KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 1): On the first day of Malaysia Airlines' transition to self-catering for its in-flight meals following the termination of its long-standing contract with Brahim's Holdings Bhd, some reports of flight delays from disgruntled passengers have surfaced.
In response to the complaints, Malaysia Airlines told The Edge that it had encountered various challenges during the transition, which were made worse by rainy weather conditions and changes to aircraft parking bays.
"Malaysia Airlines regrets the challenges faced on the first day of operations under its business continuity plan for onboard catering (on selected routes). These challenges, compounded by rainy weather conditions and changes to aircraft parking bays at KL International Airport, impacted several flights during the first half of the day. In addition, the airline experienced coordination issues that we are actively addressing with relevant partners," it said in a brief statement.
"As of 12 noon today (Sept 1), close to 80% of flights have taken off on schedule. Malaysia Airlines extends our sincerest apologies to our valued passengers for the inconvenience experienced. Customer experience remains our primary focus and we deeply appreciate their patience and understanding during this time," it added.
On Wednesday, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company of Malaysia Airlines, announced it was ending its decades-old in-flight catering partnership with Brahim's after a "thorough and prolonged" negotiation period, and that MAG would resort to self-catering from Sept 1 for selected routes, which it had "carefully planned" by sourcing for pre-packed items and food and beverage (F&B) supplies from multiple providers, including its lounge operator MAS Awana.
MAG also said its ground handling company, AeroDarat Services, would be managing the in-flight meal uplift process on board the aircraft, with a temporary distribution centre having been set up in KLIA to facilitate that. Its current in-flight catering provider POS Aviation Sdn Bhd, meanwhile, would continue serving the remaining routes.
At the time, it also said it would continue to explore ways to ensure business sustainability, including partnering with "reputable food and beverage providers" who share a similar commitment to providing premium passenger experiences and efficient in-flight services at KLIA.