Japan Airlines (JAL) is reportedly offering passengers the option to skip its in-flight meal service in order to reduce food waste.
The option to select ‘no meal’ is available to passengers in all classes and is offered in an alert during the booking process.
Although the fare is not reduced, JAL donates savings to school meal programmes in developing countries.
The move is part of the airline’s Ethical Choice Meal Skip option which it has been trailing on selected routes since 2022.
According IATA, airline food waste reaches almost six million tons each year, with the average passenger generating 1.43kg of cabin waste per flight. Around 20% of this is completely untouched food and drink – a problem many airlines are tackling.