- Author, Vincent McAviney
- Role, BBC London
A freelance BBC weather presenter says she was kicked off a flight from London Gatwick to Turkey after asking passengers not to eat peanuts.
Georgie Palmer, 49, says she and her family were escorted off the SunExpress flight to Dalaman on May 21 after she made the request because of her daughter’s allergies.
Posting on social media, she said the SunExpress crew ignored her requests to make an announcement to all passengers — so she spoke to people around her on the flight instead.
SunExpress said it takes passenger safety seriously, but said the airline is refraining from making announcements like the one Ms. Palmer requested because it “cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment.”
Anaphylactic reaction
Mrs Palmer had boarded the flight with her husband Nick Sollom, 48, and daughters Rosie, 12, and Annie, 14.
She told the BBC that the family asked the crew to make an announcement that no one would consume peanuts due to Rosie’s anaphylactic reaction.
She posted on Instagram: “The SunExpress captain and cabin crew refused to make the standard announcement on our daughter’s behalf.
“We kindly asked the passengers at the front of the plane to share our request.
“Row by row, all the passengers turned around and politely asked the row behind them not to eat nuts during the flight.”
Ms Palmer said she was “calm” and that “no one working on that plane showed the slightest bit of compassion”.
According to the NHS, anaphylaxis can start within minutes of coming into contact with something you are allergic to, such as a food, drug or insect sting.
Symptoms include swelling of the throat and tongue, which can make breathing difficult.
‘Make it crystal clear’
Following her ordeal, Ms Palmer told BBC London she was “shocked” they would not make the announcement and that staff became “very defensive”.
‘My question is that the aviation sector as a whole takes note of this.
“What is your policy regarding nuts? Make that crystal clear on your website.
“Give your passengers the choice to know whether it is safe to fly with you.
“As we know, you can never enforce a completely nut-free environment. Can’t we take a leaf out of the book of restaurants that are going to great lengths to keep people safe these days?”
In a statement, a SunExpress spokeswoman acknowledged that Ms. Palmer had raised concerns about her daughter’s severe peanut allergy and her request for an announcement.
“We refrain from making these types of announcements because, like many other airlines, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment on our flights, nor prevent other passengers from bringing food products containing allergens on board.
“Due to the passenger’s insistence on not consuming nuts with others on board, the captain decided it would be safest for the family not to travel on our flight.
“When this was explained to the passenger, he displayed aggressive behavior towards our crew members and attempted to gain access to the cockpit.
“To ensure the safety of our crew and passengers, we do not tolerate aggressive and unruly behavior on our flights.”
SunExpress acknowledged that the ordeal had been “disturbing” for Ms Palmer and her family, adding that the airline was “undertaking a review of the information provided” during the booking process.
The Turkish-German airline said its website states that all passengers must notify SunExpress 48 hours in advance of any special care required due to a medical condition.
“In this case, no such notification was received from the passengers,” SunExpress added.
Absolute nonsense
Ms Palmer says claims they have become aggressive are “absolute nonsense” and she hopes passengers on the flight will support her.
“It’s just not true,” she said. “There was no aggressive behavior on our part.”
She added that she tried to contact SunExpress in the run-up to the holidays, but found it very difficult to reach anyone at the airline.
She added that her husband did not try to get into the cockpit. She explained that the pilot had spoken to them earlier, but he had closed the cockpit. Mr. Sollom knocked on the door hoping to speak to him again.
The family took an EasyJet flight to the Turkish resort the next day and said the crew made several announcements asking passengers not to open packets of peanuts on board.
However, Ms Palmer said they were forced to spend an extra £5,000 on booking extra flights, an airport hotel and other costs.
Airlines including British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 say cabin crew will make an announcement upon request and will not serve nuts.