Air India is being trolled by Twitter users and one of its rival airlines for its decision to remove all meat products from inflight menus.
The change will only affect Economy Class passengers who will no longer be given the option of choosing red meat, chicken or fish-based dishes.
In two Tweets posted on Monday, the airline said the decision was made to reduce waste and cut costs.
#AIUpdate: #AirIndia has taken a conscious decision not to have non-veg meal in economy class on its domestic flights which reduces>>
— Air India (@airindiain) July 10, 2017
>> the wastage & cost and improve catering service.
— Air India (@airindiain) July 10, 2017
Although vegetarian menus make sense for the 71 percent of Indians who are non-meat eaters, the move has disgruntled the country’s meat-eaters, who have openly expressed their disappointment on Twitter.
Among them is @sumsrewari who said the change removes choice…
All ur doing is depriving a bulk of non vegetarians their food choice.Even though i am veg i feel u shud serve non veg else become low cost
— Sumeet Rewari (@sumsrewari) July 10, 2017
As well as @rohietsingh who encouraged Air India to ‘ctrlZ’ the decision…
I like Air India, has been my 1st preference always, but this news is not welcome at all, ctrlZ this decision.
— Rohiet Singh (@rohietsingh) July 10, 2017
And @venkigiri who saw it as another reason to boycott the carrier…
Yet another reason not to travel on @airindiain #boycottairindia
— #SaveDemocracy (@venkigiri) July 10, 2017
Others have sarcastically trolled the airline by offering alternative means of ‘cost cutting’ such as ceasing meals all together…
Stop meal completely for not far distance sectors to save further more
— Makkhan te Butter !!!! (@Manishs45034891) July 10, 2017
Allowing passengers to BYO meat…
Hey @airindiain can I carry my own kebab platter?
— Suhail Bagdadi (@baba_bagdadi) July 10, 2017
Stop filling fuel tanks…
AirIndia has become a Bhakt Airline, stopped Non Veg food to economy to cut cost. Why don't they stop filling the fuel tanks? #airindia
— Saravanan Annadurai (@asaravanan21) July 10, 2017
And quit flying all together…
You can also help in reducing pollution by not flying. Just another suggestion. 😂
— Donnie (@dubeanupam) July 11, 2017
Even the airline’s biggest rival had something to say about the situation with this not-so-subtle dig at Air India’s vegetarian menus…
At @airvistara, we leave the choice to you! 😊 pic.twitter.com/31GBFRoh9W
— Vistara (@airvistara) July 10, 2017
Of course, not everyone was against the decision, like @sebastianocc who encouraged the carrier to roll the change out to all classes…
Fantastic and brave initiative.
Why not extend to all classes of travel?#vegan #vegetarian— SebastianoCC (@sebastianocc) July 11, 2017
And @__upen who believes it’ll lead the way for other airlines…
Excellent move by @airindiain. This way, you have no hand in contributing to cruel animal farming (leading contributor of Climate Change)
— Upen (@__upen) July 11, 2017