Airlines’ leftovers are hot bargains

Mumbai: One often hears people complaining about airline food. But, it turns out, outside there is a big market for it.
A fortnight-long investigation carried out by an undercover reporter of Mumbai Mirror has revealed that in-flight food — pickles, pastries, milk, chocolates, toffees, soft drinks — is routinely smuggled out of both domestic and international airports in Mumbai and sold at throw-away prices. Even little things like head phones, sleep masks, kiddy drawing kits and socks that some airlines provide their passengers find their way out into the market.
The reporter visited two of the three godowns in Saki Naka’s Yadav Nagar that are known to sell such ‘chori ka maal’ and bought a bagful of stuff for just Rs 300.
Here is a laundry list of what she got:
• Tropicana (1 litre) — Rs 20 • Real juice (1 litre) — Rs 20 • Fruitfree juice (1 litre) — Rs 20 • Safa juice (1 litre) — Rs 20 • Fresh n squeeze juice (1 litre) Rs 20 • 1-litre carton milk — Rs 20 • Alpenliebe (250 gm) — Rs 30 • Kinley water (1 litre) — Rs 5 • Pair of socks — Rs 25 • Sleep mask — Rs 10 • Two napkins — Rs 3 • 100 jelly toffees — Rs 40 • Mango pickle (100 pieces) — Rs 20 • 5 drawing kits — Rs 50
A back-of-the bill calculation tells us the same stuff in the open market would have cost her not less than Rs 1050.
There was a lot more stuff available — medicines, first-aid kits, electronic items, toys. All smuggled out of commercial airliners.
12/08/07 Rashmi Rajput/Mumbai Mirror

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Categories: General Aviation Aug 2007