Korean Air Will No Longer Serve Cup Noodles to Economy Passengers Because of Turbulence
Turbulence concerns have prompted South Korea’s biggest airline to drop its popular snack.
Turbulence has taken lives, caused injuries, and cost airlines lots of money. Now it’s responsible for economy passengers on Korean Air losing cup noodles.
Read More: What to Know About Severe Turbulence That’s Wreaking Havoc on Flights Around the World
Starting Aug. 15, South Korea’s flag carrier will cease its popular practice of serving instant ramen on request during long-haul economy flights to the Americas, Europe, Oceania, and the Middle East, the airline announced on its website Thursday.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]In a statement to TIME, a spokesperson for Korean Air confirmed it has “renewed its in-flight snack service” and will “offer a variety of snacks such as sandwiches, corn dogs, and hot pockets” instead.
“This decision is part of proactive safety measures in response to increased turbulence, aimed at preventing burn accidents,” the spokesperson said.
Turbulence, while rarely causing in-flight injuries, can have varying effects on flights depending on intensity, ranging from a bumpy ride to structural damage on the plane. But rising global temperatures due to climate change have been linked to worse turbulence.
This year, several severe turbulence-related incidents have made headlines, including a Singapore Airlines flight in May that left one dead and dozens hospitalized and an Air Europa flight in early July that was forced to make an emergency landing in Brazil because dozens were injured, including some who had been flung from their seats.
Increasing turbulence has since pushed some airlines to make changes to their inflight policies. Singapore Air tightened its seatbelt rules and suspended meal services while the seatbelt sign is on, in response to the incident in May. And on top of taking away instant noodles, Korean Air announced in July that it would end cabin services 20 minutes earlier than usual to reduce the risk of safety incidents.