ABU DHABI // First-class passengers on Etihad Airways flights will soon be able to order organic meals made with locally grown ingredients.
The airline has announced a partnership with Abu Dhabi Organics Farm to supply produce for first- class dining menus, according to Wam, the state news agency.
Passengers will be served meals made using organic eggs, vegetables, honey and more.
The airline eventually plans to offer fresh "farm-to-table" meals for all cabin classes. Chefs working in first class on Etihad flights already serve restaurant-type meals as part of the airline's new Mezoon Grille menu. They will soon start to use the organic ingredients.
No date for the new menus was given.
Abu Dhabi Organics Farm sits on 55 hectares of land about 15 kilometres from Abu Dhabi International Airport, with greenhouses and outdoor fields.
The farm grows pesticide-free vegetables and fruits and raises livestock including camels, cows, chickens and goats.
It became the country's first farm to be internationally certified as organic in 2007. It adheres to the rules for organic production set by Italy's Ethical and Environmental Certification Institute.
The farm's founder, Khalid Al Shamsi, an Emirati, said he was also a member of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.
In addition to salad vegetables such as tomatoes, his farm grows dates, figs and exotic fruits including papayas and pineapples. The farm operates using a drip irrigation system that conserves water.
