Singapore Airlines Apologizes for Serving Pork Dish to Muslim Passenger on 18-Hour Flight to New York

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has issued an apology after a Muslim passenger was mistakenly served a dish containing pork on an 18-hour flight from Singapore to New York. The incident was reported by Mothership, a Singapore-based digital news outlet.

The passenger, a Singapore permanent resident known as Jey, shared that he was served a dish labeled as “Grilled Mediterranean Salad with Prosciutto” during one of the meal services on the flight, SQ24. Being unfamiliar with the term “prosciutto,” Jey asked the cabin crew if it was bacon. He was reassured that it was not and was told it was safe to eat. However, after tasting the dish, he decided to look up what prosciutto was and discovered that it contained pork.

“I was in complete shock,” Jey told Mothership, adding that he has been a practicing Muslim for over 30 years.

When Jey brought up the issue to the crew, they suggested that they might have misheard him. They also mentioned that the staff member who served him was a junior and was not aware that prosciutto contained pork. Unsatisfied with the response, Jey filed a complaint with the airline.

Initially, he was offered a S$150 (RM490) KrisShop voucher, followed by 15,000 KrisFlyer miles, and later 30,000 miles, all of which he rejected. According to Jey, these offers were “saddening and insulting,” and he stated that no person of faith would willingly break a sacred dietary law in exchange for miles.

Jey also pointed out that his ticket cost about S$10,000 and urged SIA to take this matter seriously and improve their menu in the future. He has since filed another complaint with the US Department of Transportation.

Before the flight, Jey had requested a Muslim meal for the refreshment service. However, for lunch, he opted for the airline’s “Book the Cook” option instead. He stated that there was no label indicating that the dish contained pork, and according to Mothership, SIA’s website does not typically label dishes with pork.

In an email seen by Mothership, an SIA customer service officer acknowledged that the cabin crew was initially unsure if the prosciutto contained pork and had served it without confirmation. The crew apologized and offered Jey alternatives, which he declined.

Mothership reported that passengers with religious or dietary restrictions must pre-book special meals for all meal services on flights with multiple meal rounds, such as SQ24, which has three.

In response to Mothership’s inquiry, an SIA spokesperson confirmed the error and apologized for the distress caused. The spokesperson stated that once the cabin crew became aware of Jey’s dietary restrictions, they immediately apologized, removed the dish, and offered an alternative.