Korean Air, Delta apologize for ejecting brothers from plane over peanut allergy

Korean Air's Boeing 737-900ER. Courtesy of Korean Air

By Kim Hyun-bin

Korean Air and Delta Air Lines are under fire for forcing two teenage brothers from a flight because one is allergic to peanuts, and leaving the two stranded at Incheon International Airport.

According to Korean Air and U.S. news reports, the brothers, aged 15 and 16 ― the sons of Rakesh and Prajakta Patel, flew Delta from Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Incheon and were scheduled to transfer to a Korean Air flight to Manila on March 17.

One brother has a potentially deadly peanut allergy and is not allowed to be near the product. At the gate for the flight to Manila, the brothers were told peanuts would be served during the flight and were allegedly told either to take the flight or not to board.

They chose to board the plane, but a few moments later they were forced off. The gate agent came on to the plane and told them to get off, even pulling one of the boys by the shirt “to encourage him to move” off the aircraft, their mother told local media.

The boys were stranded at Incheon until they found a flight back to Atlanta.

Korean Air and Delta apologized for the incident.

“We're sorry for this family's ordeal, and we are working with our partner Korean Air to examine the processes surrounding this incident," Delta said in a statement.

"Korean Air is aware that peanut and food allergies are an industry issue and no airline can guarantee a food allergy-free environment. But we are reviewing ways to deal with this issue in a safe and feasible way,” Korean Air's U.S. office said in a statement.

But the boys' mother filed a complaint with Delta and is reportedly seeking a refund, claiming she had warned the carrier about her elder son's allergy.

Following the incident, Korean Air said it would no longer offer peanuts on flights.

“We will be serving crackers and other snacks instead,” a spokesperson said.”