In a bid to secure more travellers from Arab countries, Malaysia Airlines is hoping to boost its Middle Eastern in-flight menu.

The airline’s in-flight caterer, LSG Sky Chefs Brahim, recently held a Middle Eastern food tasting session for elite cusomters under its “Friends of MH” programme, according to Bernama.

The aim of the gathering was to collect opinion on the menu. Top guest chefs such as Lebanon’s Chef Pierre El-Kossaifi and Britain’s Chef Oscar Villegas were among the experts who helped develop the menu.

Among the crucial conditions imposed on all the food was that it adhered to halal standards. “Our passengers from the Middle East can travel with peace of mind on Malaysia Airlines because we ensure that all food products used in in-flight catering are set along the halal benchmark,” said Malaysian Airlines Director of Operations, Captain Mohamed Azharuddin Osman.

“This initiative is aimed at meeting our customers’ expectations through a stronger focus on route specific needs. For this particular route, the aim was to improve the authenticity of Middle Eastern cuisine served onboard.

“The Middle East market is a key market for Malaysia Airlines especially in the leisure, student traffic and medical tourism segments.”

Dishers served include Baby Lambshank, Chicken Kabli, Arabic Lamb Biryani and Fish Sayadieh.

The airline operates regular flights from its capital Kuala Lumpur, independently and through code share, to Dubai, Istanbul, Beirut, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Bahrain and Doha.