Spring Airlines, the first privately owned budget air service provider in China, announced that most of its travel differential program has been approved by the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC). This means, from now on, that passengers really have no lunch on Spring Airlines' flights.

CAAC says there are no laws or legal principles that can coerce airline companies to provide free food on board, so it is up to the airline companies themselves to decide what kind of service to offer. But CAAC suggested that airlines companies take into consideration not only their own interest, but also that of their paying customers.

Spring Airlines' travel differential program was composed of standards and options that the airline wanted to use to cut costs and provide its customers with a comfortable flight. It is unclear what parts of the program CAAC dismissed, but the elimination of onboard food was one that CAAC has allowed Spring to remain in place.