Singapore Airlines will launch a new meal concept for Economy Class passengers from December 2020, offering a wider selection of options in new eco-friendly packaging. In total there will be up to 40 dishes, which will be served on rotation between regional destinations on flights of up to three-and-a-half hours.
“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.”
Yeoh Phee Teik, SVP Customer Experience, Singapore Airlines
The new meals will also be served on shorter SilkAir services, while the carrier continues to be operated as a separate brand ahead of an ongoing full merger into SIA.
On very short flights, however, to and from Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Medan, the new concept will not be offered.
Sustainable packaging
A significant part of the new meal concept is a set of brand new packaging for food and drinks, consisting of a leak-proof box and cup made of Forest Stewardship Council certified paper, and a dessert box.
Furthermore, a new cutlery set is made of bamboo with a paper wrap.
These moves are all part of the airline’s sustainable drive and effort to reduce waste, which has already seen the removal of printed menus on board in all cabin classes earlier this year.
The new food box, which in some ways resembles a takeaway container, can hold the same amount of food as the previous packaging but, the airline says, “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.
Overall, the airline expects a significant reduction in the usage of single-use plastics as a result of the more sustainable packaging, with a reduction of 80% on each meal tray by weight.
On these shorter flights, where catering is loaded in Singapore for both outbound and return journeys, leftovers will be brought back to Changi then sent to an “ecodigester” at SATS, the catering company SIA jointly developed the new concept with.
There it will be converted into pellets that can be used as refuse-derived fuel, a source of energy that can replace fossil fuel and coal.
“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.”
Kerry Mok, CEO Food Solutions, SATS
This onsite processing should cut around 60% of catering waste, while also reducing emissions from transportation to the incinerator. Weight savings will also mean reduced aircraft fuel consumption on each of these flights.
Potential meals
Singapore Airlines has provided us with a list of potential main courses that will be offered in the new Economy Class meal concept from next month.
Those attending the Inside Singapore Airlines events, which started today and run across two weekends this month, will be among the first to sample the new dishes, with those highlighted below on offer at the training centre.
Breakfast
- Congee with Pork Ball and Century Egg
- Mee Siam
- Fried Carrot Cake with Prawn
- Nasi Lemak with Chicken
- Chicken Congee
- Scrambled Egg with Sauté Spinach and Potato, Herb Tomato Sauce
- Scrambled Egg, Shashouka Spiced Tomato Sauce, and Chicken Chipolata
- Pear Cinnamon Steel Cut Oat Porridge
- Vegetable Frittata, Mushroom, Baked Bean Ragout with Bacon
- Tomato Upma and Sambar
Soups
- Beef Barley Soup
- Beef Goulash
- Chicken, Leek and Potato Soup
- Smoked Lentil with Chorizo Soup
- White Bean with Smoked Duck Soup
Lunch & Dinner (Western)
- Chicken Bolognaise
- Alfredo Pasta
- BBQ Chicken on Potato Cubes with Roasted Carrot and Beans
- Penne Pasta with Tomato and Basil Sauce
- Penne Samfaina Catalan Pisto
- Lamb Albondigas
- Chicken Ala King and Cheese Mash with Roasted Pumpkin
- Braised Beef and Mushroom Ragout with Mash Potato
- Braised Beef with Dupay Lentils, Porridge Polenta, and Parmesan
- Beef Bourguignon
Lunch & Dinner (Oriental and Ethnic)
- Salted Fish Fried Rice with Chicken
- Sliced Pork with Ginger and Fried Rice
- Beef Brisket with Egg Noodles
- Thai Green Curry Chicken with Steamed Rice
- Laksa Goreng
- Thai Yellow Curried Fish with Steamed Rice
- Chicken Curry with Rice
- Dry Mee Siam
- Laksa
- Chicken Biryani
- Tom Yum Bee Hoon with Cabbage, Carrot, Thai Chilli
- Japanese Chicken Curry with Rice
Finally there will be a range of desserts offered, again with those highlighted available to those attending the Inside Singapore Airlines tours.:
Dessert
- Pulut Hitam Cake
- Ondeh Ondeh Cake
- Banana Sugee Cake
- Coffee Milk Jelly
- Raspberry Cream Cake
- Chocolate Fudge Cake
- Earl Grey Chiffon Cake
- Coffee Mousse with Pecan Crumble and Pear Compote
- Chocolate Mousse with Brownie Crumble and Salted Caramel Sauce
- Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
- Coffee Bavarian Cream
Summary
Less weight, less waste and more sustainable packaging for the hundreds of thousands of Economy Class meals Singapore Airlines usually serves each week is a great initiative we should all support in the interests of the environmental impact involved, particularly with single-use plastics.
While Economy Class food is rarely exciting, in this new concept Singapore Airlines has also taken the opportunity to expand the range of dishes served on these shorter regional flights, with up to 40 choices rotating across different routes.
If you’re booked to attend one of the “Inside Singapore Airlines” training centre tours this weekend or next, you’ll be able to sample some of these dishes yourself before they are rolled out on board.
(Cover Photo: Singapore Airlines)
From the travel videos I’ve seen on YouTube, I would be willing to spend my next incarnation at Changi Airport between flights on Singapore Airlines. They have it aced.
is lax flight is operating right now
Tried the new meals on SQ’s short haul flights. They are absolutely abhorrent. No more taking SQ for short hauls.
Was on a recent trip with your airline and I love your pulut hitam cake so much. Unfortunately on my return trip, the dessert was different. Wondering is there a chance I can get hold of this recipe?