With the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan on March 12, many airlines are now providing special menus and amenities for passengers observing the fast. If you’re planning to travel during this period, find out which airlines have curated unique offerings for you.
Emirates Airlines: At Dubai International Airport’s Emirates lounges, guests can enjoy a delightful array of traditional Arabic treats during Ramadan. From dates and coffee to an assortment of Arabic sweets, the lounges are designed to offer a taste of authentic flavours. For those in First and Business Class, the meals available are hot and cold Arabic mezze, lentil soup, and tantalising main courses like Arabic mixed grill and chicken kabsa (national dish of Saudi Arabia), accompanied by dakous and raita. The desserts range from kunafa (pastry soaked in syrup) to basboussa (syrup-soaked semolina cake) and walnut Qatayef (Arabic pancake) astha (thick cream), complemented by ice cream flavours inspired by Arabic coffee and dates or baklawa. Additionally, the lounges are equipped with dedicated prayer rooms and ablution facilities.
Etihad Airways: At Etihad lounges in Abu Dhabi, New York, Washington DC, and London Heathrow, guests are treated to a selection of traditional Ramadan refreshments including laban, Vimto, karkade, date milk, cucumber refresher, and rose milk.
Travelers breaking their fast before departure can indulge in an Iftar meal at Etihad lounges. Guests can enjoy the diverse flavours of Arabic cuisine from comforting warm harira soup and lobster machboos ravioli to aromatic chicken biryani. The desserts include Vimto cheesecake, rose and pistachio mahalabia (milk pudding), and rangeena (pitted ripe date topped with a toasted flour and ghee mixture).
Iftar Meals Onboard And At The Departure Gate
Etihad Airways: In the premium lodges, guests can savour an array of culinary delights tailored for Ramadan, including lentil soup paired with fried chaami (Emirati cheese), lamb and date meatballs accompanied by fragrant saffron rice and the timeless warm umm ali dessert, a cherished delicacy from Egypt. For a lighter option, an Iftar salad will also be available.
Economy class travellers can look forward to a flavorful experience featuring Arabic mezze, braised lamb served with vermicelli rice, fried onion, and almonds. The delightful Vimto mousse with khabeesa will be served for dessert.
For passengers breaking their fast just before or after landing, Etihad offers convenient Iftar bags containing Laban, water, and dates.
Emirates Airlines: During Iftar time at select Emirates Boarding Gates, fasting customers will receive complimentary Iftar boxes to aid in breaking their fast. These boxes will include essentials such as water, laban, a banana, and dates.
Starting March 11, passengers breaking their fast across all cabin classes on select flights will be treated to special Ramadan meal boxes. These boxes will feature a variety of light bites, including hummus with spinach and Arabic bread, tabbouleh with baba ghanoush, and sandwiches filled with Moroccan or zaatar chicken with pickled garlic mayonnaise. Additionally, passengers can enjoy sweet treats such as almond chocolate or Arabic baklava, cashew nut and pine seed baklava flowers, along with traditional dates and laban.
Emirates’ Iftar meals will be presented in custom-designed boxes inspired by the rich Emirati heritage of the Al Sadu weavers. These Ramadan boxes, crafted by Emirates, will be served alongside the regular hot meal service.
Imsak And Iftar Time Onboard Announcement
Emirates prioritise accuracy for fasting passengers by employing a specialised tool to calculate precise timings for Imsak (the start of fasting) and Iftar during flights. This tool utilises the aircraft’s longitude, latitude, and altitude to determine sunrise and sunset times based on the location the flight is passing. Upon sunset, passengers are formally informed of the Iftar time by the captain.
Ramadan Travel Discounts
This Ramadan, Turkish Airlines is giving a 30 percent discount on flights from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to the United States, Europe, and Türkiye. Book your flights from March 11 to April 9, 2024, and travel during the same period to experience Turkish Airlines’ special Ramadan privileges.
Special Entertainment Programmes Onboard
Etihad Airways’ signature E-BOX entertainment system offers a curated selection of Ramadan programming and religious content, including an audio version of the Holy Quran.
New Ramadan programmes include “Rehlat Haya,” which explores and promotes ways of behaving that lead to happiness and soundness according to an alternate point of view. Guests can also enjoy “Chef Bil Bait,” a cooking show hosted by Al-Halabi, and “El Dunia Ramadan,” showcasing diverse cultural Ramadan celebrations.
Emirates ice features a range of special content, such as “Rehlet Hayat,” “Qawafel Al Samaa,” “Hom Al Omr,” “Fatawa,” and “Al Ayyam Al Khaliya” in Arabic. In Urdu, ice presents “Ramadan Mah e Rehmat,” “Niyamat-E-Ramadan,” “Mahe Ramadan,” as well as “Ramzan Mehfil-E-Zikr” in Hindi. Additionally, passengers can access the Holy Qur’an.
Popular series and dramas available include “Seeb Wa Ana Aseeb,” “Safah Al Giza,” and “El Ghareeb,” along with “AB Talks,” the classic “Darb el Zalag,” and Turkish series dubbed in Arabic like “Ehtiram,” “Behzat,” and “Al Hob Al Ghayr Muktam.”
Emirates Offerings For Passengers On Umrah
Emirates passengers embarking on Umrah journeys will receive special Ramadan boxes during flights bound for Jeddah and Medina throughout the holy month. Additionally, travellers are permitted to check in one bottle of Islamic holy water, ‘Zamzam’, with a capacity of up to 5 litres per person at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and various airports within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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