Court orders Air Canada nut-free zone

[Ryan N]

Court orders Air Canada nut-free zone
January 9, 2010 - 7:14AM
AFP

Canada's transportation regulator has ordered Air Canada to accommodate passengers with severe nut allergies by seating them in new nut-free zones on aircraft.

"The agency has determined that a buffer zone, including an announcement within that zone, is the appropriate accommodation for persons with disabilities due to their allergy to peanuts or nuts," the Canadian Transportation Agency said in its ruling.

The agency had received two complaints from passengers with nut allergies since 2006.

One of the complainants had hidden in the airplane washroom for 40 minutes while nutty snacks were served to other passengers on a flight from Frankfurt to Toronto.

In another case, a traveller was removed and was rebooked on another flight two-and-a-half hours later in which "all nuts were removed". Other passengers on the second flight were also asked not to bring nuts onboard.

In its ruling, the federal regulator noted the nut allergies in these cases were so extreme that nuts did not have to be ingested. Rather, the mere presence of nuts in the immediate environment was "enough to cause concern".

The three-member panel deemed these allergies to be tantamount to an impairment or disability, which airlines must accommodate.

Air Canada argued it should be up to the passengers to take precautions against exposure to nuts. It does not serve peanuts on flights, but does serve smokehouse almonds, cashews and other snacks which may contain nuts.

"If a passenger is allergic or sensitive to products that may be found in the aircraft cabin, it is the passenger's responsibility to bring the proper medication and to have the proper protection," Air Canada said in its submission.

But allergy specialists said peanut proteins have been found in commercial airline air filters, demonstrating they may become aerosolised in flight and remain suspended in aircraft cabins.

The regulator said creating a nut-free buffer zone is the best solution, and gave Air Canada 30 days to come up with a recommended size of the buffer.

© 2010 AFP

[Owen H]

:mad:

[Robert Zweck]

This problem did not seem to exist 30 years ago, why does it exist now?


In the Adelaide Advertiser a few days ago I noticed a request that no mandarins should be brought into a particular Government Office building, as one of the staff had a severe allergy to them.

I know of small children who are allergic to orange juice.

[Anthony T]

Strange, it seems the nutcases want a nut free zone. :D

I have been flying on commercial airliners for over 40 years, and I have never witnessed anyone drop dead when an airline has offered nuts to passengers.

I quite often take bags of nuts on board long haul flights and will continue doing so, nuts are my cigarette substitute on long flights. :p

Anthony T

[Robert S]

This problem did not seem to exist 30 years ago, why does it exist now?

That's an issue of some debate... you might be interested in this (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1869095,00.html) article on time.com, which touches on that question.

There's also this article in the LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-stein9-2009jan09,0,3149168.column), based on the same source, and this later response (http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-wood15-2009jan15,0,2215559.story).

I loved the packet of peanuts I got on Southwest... it had a warning on it... "Contains Peanuts".

[Raymond Rowe]

Maybe they need to see the nutty professor to get over the allergies.This world is getting madder all the time.As robert said thirty years ago it was no such thing what has bought this on all of a sudden.

[Craig Lindsay]

What happens if the person who is allergic to nuts has to transfer onto another carrier that doesnt do the same as air canada.Who is responsible then?.stupid .If we where going to to do this with every person who was allergic there would be noboby on the plane

[Rhys Xanthis]

My brother is allergic to shellfish.

No crabs/lobster in F/J anymore!!

[Grant Smith]

Rhys,

Not too sure if you're joking (due to the use of '!!' in your post) but I digress, as far as I'm still aware Lobster is still available in F/J on SQ among others..

[Gareth Forwood]

I was on a Virgin Atlantic flight in 2006 where no peanuts were served on the entire flight - there was one passenger who was extremely allergic to nuts and evidently just the presence of nuts nearby was a risk. I don't know what a suitable solution would be, but I agree that having an enforced "nut-free zone" is taking it a bit far. I still think that those with severe allergies should not be precluded from travel, but maybe the responsibility for protecting themselves should be their own.

On that 2006 flight, not a single passenger near me complained or even grumbled about not being able to have peanuts - I think that there are very few people with such extreme allergies, and most airlines would be happy to accomodate their needs for single flights.

[Owen H]

The problem with peanut allergies is that they are often very severe, and airborne peanut dust is sometimes enough to trigger these people into severe reactions.

The problem is... how do you practically manage that as an airline?

Most airlines no longer serve peanuts anyway. They serve cashews or almonds usually. That said... how do you prevent a passenger from bringing their own on board?

I remember coming across one passenger who got on board and quite forcefully told the cabin manager that she had a nut allergy, severe enough that airborne dust could set her off into a severe reaction, and as such we were not allowed to serve any nuts on board the aircraft. The only food loaded for the flight was bags of nuts and a nut slice for afternoon tea. As a crew, what do you do? You've got 240 passengers who've paid to fly on your airline and get afternoon tea, and one passenger demanding that it cannot be served... and we still can't guarantee a nut-free environment in the cabin even if it is not.

I'm not sure how you ever guarantee that nut-free environment, even with a nut free zone allocated. Airlines have already removed the peanuts from the aircraft.

Personally, I'm all for trying to make things as good as possible for people with disabilities or allergies. However, there has to be limits of reasonableness. It is simply not possible to guarantee an allergen free air environment on an aircraft, and to expect the airlines to provide that is rediculous. Unfortunately, its a limitation on the method of travel, and perhaps it should remain that way.

[AdamB]

I can accept that some people have allergies, but boarding the aircraft & demanding no nuts are served is rediculous. Although I don't believe they should be forced to as in the Air Canada case , surely the airlines could set up an allergy disclosure when the flight is booked so they have an adequate period of time to cater for that persons needs without making every other paying customer suffer.

[chrisb]

how do you prevent a passenger from bringing their own on board?

From what I've seen in the media, certain nuts can definitely be seen on the full body scanners they want to introduce ;)

[Robert S]

You've got 240 passengers who've paid to fly on your airline and get afternoon tea, and one passenger demanding that it cannot be served... and we still can't guarantee a nut-free environment in the cabin even if it is not.

I would have thought that if she had not previously come to an agreement about it with reservations, she would be offered the choice of accepting the service would continue as normal (without being offered to her of course) or being offloaded.

[Rhys Xanthis]

Rhys,

Not too sure if you're joking (due to the use of '!!' in your post) but I digress, as far as I'm still aware Lobster is still available in F/J on SQ among others..

Yeah it was a humourous/sarcastic remark

I always forget sarcasm does not usually translate well on the net.

[Andrew M]

Maybe they need to see the nutty professor to get over the allergies.This world is getting madder all the time.As robert said thirty years ago it was no such thing what has bought this on all of a sudden.

:D