A Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 passenger plane arrives at JFK International Airport in New York from Dublin with the Manhattan skyline in the background on February 7, 2024.
Charlie Trivalo | AFP | Getty Images
Delta Airlines The airline on Wednesday pulled some meal options from dozens of international flights after it said it had to divert a flight to New York due to reports of “spoiled” food on an Amsterdam-bound flight.
Delta Air Lines served pasta only in the main cabin on about 75 international flights on Wednesday. It was unclear whether the menu change would continue Thursday.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the Delta team proactively adjusted meal service on multiple international flights on Wednesday, July 3,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.
Delta Air Lines has apologized to customers after tainted food was found in the main cabin of a Detroit-Amsterdam flight.
“This is not the service Delta is known for, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and delay this may cause to our customers,” Delta said.
Ash Docter, Delta’s head of inflight service, said in an email to employees Wednesday that the airline was investigating what caused the problem and “has taken immediate corrective action to prevent it from happening again.”
Delta’s catering provider, Do&Co., did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“As a last line of defense, inspect plates before serving and do not serve food that may be contaminated,” Dhokte wrote, noting that in-flight food safety incidents are “extremely rare.”
The incident occurred during the peak summer travel season when Delta and its competitors are competing for travelers. Such incidents are rare, given that airlines serve thousands of meals a day to their customers, said Henry Hartevelt, a travel consultant and founder of Atmosphere Research Group.
“Delta is taking a cautious approach and we don’t want anyone getting sick on a plane if they have a food phobia,” Harteveldt said. “Eating all the pasta is the safest and smartest choice.”
The airline industry faces another challenge: workers at Gate Gourmet, a major in-flight catering company, are likely to strike. Federal mediators released Gate Gourmet and the union from mediation earlier this week, clearing the way for a possible strike at the end of July.
“Gate Gourmet is available at 19 domestic stations and we are evaluating strategies to minimize disruption to you and our customers should any disruption occur,” Delta Air Lines Docter wrote in a memo to employees Wednesday.
