A Dundee woman says she was left stranded in Malaysia after being thrown off a flight due to her nut allergy – for the second time in five years.
Jade Cosgrove was heading home from Australia, where she had been travelling, on Monday to surprise her parents for the festive season.
The 27-year-old says she boarded a Turkish Airlines flight from Malaysia to Istanbul as part of her journey home.
But she claims she was ejected from the plane minutes before take-off.
Jade, who is at a high risk of an allergic reaction, wears a face mask during flights as part of her protection against airborne nut allergens.
Dundee woman asked to leave flight over nut allergy
But after telling staff about her allergy, she was asked to get off the plane – leaving her stranded at Kuala Lumper Airport.
It is the second time Jade has been refused from a flight due to her allergy – she faced the same problem with a different carrier in 2019.
She told The Courier: “I informed cabin staff about my allergy and asked for an announcement.
“Informing passengers of my condition is not usually an issue.
“However, cabin crew informed me that they could not do this.
“I then asked politely if they could instead inform those passengers immediately around me of my situation but that was refused too.
“Moments later I was asked to leave the flight and escorted back to the airport.”
Jade says the airline told her there were no alternative flights.
She also claims that despite support from the British Embassy, she was also refused flights from several other airlines.
Jade says she eventually found a flight and had to scrape together the last of her savings to cover the cost of travelling with British Airways.
In 2019, Jade was refused from an Air Asia flight to Bali because of her allergy.
The airline later refunded her.
Jade said: “I normally let the airline know of my allergy.
“They will then accommodate me by making an announcement that there is a person on board with an allergy and for people to refrain from eating peanuts.
“They normally also stop serving peanuts while I’m on board and take my seat number.
“I wipe my seat and I always wear a mask and carry my Epipen and emergency medication with me.
“I can’t believe that in 2024, people with allergies still can’t fly.”
Turkish Airlines has not responded to a request for comment.
Turkish Airlines ‘needs to be told about nut allergy 48 hours before flight’
However, the email sent to Jade said: “We are sorry that you were unable to board your flight.
“As Turkish Airlines, we care about your health as much as your security and comfort.
“For our passengers who are allergic to certain foods such as hazelnut and peanut, we have special loading procedures depending on their allergy levels, if we are informed of the situation no later than 48 hours before their flight.
“In our investigation, we have determined that you have not shared your allergy with us 48 hours before your flight but rather you informed our staff at the airport prior to boarding.
“Therefore, according to the rules, you were not allowed on the flight.”
The firm added it would not be able to provide a full refund or any additional expenses.
Conversation