Korean Air Takes Instant Noodles Off the Menu
2024-08-08
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1For many years, cups of instant noodles have been a favorite among Korean Air passengers.
2However, they will no longer be available for economy-class travelers starting August 15, said a spokesperson for the Seoul-based airline.
3Korean Air said its decision was a safety measure to deal with increased turbulence, "aimed at preventing burn accidents."
4Turbulence, or irregular movements from up and down air currents, can cause the hot cups of noodles to spill.
5In addition to regular meals, instant noodles are currently part of Korean Air's self-service food, for economy passengers on long trips.
6In this week's announcement, the airline added that it will offer other food items for economy travelers.
7The new offerings include sandwiches, corn dogs, and hot pockets.
8However, business-class and first-class passengers will still get their noodles.
9Korean Air told the BBC that the noodles are brought individually to business-class and first-class travelers.
10This reduces the risk of spills and burns.
11Concern about the dangers of serving hot food and liquids on airplanes is not new.
12Over the years, several airlines have faced legal actions from travelers who say they suffered serious burns after having hot coffee, for example, spilled on them during a flight.
13In 2019, the European Union's highest court ruled that an airline can be held responsible if a passenger is injured in this way.
14This is the case even if turbulence or other flight-related reasons did not cause the spill.
15But turbulence, of course, still adds to the risk.
16Flying through unstable air can make balancing something like hot soup or drink much more difficult.
17Several turbulence-related injuries have been reported over the years.
18But most injuries are minor.
19And airlines have made continuous improvements in reducing the number of in-flight accidents.
20Those include stopping service when needed or taking extra care when giving out certain drinks.
21Still, rough air might be getting harder and harder to avoid.
22Weather and airline experts note increasing reports of turbulence.
23They point to the possible effects climate change may have on flying conditions.
24I'm Anna Matteo.
1For many years, cups of instant noodles have been a favorite among Korean Air passengers. However, they will no longer be available for economy-class travelers starting August 15, said a spokesperson for the Seoul-based airline. 2Korean Air said its decision was a safety measure to deal with increased turbulence, "aimed at preventing burn accidents." Turbulence, or irregular movements from up and down air currents, can cause the hot cups of noodles to spill. 3In addition to regular meals, instant noodles are currently part of Korean Air's self-service food, for economy passengers on long trips. In this week's announcement, the airline added that it will offer other food items for economy travelers. The new offerings include sandwiches, corn dogs, and hot pockets. 4However, business-class and first-class passengers will still get their noodles. Korean Air told the BBC that the noodles are brought individually to business-class and first-class travelers. This reduces the risk of spills and burns. 5Concern about the dangers of serving hot food and liquids on airplanes is not new. Over the years, several airlines have faced legal actions from travelers who say they suffered serious burns after having hot coffee, for example, spilled on them during a flight. 6In 2019, the European Union's highest court ruled that an airline can be held responsible if a passenger is injured in this way. This is the case even if turbulence or other flight-related reasons did not cause the spill. 7But turbulence, of course, still adds to the risk. Flying through unstable air can make balancing something like hot soup or drink much more difficult. 8Several turbulence-related injuries have been reported over the years. But most injuries are minor. And airlines have made continuous improvements in reducing the number of in-flight accidents. Those include stopping service when needed or taking extra care when giving out certain drinks. 9Still, rough air might be getting harder and harder to avoid. Weather and airline experts note increasing reports of turbulence. They point to the possible effects climate change may have on flying conditions. 10I'm Anna Matteo. 11Wyatte Grantham-Philips reported this story for the Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. 12_____________________________________________ 13Words in This Story 14instant - adj. premixed or precooked for easy final preparation 15turbulence - n. irregular atmospheric motion especially when characterized by up-and-down currents 16flight - n. a trip made by or in an airplane or spacecraft 17We want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on this topic? In the Comments section, you can also practice using any of the expressions from the story. Our comment policy is here.