Flight Attendant Asked Passengers Not to Eat Peanuts... Weather Caster Ejected from Plane

BBC Weathercaster George Palmer
"Please do not eat peanuts as my daughter has a peanut allergy"
Airline says "Disorderly behavior will not be tolerated"

Sun Express Photo [Photo by Sun Express]

A weathercaster from the UK's public broadcaster BBC was kicked off a plane by the captain after requesting passengers not to eat peanuts due to his daughter's allergy. On the 26th (local time), the British Daily Mail reported the story of BBC weathercaster George Palmer (49), who was kicked off a 'SunExpress' flight from London Gatwick Airport to Dalaman, T?rkiye, along with his husband Nick Solom (48) and daughters Annie (14) and Rosie (12).

The Palmer family politely asked nearby passengers not to eat peanuts because Rosie has a peanut allergy, and the passengers complied. However, according to Palmer, the captain found out about this, became angry, and kicked the family off the plane before takeoff.

Palmer said, "The treatment we received was disgusting," adding, "The captain shouted from the cockpit when he realized I had spoken to other passengers. He was very angry and ordered us to get off the plane." He continued, "All the passengers on the plane were wonderful, but none of the staff working on that plane showed any sympathy." He lamented, "Even if Rosie did not have direct contact with peanuts, if someone was eating peanuts on the plane, Rosie could have died."

Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, co-founder of the UK food allergy charity Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, which learned of the incident, said, "airlines need to rethink how they communicate with customers who have food allergies and clarify their policies." He emphasized, "Airlines must take measures to ensure that everyone, including those with food allergies, can travel safely."

The Palmer family, who were kicked off the plane, incurred an additional ?5,000 (about 8.7 million KRW) in extra flight bookings, airport hotel stays, and other expenses. Palmer said, "We don't always travel far," adding, "Sometimes we fly once a year, and we have never had problems with other airlines."

[Image source=Pixabay]

Regarding the controversy, SunExpress stated, "One of the passengers in the family has a severe peanut allergy, so they requested an announcement to other passengers." They added, "We cannot guarantee an environment free of allergens on board, nor can we prevent other passengers from bringing allergen-containing foods," and stated, "Such announcements should be avoided."

They also said, "The passenger insisted that others on board should not consume peanuts, and the captain judged that it was safer for this family not to board the flight." They explained, "When this was explained, the passenger showed aggressive behavior toward the crew and attempted to approach the cockpit, and such aggressive and disorderly behavior could not be tolerated to ensure the safety of the crew and passengers."

Local netizens who heard the story reacted with comments such as, "If you were worried about your daughter’s allergy, it would have been better to take another mode of transportation or not travel at all," "I think the captain’s decision was correct," "Other passengers have the right to eat peanuts, so why tell people not to eat them?" and "Why should everyone accommodate one person? If the allergy is that severe, don’t fly."