Airline cuts hot cup noodles in economy as turbulence rises

Korean Air will stop serving instant cup noodles, a popular snack in Korea known as ramyeon that requires boiling water, on its long-haul flights, part of changes in response to increased turbulence incidents.

Concerns about turbulence on planes have heightened since a Singapore Airlines flight from London in May encountered a severe incident leading to one death and dozens of injuries.

“This decision is part of proactive safety measures in response to increased turbulence, aimed at preventing burn accidents,” Korean Air said in a statement yesterday.

The cup noodles are a popular part of the airline’s in-flight service, featuring heavily on social media.

Korean Air last month said turbulence incidents were increasing and it would finish long- and medium-haul cabin services 20 minutes earlier, wrapping up services 40 minutes before landing.

Serving the hot noodle cups to tightly seated economy class passengers will stop from August 15. Snacks will instead include sandwiches, corn dogs, and hot pockets, the airline said.

Korean Air is one of 21 airlines that have joined a turbulence real-time data exchange platform launched by global airline body the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 2020.