A BBC star was kicked off a flight after asking passengers not to eat peanuts because of her daughter’s peanut allergies, with the act leaving the pilot infuriated.
British weather presenter Georgie Palmer together with her husband Nick Sollom and their two kids Rosie and Annie were asked to get off a SunExpress flight from London Gatwick to Dalaman in Turkey on Tuesday.
The popular TV personality shared a lengthy Instagram post slamming the Turkish-German airline for not only kicking her family off the flight, but for refusing to make a standard announcement asking passengers not to eat peanuts.
The 49-year-old explained that she instead had to ask passengers not to eat peanuts, adding that they were happy to do.
But the flight’s captain allegedly demanded the family leave before he took off.
“I thanked the beautiful souls on our plane for helping us,” she said in the Instagram post, according to The Sun.
“Many of them hugged, cheered and held our hands as we were forced to disembark.
“The SunExpress captain and cabin crew refused to make the standard announcement on behalf of our daughter.
“We gently asked the passengers at the front of the plane to share our request.
“Row by row, all the passengers turned back to kindly ask the row behind to please not eat nuts on the flight.
“It was calm, earnest and with an overwhelming sense of solidarity and empathy.”
Georgie added: “There’s no beef with simple asks like these. People get it!
“We were hoofed off the plane after the angry little captain shouted at us from the cockpit.”
She said they were discriminated against for “simply having an allergy”.
According to The Sun, the family booked into an airport hotel and took an easyJet flight to Dalaman the next day – costing them an extra $6,385.
Georgie told the Daily Mail: “The captain decided because of my daughter’s allergy he didn’t want to fly with her on board.
“When he found out I had spoken to the other passengers he was screaming at me from the cockpit.
“He was so angry, the next thing I knew we were told to get off the plane.
“How we were treated was disgusting – nobody working on that plane showed one ounce of compassion.”
A SunExpress spokesman said: “We take the safety of our passengers very seriously.
“Shortly after boarding our flight, the passenger raised a concern about one of his family group having a serious peanut allergy.
“They requested an announcement to other passengers. We refrain from making these kinds of announcements.
“Like many other airlines, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment on our flights.
“Nor can we prevent other passengers from bringing food items containing allergens on board.
“Due to the insistent behaviour of the passenger to others on board, the captain decided it would be safest if the family did not travel.
“When this was explained to the passenger, he behaved aggressively towards our crew members and tried to gain access to the cockpit.
“To ensure the safety of our crew and our passengers on board, we cannot tolerate aggressive and unruly behaviour on our flights.
“Our website states that passengers must notify us 48 hours in advance of any special care required due to a medical condition.
“No such notification was received from the passengers in this instance.”
The spokesman added: “However, we are fully aware that this was an upsetting situation for the family.
“We are taking the incident as an opportunity to conduct a review of the information provided during our booking process.
“This will ensure more effective solutions for passengers with allergies.”
According to The Sun, Sollom denies acting aggressively.
Many have taken to social media to weigh in on the debacle, with plenty of users siding with the pilot.
“The pilot is a national treasure,” one person wrote.
“As they should have been,” a second wrote, referring to the family getting kicked off.
“Would have booted them off as well,” another agreed.
A fourth wrote: “I think this story would be found under Self Entitlement in the dictionary.”
– with The Sun
Barbara Terrio is a seasoned business journalist, delving into the world of finance, startups, and entrepreneurship. With a knack for demystifying complex economic trends, she helps readers navigate the business landscape. Outside of her reporting, Barbara is an advocate for financial literacy and enjoys mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs.
