Delta Serves Only Pasta After Spoiled Food Forces Flight Diversion

Delta Air Lines is serving only pasta to thousands of international travelers after a flight was forced to divert due to spoiled food. This precautionary measure aims to prevent similar incidents and ensure passenger safety. The decision highlights the airline's response to the food spoilage issue and its commitment to maintaining quality standards for in-flight meals.

Delta announced it was serving only pasta in the main cabin on around 75 international flights on Wednesday after some 'spoiled' meals forced an Amsterdam-bound flight to divert earlier this week. This incident happened during a period of record air travel.

Boston Brand Media brings you the latest news - Delta Air Lines removed some meal options from dozens of international flights on Wednesday, hours after reports of "spoiled" food on an Amsterdam-bound flight forced the plane to divert to New York.

According to an airline spokeswoman, Delta served only pasta in the main cabin on about 75 international flights on Wednesday and a similar number on Thursday.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Delta teams have proactively adjusted our in-flight meal service on a number of international flights,” the spokeswoman said in a statement to CNBC on Wednesday.

Delta apologized to customers for the report of spoiled food in the main cabin on the Detroit-to-Amsterdam flight.

“This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels,” Delta stated.

In an email to staff on Wednesday, Ash Dhokte, who leads onboard service at Delta, mentioned that the airline is investigating the issue and has “implemented immediate corrective actions to avoid recurrence.”

Do&Co., a Delta caterer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“As our last line of defense, please examine the dish before serving it and do not serve any food that may have a contaminant,” Dhokte wrote, noting that onboard food safety incidents are “extremely rare.”

Boston Brand Media also found that, the incident occurred during the peak summer travel season when Delta and its rivals are competing for travelers. Airlines serve thousands of meals daily, and such incidents are rare, said Henry Harteveldt, a travel consultant and founder of Atmosphere Research Group.

“Delta is taking prudent action. When you have a food scare, you don’t want anyone getting sick on a plane,” said Harteveldt. “Going to all pasta is the safest and smartest option.”

The airline industry faces another challenge: a possible strike by workers at major inflight caterer Gate Gourmet. Federal mediators released Gate Gourmet and its unions from mediation earlier this week, paving the way for a potential strike at the end of July.

“Gate Gourmet caters for us at 19 domestic stations, and we are reviewing strategies to limit disruptions for you and our customers should an interruption occur,” Delta’s Dhokte said in the staff note Wednesday.

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Source: CNBC‍