Consuming ḥalāl food is crucial for every Muslim. Allah ﷻ commands us in the Quran

فَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللهُ حَلَـٰلًا طَيِّبًا (سورة النحل: ١١٤)
“And eat from what Allah has provided for you, lawful and pure.” (al-Naḥl: 114)

Adhering to ḥalāl consumption is not merely a legal obligation but a spiritual safeguard. What one eats directly affects a person physically and spiritually. Consuming what is ḥarām or doubtful can negatively impact one’s spiritual state and devotion, diminishing the purity of worship.

As for Qatar Airways, their catering operations have gained professional certification from MHCT, a Malaysian-based certifier that seems to adhere to sharʿī slaughter standards. MHCT requires that the animal be slaughtered with a sharp knife by a Muslim, and that the name of Allah ﷻ be invoked at the time of slaughter. Many major certifiers permit mechanical slaughter, which poses an issue;^[1] however, since MHCT does not follow this practice, consuming meat served on Qatar Airways is permissible.^[2]

As for Emirates and Etihad, the UAE’s national ḥalāl standards allow for machine slaughter, and as UAE-based airlines, their sourcing is likely aligned with those standards. Therefore, the chicken served on these airlines should be avoided.^[3]

Other Muslim airlines beyond those mentioned should also be examined, even if they claim to serve only ḥalāl meat, as their definition and standards of ḥalāl may differ from those upheld by others.

Note that the above pertains to food served on these airlines for flights out of their respective countries. For flights departing from other locations, local suppliers are generally used, and their standards and reliability may vary. Hence, especially when departing from non-Muslim countries, passengers may instead request vegetarian meals, which most airlines readily accommodate.

And Allah knows best.

Ml. Abdurrahman Raahat
Student, Darul Iftaa Chicago

Checked and Approved:

Mf. Abrar Mirza
Head Mufti, Darul Iftaa Chicago