Blade-like object found in food of Air India flight to San Francisco, airline apologises


PTI, Jun 17, 2024, 4:51 PM IST

Representative image

Mumba: An Air India passenger has claimed that a blade-like metal piece was found in his food on a Bengaluru-San Francisco flight last week after which Tata Group-owned airline launched an investigation.

Confirming the presence of a “foreign object” in the food, Air India on Monday “deeply apologised” for the incident, saying that it came from the vegetable processing machine used at the facilities of its catering partner TajSATS.

The passenger, in a post on X, claimed that he got a feel of the blade-like object only after chewing the grub for a few seconds but luckily no harm was done.

“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,” the passenger, Mathures Paul, who is a journalist by profession, said.

Paul blamed Air India’s catering service, adding, “but the incident doesn’t help the image I have of Air India…what if the metal piece was in the food served to a child?”

This is the second incident involving the food served on the airline’s long-haul flights in the recent past.

Significantly, both Air India and TajSATS are part of the steel-to-software conglomerate, Tata Group.

“Air India confirms that a foreign object was found in the meal of a guest aboard one of our flights. After investigation, it has been identified as coming from the vegetable processing machine used at the facilities of our catering partner,” Air India Chief Customer Experience Officer Rajesh Dogra said in a statement.

The airline had initiated a probe after the passenger posted about the incident on X.

The airline has worked with its catering partner to strengthen measures to prevent any recurrence, including more frequent checking of the processor, especially after chopping any hard vegetables, Dogra said.

“Air India has engaged with the affected customer and deeply apologises for this experience,” the airline official added.

Also apologising for the unfortunate incident, a TajSATS spokesperson said, “We have strengthened our processes of comprehensive inspection and preventive maintenance of all our production equipment.”

Earlier on Saturday, a business-class passenger of the airline’s New Delhi-Newark flight had complained that he was served “uncooked” food by the airline and the seats were dirty, describing the journey as “no less than a nightmare”.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

Ullal: Auto-rickshaw accident near Konaje claims driver’s life

Congress victory in bypolls not a clean chit to CM in MUDA case: R Ashoka

IPL 2025 | Got someone who can do captaincy job: Ricky Ponting on Shreyas Iyer

Bad timing: Fraudsters call senior Indore cop during press briefing to pull off ‘digital arrest’

Kangana says MVA lost in Maharashtra because it disrespected women

UP: Protest over Sambhal mosque survey turns violent; 3 killed, 20 cops among injured

Ranbir Kapoor says he would love to remake grandfather Raj Kapoor’s ‘Shree 420’

Related Articles More

No one has right to break law: BJP on Sambhal violence

Will review INDI alliance’s dismal performance in Maharashtra, says Tejashwi Yadav

Minor girl out with friend raped in MP forest; truck driver, associate held

Kangana says MVA lost in Maharashtra because it disrespected women

UP: Protest over Sambhal mosque survey turns violent; 3 killed, 20 cops among injured

MUST WATCH

Coconut Flower

Prakash Belawadi

Naxal Leader Vikram Gowda

Christmas Cake Fruit Mixing

DK Shivakumar


Latest Additions

No one has right to break law: BJP on Sambhal violence

Ullal: Auto-rickshaw accident near Konaje claims driver’s life

Congress victory in bypolls not a clean chit to CM in MUDA case: R Ashoka

IPL 2025 | Got someone who can do captaincy job: Ricky Ponting on Shreyas Iyer

Will review INDI alliance’s dismal performance in Maharashtra, says Tejashwi Yadav

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.