Emirates makes special offerings for passengers observing Ramadan

EMIRATES Airlines has taken a customer-oriented, supportive leap through its exciting range of offerings for its Muslim passengers to ensure a hearty flight during the holy month of Ramadan which kicked off earlier this week, Moneycontrol reported.

The fasting travellers were offered complimentary iftar boxes at the carrier's select boarding gates that contain water, laban (a refreshing yoghurt-based drink), a banana, and dates, to break the fast.

While passengers at the airline's lounges in Dubai International Airport can indulge in authentic Arabic delicacies, including sweets, dates, and coffee, the first and business class lounges made available a carefully curated menu featuring a variety of options including Arabic mixed grill with tahini, chicken kabsa served with dakous and raita, hot and cold Arabic mezze, lentil soup, and even desserts such as kunafa pistachio cream, basboussa saffron, walnut kathayef ashta, and ice cream of various Arabic flavours, the report added.

Dedicated prayer rooms and ablution facilities have also been introduced by Emirates lounges to cater to the spiritual needs of the travellers observing the holy month.

Starting March 11, travellers on specific routes were provided with nutritionally balanced Ramadan meal boxes, available across all cabin classes. The iftar meals, served in custom-designed boxes inspired by the Emirati Al Sadu weavers, showcase traditional Emirati patterns.

The offerings include hummus with spinach, tabbouleh with baba ghanoush, Moroccan or zatar chicken sandwiches, complemented by sweet delights such as almond chocolate and Arabic baklawa. Additionally, staple Ramadan items such as traditional dates and refreshing laban are also included.

Moreover, during Ramadan, special meal boxes were provided on flights serving Umrah groups heading to Jeddah and Medina. Passengers are also allowed to check in one bottle of Islamic holy water 'Zamzam,' containing up to five liters per person, at the airport in Dubai and others in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the report mentioned.

During the flight, Emirates also utilizes a distinctive tool to ensure accurate fasting timings for Muslim passengers. The tool calculates the precise times for imsak (the beginning of fasting) and iftar by considering the aircraft's longitude, latitude, and altitude. Upon sunset, the captain officially notifies passengers of the iftar time, according to the report.