AirAsia Santan Partners with Rightway to Launch Innovative Eco-Friendly Tableware for Aviation

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In April 2025, Santan, the catering brand under AirAsia, announced a comprehensive shift to compostable and biodegradable materials, launching its "Eco-Friendly Inflight Dining" aviation meal packaging. This includes PLA-coated paper cups, lids, and utensils, replacing traditional plastic products. This environmentally friendly initiative was developed in collaboration with materials technology company Rightway New Material. Their PLA products are made from  renewable raw materials  such as corn and cassava, with a decomposition rate of over 90%  under industrial composting conditions—far exceeding the centuries-long degradation cycle of conventional plastics.


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Santan’s PLA-coated paper cups utilize Home-compostable Coating Technology , jointly developed by Rightway and Xin Xing Environmental, which has received international certification.

Catherine Goh, CEO of Santan, stated: "We are committed to making every flight an opportunity to practice sustainability. This strategic transformation is of great significance in addressing the issue of plastic pollution in the aviation industry." The solution has already been implemented on flights in Malaysia and Thailand and will gradually expand to all seven airlines under the AirAsia Group. It is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 500 tons annually .

In the future, the two parties are likely to deepen cooperation in more food packaging areas, such as malatang packaging, jointly exploring new possibilities for sustainable aviation catering.