Qantas under fire for pork-free menu

 Qantas Airways has received a torrent of social media backlash for its decision not to serve food containing pork or alcohol on its flights through Dubai.

The carrier’s Facebook page has been littered with malevolent comments, referring to the airline as ‘Al-Qantas’ and ‘the flying Mosque-a-roo’.

Despite the negative feedback, the Australian airline stands by its decision; which was allegedly made out of respect for Islamic beliefs, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

“Our in-flight catering reflects the cultural and regional influences of the international destinations that we fly to,” a Qantas spokesperson said.

“The feedback from customers on-board has been fantastic… we do have a good reputation for the quality of our food, compared with other international airlines.”

Qantas and Emirates recently gained full approval for their new 5-year partnership.

In related news, Qantas has opened its new Singapore Lounge, designed to improve the carrier’s Asia services.

Qantas has enhanced capacity, provided more frequencies and improved connections from Singapore to other destinations across Asia, reflecting the airline’s strategy of “growing with Asia”.

“This multi-million dollar investment is part of our broader commitment to improve the experience we offer on services to and from Asia, including our A330 upgrades to begin next year,” Qantas International chief executive Simon Hickey said.

Qantas worked with consulting chef Neil Perry to design menus for the new lounge, with dishes inspired by regional cuisine and flavours.

The new Singapore Lounge seats 460 guests, has 20 showers, 80-inch television screens and technology pods located across various zones.

Sourced: etravelblackboard