MANILA -- To protect passengers who are allergic to peanuts, South Korean flag carrier Korean Air (KE) has stopped serving nuts and will soon remove food containing peanut ingredients in its in-flight meals, an airline executive told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Monday.
Jill Chung, deputy general manager of KE's Corporate Communications, said the decision came after two passengers were recently offloaded due to peanut allergy.
"We have stopped serving peanuts since March 25, right after the incident happened. Within a few weeks (from now), we will also remove foods containing peanut ingredients," she said.
The KE executive said two boys from Atlanta were supposedly bound for the Philippines via Incheon in Seoul. They were offloaded from the Incheon-Manila flight because of peanut allergy.
"They took a Delta flight on their way to Seoul," she said. Delta Air Lines is a joint venture partner of KE.
The airline has already replaced peanuts with other snacks like crackers.
According to KE, allergy to peanut is among the emerging issues in the aviation industry. A number of global carriers have also stopped offering peanut products, it added. (PNA)
