Whilst there maybe a reduced network, Singapore Airlines is rolling out its new food offerings on short-haul and regional flights in Economy Class.
New food offerings coming to Singapore Airlines – Image, Singapore Airlines
The new food offerings will be offered from the 1st December for flights under 3 and a half hours on Singapore Aiirlines and SilkAir flights. According to the airline, the new offerings will provide passengers with a greater variety of local Singaporean and international favourites on these routes.
What can you expect?
The airline will offer over 40 new dishes will be available on rotation on different flights, including Singaporean dishes such as congee, laksa and gravy-rich mee siam that were previously not available in Economy Class.
Congee and Pulut Hitam
Beef Ragout and Raspberry Cake 0 – Image, Singapore Airlines
Mee Siam with Pulut Hitam – Image, Singapore Airlines
Congee and Banana Sugee – Image, Singapore Airlines
Carrot Cake with Pulut Hitam – Image, Singapore Airlines
Laksa with Coffee Jelly – Image, Singapore Airlines
The meals will dispose of the plastic dishes, with the airline replacing it with a new packaging solution, consisting of a leak-proof box and cup made of Forest Stewardship Council certified paper, a dessert box and a cutlery pack made of bamboo with a paper wrap.
The new packaging for the meal – Image, Singapore Airlines
The box can hold the same amount of food as the casserole but is deeper and more secure, allowing it to retain gravy and soupy dishes without any seepage. It is also oven-safe and resistant to overheating, ensuring that food quality is preserved even after reheating.
The new meal concept was developed jointly by SIA and SATS, the Airline’s Singapore-based catering partner, with them developing a box that is both versatile and eco-friendly, and yet also enhances taste, variety and meal quality. The upshot of the move will be that the amount of single-use plastics will be reduced. These include including cups and polybags for cutlery, on the meal tray by 80 per cent by weight.
Leftovers on the tray, including the new service ware, will be brought back to Singapore, sent to an eco-digester at SATS, and converted into pellets that can be used as refuse-derived fuel, a source of energy that can replace fossil fuel and coal. The onsite processing of waste reduces approximately 60 per cent of catering waste and further reduces emissions from transportation to the incinerator. In addition, the use of lighter paperware helps to reduce fuel consumption on flights.
In Quotes
Mr Yeoh Phee Teik, Senior Vice President Customer Experience, Singapore Airlines, said:
“We are delighted to be able to offer a greater variety and quality of meals on our short-haul flights, including selections from Singapore’s popular local favourites that we hope both Singaporeans and international customers will find familiar and comforting. This is part of our continuous efforts to enhance the customer experience while keeping sustainability at the forefront of our operations.”
Mr Kerry Mok, CEO Food Solutions, SATS, said: “
Developing eco-friendly packaging solutions that can improve quality of food has to take into consideration various challenges unique to the preparation of aviation meals. We are pleased to lend our culinary expertise and knowledge of food and packaging technology to collaborate with SIA to transform the travel experience.”
Innovating the food service and trying to improve sustainability
Economy Class food service on the short-haul segment is increasingly being forgotten about, as airlines prefer to move to a buy-on-board model, or cutting the product to the bones – so its welcome to see that Singapore Airlines are trying a new product onboard.
The offering of local tastes is an interesting way to show off Singapore (although I for one would love to try a laksa in the air), however, with the promise to take the waste back to Singapore to be converted into fuel, reducing waste and plastics is a welcome thing to see.
As airlines continue to navigate their way out of this pandemic, passenger experience will be more important than ever. Steps like this will help.
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