Airline Kicks off TV Weather Presenter's Family Over Peanut Allergy: Georgie Palmer Speaks Out

Palmer and her family asked passengers on the flight to avoid eating peanuts.

By Ashley Turner

A freelance meteorologist for the BBC alleges she and her family were removed from a flight departing London Gatwick en route to Turkey after requesting that passengers stop consuming peanuts due to her daughter's severe allergy. Georgie Palmer, 49, claims she and her family were escorted off the SunExpress aircraft bound for Dalaman on May 21 after petitioning the crew to make an announcement to all travelers regarding her 12-year-old daughter Rosie's anaphylactic vulnerability to peanuts, BBC reports.

Taking to social media, Palmer detailed how the SunExpress staff disregarded her pleas to broadcast such a message – prompting her to personally urge her fellow passengers nearby to refrain from eating legumes. SunExpress affirmed its commitment to passenger safety in a statement but cited its policy of refraining from such announcements, as it "cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment."

Palmer had boarded the aircraft accompanied by her spouse Nick Sollom, 48, and daughters Rosie and Annie, 14. She informed the BBC that the family had requested the crew broadcast a message urging passengers to abstain from peanut consumption due to Rosie's potential for an anaphylactic reaction.

"The SunExpress captain and cabin crew refused to make the standard announcement on behalf of our daughter," Palmer recounted on Instagram, per the BBC. "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."

Palmer insisted she remained "calm" throughout the ordeal, asserting that "nobody working on that plane showed one ounce of compassion." Anaphylaxis, according to the NHS, can manifest within minutes of exposure to an allergen, such as food, medication, or insect stings, and potentially cause life-threatening swelling of the throat and tongue, obstructing respiration.

Recounting the incident, Palmer expressed her "horror" to BBC London at the crew's refusal to make an announcement and their "defensive" stance. "My ask is for the airline industry as a whole to take notice of this. What are your policies about nuts – make that crystal clear on your website. Allow your passengers the choice to know whether it is safe to fly with you," she said. "As we know you can never enforce an entirely nut-free environment – can we not take a leaf out of the book of restaurants who go to great efforts these days to protect people?"

Palmer also spoke about what happened on Good Morning Britain, saying there needs to be "more clarity regarding policies about allergies in the airline industry." A SunExpress spokeswoman acknowledged Palmer's concern regarding her daughter's severe peanut allergy and request for an announcement but reiterated the airline's policy against such declarations, citing an inability to guarantee an allergen-free environment or prevent passengers from bringing allergen-containing foods on board.

"Due to the insistent behavior of the passenger to others on board that they should not consume nuts, the captain decided it would be safest if the family did not travel on our flight," the statement read, alleging that when informed of this decision, "the passenger exhibited aggressive behaviour towards our crew members, and tried to gain access to the cockpit."

"To ensure the safety of our crew and passengers, we don't tolerate aggressive and unruly behavior on our flights," SunExpress added. The airline acknowledged the "upsetting" ordeal and pledged to review the information provided during the booking process. It noted that its website mandates notifying the carrier 48 hours in advance of any special medical accommodations—a stipulation Palmer allegedly did not meet.

Related:

Palmer vehemently refuted claims of hostility, deeming them "absolute nonsense" and expressing confidence that fellow passengers would corroborate her account of events, according to the BBC. She stressed that her husband did not attempt cockpit entry but merely sought to re-engage the pilot after a prior discussion.

Ultimately, the family secured an EasyJet flight to their Turkish vacation destination the following day. The crew repeatedly requested passengers refrain from opening peanut packets, a gesture Palmer said cost them an additional £5,000 in supplementary flights, accommodation, and associated expenses. While major carriers like British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair, and Jet2 stipulate they will make such announcements upon request and abstain from serving nuts, the incident has sparked dialogue surrounding airline policies and protections for those with severe food allergies.

Trending Now: