The Halal Approval Global strengthens airline catering through certification
Adnan Hasan, Regional Manager – USA, Canada and Mexico at THA (left) with PAX International Managing Editor Jane Hobson
For airlines, suppliers and caterers, delivering halal meals is more than meeting a dietary requirement. It is about ensuring authenticity, transparency and confidence for the passenger. The Halal Approval Global (THA) is stepping into this space as an international certification body that certifies per halal standards across regions and provides assurance at every level of the supply chain.
THA certification meets international halal standards, with the goal of offering a unified halal certification system that consolidates the requirements of multiple countries and provides consistency for airline caterers and producers. The organization is headquartered in Abu Dhabi with offices in 20 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and several countries across South America, Asia and Africa.
“We are calling for halal and food safety globally,” Adnan Hasan, Regional Manager – USA, Canada and Mexico at THA, tells PAX International in a September interview. “We are accredited against the international standards, which means our certificate conforms to the international requirements. And the countries that are adapting those accreditations and certifications have confidence in us.”
Certification across borders
Countries commonly have their own accreditation systems, such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia including the Gulf Cooperation Council, Malaysia, Indonesia, Tunisia and Turkey, Hasan explains. THA is working to comply with all of them, creating a streamlined path for suppliers to export products and for airlines to source meals that meet expectations in diverse markets.
The certification process begins with an assessment and audit at the production site. Hasan explains that THA ensures meat comes from permissible animals such as cow, camel, sheep, goat, lamb, ostrich, chicken and turkey, that it is slaughtered with the name of God invoked and the meals are made of the same halal meat. All meals and beverages are free of alcohol and other prohibited toxin substances.
“We are the ones who authorize and issue the certificate,” he says. After certification, THA shares the information with government authorities to enable companies to export.
Ongoing monitoring is a key part of the service.
“When they produce, we send a supervisor there to monitor their processing,” Hasan says. A report is prepared, submitted and THA issues the export certificate, which is required for shipments leaving countries. Companies commit to a three-year partnership that includes audits, site visits and certification renewals.
For airlines, the value is clear: assurance that passengers can trust what they eat onboard.
Hasan notes, “When a Muslim person travels to a different country, an international destination, they need to have confidence that the meal is halal. These kinds of certifications give confidence to the passenger, the end consumer, that this product is not just claiming to be halal but that it has actually undergone the whole procedure of halal certification.”
Self-declared versus authority accreditation
Logos play an essential role in the certification. There are two kinds of halal logos for products: Self-declared and accredited.
“The self-declared logo is a common practice, but does not have traceability and credibility. It is not associated with any authority, which is misleading and dangerous too. We discourage people from purchasing these products,” Hasan says.
By contrast, THA logos carry a traceable reference number that consumers can verify through government website. “This is a very important aspect, and we invest in this part of our process each year,” he explains.
For airlines and caterers, offering meals backed by traceable halal certification can build trust and loyalty.
“It relieves passengers from worrying about what they will eat or avoiding certain meals,” Hasan says. This assurance is particularly vital on long-haul flights where choice is limited.
With unifying global standards, engaging directly with government authorities and prioritizing transparency, THA positions itself as more than a certifier. It is a partner that supports suppliers, catering companies and airlines while giving passengers the confidence that dietary and religious requirements are respected and upheld. For an industry that thrives on trust and consistency, that certification is more than a seal—it is a bridge connecting every part of the inflight experience.
Adnan Hasan, Regional Manager – USA, Canada and Mexico at THA (left) with PAX International Publisher Aijaz Khan
