Imagine consuming a culinary delicacy on your flight and finding a sharp metal blade in your food! What would you do Recently, a horrified customer on an Air India aircraft described discovering a sharp metal blade within the food. In response to the event, the airline controlled by the Tata Group verified on Sunday that the metal blade was included in the meal. Air Indias Chief Customer Experience Officer, Rajesh Dogra, addressed the uproar over the metal blade found in the meal by stating that the foreign object originated from a machine used to chop raw vegetables. The company has increased the frequency of processor examinations, particularly after chopping any hard vegetable, to prevent such incidents.Discovery of the Foreign ObjectThe alarming incident was brought to public attention by Mathurs Paul, a passenger on an Air India flight, who shared his harrowing experience on social media. In his post, Paul detailed how he initially began eating his meal, only to realize after a few chews that there was a sharp metal object in his mouth. The object, which resembled a blade, was concealed within a roasted sweet potato and fig chaat dish. 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. Of course, the blame squarely lies with Air Indias catering service but the incident doesnt help the image I have of Air India. What if the metal piece was in the food served to a child Paul wrote on X.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. Of course, the blame squarely lies with Air Indias… pic.twitter.com/NNBN3ux28S— Mathures Paul (@MathuresP) June 10, 2024Ouch! Glad youre safe.— Kunal Dua (@duak) June 10, 2024Now thats a cutting edge dining experience.— Keshav Chugh (@keshavchugh) June 10, 2024Air Indias ResponseReacting swiftly to the incident, Air India confirmed the presence of the foreign object in the meal. Rajesh Dogra, Air Indias Chief Customer Experience Officer, clarified that the metal blade originated from a vegetable processing machine used by their catering partner. “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. We have worked with our catering partner to strengthen measures to prevent any recurrence, including more frequent checking of the processor especially after chopping of any hard vegetable,” Dogra said in a statement quoted by ANI.Dear Mr. Paul, we are sorry to know about this. This does not represent the level of service we aim to provide to our passengers. Please DM us your booking details along with your seat number. Well ensure this matter is promptly reviewed and addressed.— Air India (@airindia) June 10, 2024Air India passenger finds metal blade in mealRajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Air India says, 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…— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2024Preventative Measures ImplementedIn response to the incident, Air India has implemented more stringent checks and increased the frequency of inspections of the vegetable processing equipment, especially after processing harder vegetables that might cause such malfunctions. These measures aim to ensure that such a disturbing incident does not happen again and to restore passenger confidence in the safety and quality of in-flight meals.Previous ComplaintsThis incident is not an isolated one. A few days prior, another Air India passenger, Vineeth K, took to social media to express his dissatisfaction with the airlines services. He complained about a 25-minute flight delay and described the poor quality of food and the condition of the business class seats, which he found worn out and unclean.These recent complaints highlight ongoing challenges for Air India in maintaining high standards of service and safety. While the airlines prompt response to the metal blade incident is a step in the right direction, it underscores the need for continual improvements in quality control and customer service to uphold its reputation and ensure passenger safety and satisfaction.
