GateGourmet, the company who provide catering for all British airways long-haul flights from Heathrow, has announced plans to make the majority of its airline meals halal. The company states that it wishes to standardise production of their food to drive down costs as currently they have to produce their halal meals seperately to non-halal meals.
Business opportunities in the Middle East and other areas of Asia have also played a part in tempting the caterer to make the switch. Currently halal food is available on airlines but must be ordered and prepared seperately so that they comply with hala standards. Managers at the catering giant are now claiming that it makes financial sense to simply adhere to these standards with all of their foods, rather than having two seperate production lines for the same products.