Airlines to decide passengers' meal service: regulator

An airline stewardess distributes food on a passenger plane. (File photo/China News Service)

(ECNS) -- It will be up to airlines to decide the meal service offered to passengers on flights, Gu Xiaohong, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China's general affairs department, said at a press conference Monday.

China is amending a regulation of domestic passenger baggage transportation and plans to delete a provision on meal service from the current version.

Gu said the move aims to help airlines make their own decisions over in-flight meal services depending on different fares, flight times and markets. Meanwhile, passengers will also have the freedom to choose their flights based on food service preferences.

On short-haul routes it can be difficult for flight attendants to provide meals for passengers within a limited time, Gu said, adding that some airlines have cancelled or simplified meal services to ensure the safety of passengers and crew members.