Korean Air won’t serve instant noodles to economy-class passengers, give it in business and first-class only; here’s why

Starting August 15, Korean Air will stop serving instant noodles to economy-class passengers. The airline cited increased turbulence risk, narrow aisles and close seating as reasons for frequent burn incidents. However, business and first-class passengers will still be served the noodles.

According to the airline, the snack, a long-time passenger favourite, is known for being available for free upon request. However, turbulence incidents have doubled since 2019. In economy class, where several cups of noodles are served at once, the risk of burns is higher due to the crowded seating arrangement, the airline says.

"This decision is part of proactive safety measures in response to increased turbulence, aimed at preventing burn accidents," Reuters quoted a statement from Korean Air.

The carrier explained that business and first-class snacks are served individually to passengers to minimise spillage during turbulence. The Korean airline earlier offered free noodles on long routes, the BBC reported.

However, these will now be replaced with sandwiches, corn dogs, pizza and "Hot Pockets". This change sparked discussion on social media. Some users felt relieved while others noted that the airline still serves items that could cause burns.

Korean Air earlier shared that it would serve wine thousands of feet above the sea level.

“Wine, wine, and then dine at 30,000 ft with #KoreanAir! Travel through our wine list from France to Spain to Australia, and pick your favorite player for the flight. They are also perfect with our in-flight meals!” it wrote.

Netizens react

Social media users reacted to the news while many of them just can’t understand the rationale behind it.

“It's getting more and more cruel,” wrote one user. Another user commented, “Cup noodles would be a great in flight meal compared to some of the crap they sell. Also don't they serve coffee and tea anyway?”

“Yeah that is good. Instant noodles are not healthy,” posted one user while another remarked, “They know that it has always been bad for your health.”