Japan is host to a growing number of international visitors, with notable increases from majority Muslim countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, which are up 33.4% and 16.1%, respectively between January and May 2015. As the number of Muslim passengers increases, Japan’s leading airline; ANA expanded its halal in-flight menu to address the wide range of dietary needs by a growing number of international ANA passengers.
The announcement is timed with ANA’s launch of daily flights to Kuala Lumpur from Tokyo beginning September 1, 2015, as part of efforts to expand its international flight network and welcome more visitors to Japan.
Since January 2014, ANA has partnered with Brahim’s Holdings Berhad (hereafter ‘Brahim’s’), a Malaysia-based company and the world’s largest purveyor of halal cuisine, to provide halal-certified meals aboard ANA flights. Through the partnership ANA Catering Service, which is responsible for all in-flight meals and beverages for the ANA Group, has obtained certification to produce halal cuisine at its facility in Kawasaki, Japan. ANA began serving halal-certified ‘arare’ rice crackers on all international flights earlier this month.
Beginning on July 1, 2015, ANA will begin offering halal-certified Japanese style chicken curry created in collaboration with Brahim’s, as a light meal option. The new menu item will be available on First Class flights between Tokyo and Europe and Singapore, on First Class Tokyo departures to North America, in Business Class travel between Tokyo and Jakarta, as well as the upcoming Tokyo-Kuala Lumpur route, which launches September 1, 2015.
Also on September 1, ANA Business Class and Economy Class passengers will have the choice of organic “Sunpu Aoido Shizuoka Green Tea,” the first green tea in Japan to receive halal certification. On the same day, ANA will also begin serving a high-quality, non-alcoholic sparkling rosé wine in all First Class cabins, which will also be available for a limited time in the Business Class cabin of the upcoming Tokyo-Kuala Lumpur flight, to commemorate the launch of the service. All in-flight meals on Kuala Lumpur departures to Tokyo supplied from Brahim’s will be halal-certified.
