Delta Airlines canceled some meals on dozens of international flights on Wednesday, hours after the airline said reports of “spoiled” food on a flight to Amsterdam had forced the plane to divert to New York.
Delta served only pasta within the fundamental cabin on about 75 international flights on Wednesday. It was unclear whether the menu changes would proceed on Thursday.
“Out of an abundance of caution, Delta teams proactively adjusted our in-flight meal service on a number of international flights on Wednesday, July 3,” a Delta spokeswoman said in an announcement to CNBC.
Delta apologized to customers for reports of spoiled food within the fundamental cabin on its flight from Detroit to Amsterdam.
“This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delays to their travels,” Delta said.
In an email to employees on Wednesday, Ash Dhokte, Delta's head of in-flight services, said the airline was investigating what went incorrect and that “immediate corrective actions have been taken to prevent a recurrence.”
Do&Co., a Delta caterer, didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
“As our last line of defense, please inspect the dish before serving it and do not serve food that may be contaminated,” Dhokte wrote, noting that food safety incidents on board are “extremely rare.”
The incident occurred within the midst of the summer peak season, when Delta and its competitors compete for travelers. Airlines serve 1000’s of meals to customers day by day, and such incidents are rare, said Henry Harteveldt, a travel consultant and founding father of Atmosphere Research Group.
“Delta is being cautious. If there is a food crisis, you don't want anyone getting sick on the plane,” Harteveldt said. “Eating only pasta is the safest and smartest option.”
The airline industry faces one other challenge: a possible strike by employees at major in-flight catering company Gate Gourmet. Federal mediators released Gate Gourmet and its unions from mediation earlier this week, paving the way in which for a possible strike in late July.
“Gate Gourmet supplies us at 19 domestic stations and we are reviewing strategies to limit disruption to you and our customers should an interruption occur,” Delta's Dhokte said in a staff memo on Wednesday.
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