Singaporean airline apologises after Muslim passenger served pork
Says it has ‘strengthened cabin crew training and service procedures’ after incident during flight to New York
SINGAPORE (MNTV) – A Singaporean airline has apologised after a Muslim passenger was served a dish containing pork on an 18-hour flight from Singapore to New York, reports Mothership news outlet.
The passenger, a Singapore permanent resident who identified himself as Jey, said the incident happened when he was served a dish labelled “Grilled Mediterranean Salad with Prosciutto” during one of the meal services on SQ24.
Unsure what “prosciutto” was, he asked the Singapore Airlines (SIA) cabin crew if it was bacon. According to Jey, they told him it was not and assured him it was safe to eat. But after tasting the “unfamiliar” dish, he decided to look it up — only to learn that prosciutto is pork.
“I was in complete shock,” Jey said, adding that he has been a practising Muslim for over three decades.
When confronted, the crew allegedly suggested they might have misheard him. They later told him that the staff member who served him was a junior who “did not know prosciutto was pork”.
Jey lodged a complaint with the airline. He was initially offered a $150 KrisShop voucher, followed by 15,000 KrisFlyer miles and later 30,000 miles — all of which he rejected.
Calling the offers “saddening and insulting”, he told Mothership: “No person of faith — Muslim, Jew, Hindu, or otherwise — would ever willingly break a sacred dietary law in exchange for 30,000 miles.”
He urged the airline to commit to improve the menu and understand the gravity of this”.
Jey has since filed another complaint with the US Department of Transportation.
Before the flight, Jey had booked a Muslim meal for the refreshment service. For lunch, he chose the airline’s “Book the Cook” option instead.
He said there was no pork label on the dish.
In an email seen by Mothership, an SIA customer service officer admitted that “the cabin crew was initially uncertain whether the prosciutto was pork” and had served it “without confirmation”. The crew apologised and offered him alternatives, which he declined.
An SIA spokesman confirmed the error and apologised for “the distress caused”. “When our cabin crew members became aware that the customer does not consume pork, they immediately apologised, removed the dish, and offered an alternative,” the spokesman said.
SIA added that it has “strengthened cabin crew training and service procedures” and remains in contact with Jey.
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