- 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 a SunExpress flight to Dalaman on May 21 after making a claim because of her daughter’s allergies.
She said on social media that the SunExpress crew ignored her requests to notify all passengers – so she instead spoke to people around her during the flight.
SunExpress said it took passenger safety seriously but said the airline would refrain from making an announcement as requested by Ms Palmer because it “cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment”.
Anaphylactic reaction
Mrs Palmer boarded the plane with her husband Nick Sollom, 48, and daughters Rosie, 12, and Annie, 14.
She told the BBC that the family had asked the crew to announce that no one would be consuming peanuts because of Rosie’s anaphylactic reaction.
She wrote on Instagram: “The SunExpress captain and cabin crew refused to make the standard announcement on behalf of our daughter.
“We gently asked passengers at the front of the plane to share our request.
“Row by row, all passengers turned to kindly ask the row behind them not to eat nuts during the flight.”
Ms Palmer said she was “calm” and that “nobody working on this plane showed an ounce of compassion”.
According to the NHS, anaphylaxis can start within minutes of coming into contact with something you’re allergic to, such as a food, medicine or insect sting.
Symptoms include swelling of the throat and tongue, which can make breathing difficult.
‘Make it crystal clear’
Ms Palmer told BBC London after her ordeal that she was “horrified” that she would not make the announcement and that staff were “very defensive”.
“My request is that the aviation industry as a whole takes note of this.
“What is your nut policy – make it crystal clear on your website.
“Give your passengers a choice so they know it’s 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 making great efforts to protect people these days?”
A SunExpress spokeswoman acknowledged in a statement that Mrs Palmer had raised concerns about her daughter’s severe peanut allergy and her request to be notified.
“We refrain from such announcements because, like many other airlines, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment on our flights or prevent other passengers from bringing food containing allergens on board.
“Due to the passenger’s insistence to others on board that they should not consume nuts, 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 the ordeal for Ms Palmer and her family had been “upsetting” and added that the airline was “checking 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 hopes passengers on the flight will support her.
“That’s just not true,” she said. “There was no aggressive behavior on our part.
She added that she tried to contact SunExpress before the holiday but it was very difficult to get hold of anyone from the airline.
She added that her husband did not try to get into the cockpit. She explained that the pilot had spoken to them before, but if he closed the cockpit. Mr. Sollom knocked on the door, hoping to speak to him again.
The family ended up on an EasyJet flight to a Turkish holiday resort the next day and said the crew made several announcements asking passengers not to open packets of peanuts on board.
But Ms Palmer said they were forced to spend an extra £5,000 booking extra flights, an airport hotel and other costs.
Airlines including British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 say that if requested, cabin crew will make an announcement and not serve nuts.