutting.

However, Kharola clarified that the quantity of the food served to passengers will not be reduced.

Air India has been making losses since the merger with Indian Airlines in 2007, and is estimated to have a debt burden of more than Rs 48,000 Crores.