A woman with a severe peanut allergy, Leah Williams, claims she was left with no choice but to purchase all available peanut packets on a Eurowings flight from London to Dusseldorf to prevent them from being served to other passengers.
Her allergy puts her at risk of anaphylactic shock. Williams spent £144 ($184) on 48 peanut packets, nearly three times the cost of her plane ticket, and now seeks a refund.
Williams attempted to inform the cabin crew about her allergy and requested an announcement to prevent passengers from consuming nuts onboard, but was reportedly met with resistance.
She expressed feeling unsupported and compelled to buy the peanuts herself, criticizing Eurowings for their handling of the situation.
The airline countered that they offered to inform nearby passengers about Williams’ allergy and claimed that she initially agreed but later chose to buy all the packets. Eurowings stated that they are unable to ensure the aircraft is entirely nut-free due to passengers bringing their own food.
The incident sparked a debate online, with opinions divided on who is at fault and the level of risk posed by peanut residue. A scientific study by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology suggests that airborne transmission of peanut dust is unlikely to cause significant harm.
