KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 ― Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) has received 10 new hi-lift trucks ahead of schedule which will help reinstate hot meal services onboard routes affected by the airline's recent catering transition.

In a statement today, MAB said the arrival of another 10 hi-lift trucks in the coming months, together with proactive steps taken to enhance and fine-tune its pre-packaged meal components during the interim period, will fully restore its full meal service by mid-November this year.

"Since September 11, 2023, MAB has reintroduced simplified hot meals for business class passengers on the Bangkok and Denpasar routes.

"Starting today, economy class passengers travelling to Bangkok and Denpasar, as well as passengers on all cabin class on flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Manila and Hong Kong, will also be served hot meals,” it said.

Meanwhile, the airline said business class passengers heading to all South Asia sectors will additionally enjoy the renowned Malaysia Airlines satay, while other Asean cities will be served hot meals in stages.

"Passengers travelling to other South Asian, North Asian and Australian destinations will continue to receive the simplified hot meals onboard,” it said.

MAB said the hi-lift trucks are an essential part of the overall airline inflight meal process in upholding food quality and safety standards with correct temperatures, preserving the freshness of hot and ambient meals, while maintaining stringent practices throughout the process.

"In the absence of the hi-lifts, MAB temporarily suspended hot meal offerings to ensure food safety is not compromised,” it pointed out.

On September 1, 2023, MAB introduced revised inflight meal offerings on routes previously served by its former catering provider which include its signature peanuts and beverages, refreshments in ready-to-go boxes in disposable containers presented on a simplified tray setup.

"Services on the London, Auckland, Jeddah, Madinah, Osaka and Haneda routes remain unaffected,” it said.

MAB added that it had established a temporary distribution centre in Kuala Lumpur International Airport to manage the assembly of food and beverage items by respective suppliers and the uplifting of meal boxes onboard via hi-lift trucks.

The airline said the centre’s operations were following standards set by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia and endorsed by the local health authorities for its cleanliness, hygiene and environment that meets food safety and hygiene standards.

To recap, the longstanding catering contract between MAB and Brahim’s Food Services (BFS) ended on Aug 31, 2023, after extensive negotiations between the two parties since the fourth quarter of 2022 did not result in an amicable agreement.

"BFS had in early June 2023, served MAB with a notice of service discontinuation effective July 1, 2023, while discussions were still ongoing for a new contract.

"BFS subsequently retracted the notice and agreed to extend service until August 31, 2023,” MAB added. ― Bernama