Korean Air, the largest airline in South Korea, recently announced that it will no longer provide instant noodles in the economy class on long-haul flights starting from August 15. However, instant noodles will continue to be served in the business class and first class to passengers. The decision aims to reduce the risk of flight attendants or passengers getting scalded by hot water used for preparing instant noodles due to turbulence.
According to a press release from Korean Air, incidents of passengers being scalded by hot water when flight attendants serve instant noodles in the crowded economy class are not uncommon.
The press release stated, “In the economy class, flight attendants have to move several cups of hot water filled with instant noodles at once while passengers are crowded together, which poses a high risk of scalding.”
The airline mentioned that this initiative is in response to the increasing incidents of turbulence accidents. It is part of preventive measures to avoid scalding incidents. According to the airline’s data, turbulence incidents in 2024 have doubled compared to 2019.
The press release added, “To enhance passenger satisfaction and diversify snack options, a self-service snack bar has been introduced on long-haul flights. We are committed to ensuring passenger safety and selecting snacks based on passenger preferences on each route.”
These snacks include sandwiches, corn dogs, pizzas, and Hot Pockets brand pastries.
As reported by South Korea’s “Chosun Ilbo,” Korean Air has been providing Shin Ramyun instant noodles produced by Nongshim Company to economy class passengers on flights lasting over 6 hours based on passenger requests. Business class and first-class passengers, on the other hand, can enjoy freshly cooked noodles in bowls.
Korean Air explained that providing instant noodles in the economy class increases the risk of scalding for flight attendants, noodle eaters, and neighboring passengers, leading to the decision to discontinue serving instant noodles in the economy class while business class and first-class passengers can still enjoy them.
In 2022, Professor Paul Williams, an atmospheric science professor at the University of Reading in the UK, told the travel channel of CNN, predicting that turbulence events may double or triple in the coming years based on industry models.
Williams stated, “You typically encounter 10 minutes of turbulence on transatlantic flights. I think in decades, this could increase to 20 minutes or half an hour.”
In some cases, pilots may instruct flight attendants to stop serving hot food or drinks during turbulence to prevent scalding incidents.
In May of this year, a flight of Singapore Airlines encountered severe turbulence while flying over Myanmar, forcing an emergency landing in Bangkok, Thailand. This incident resulted in one fatality and 71 injuries.
According to previous reports by The Epoch Times, the turbulence experienced by the Singapore Airlines flight was clear-air turbulence, a severe type of turbulence that can occur suddenly without warning.
Sometimes, people are hit by flying items such as laptops during turbulence incidents. In a case of clear-air turbulence, flight attendants, carts, and passengers were suddenly thrown into the air, hitting the cabin ceiling before crashing back to the floor, resulting in injuries such as fractures, dislocated shoulders, and broken teeth.
However, Associate Professor Hassan Vally of Deakin University in Australia mentioned that incidents like the one experienced by the Singapore Airlines flight are very rare and less common than other types of accidents causing injuries and fatalities.