ABU DHABI- A British passenger suffered severe food poisoning on an Etihad Airways (EY) flight, threw 30 times during the journey.
The incident, which occurred on a six-hour flight from Manchester (MAN) to Abu Dhabi (AUH), left him too weak to stand and requiring medical attention upon landing. The passenger blames a “smelly” inflight meal, while the airline denies responsibility, citing strict food safety measures.
Photo: By Mitchul Hope – Etihad Airways | A6-APB | Airbus A380-861 | London Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL), CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=129305775Etihad Passenger Threw 30 Times
Cameron Callaghan, 27, embarked on a journey from Manchester (MAN), UK, to Abu Dhabi (AUH), UAE, before his final destination in Bangkok (BKK), Thailand.
Due to a five-hour flight delay, he consumed an egg sandwich before boarding. Later, he was served a “tomato, cheesy, chicken pasta” meal, which he described as having an unpleasant odor but ate regardless.
Approximately 20 minutes after consuming the meal, Callaghan began experiencing severe gastrointestinal distress.
He had diarrhea twice, followed by continuous vomiting for the remainder of the flight. He estimated he vomited around 30 times, leaving him severely dehydrated and unable to stand.
“I was going to the toilet every five minutes, laying in the fetal position, and towards the end of the flight, I’d emptied my body so much that I couldn’t even stand up,” he recounted.
Photo: Etihad 787-10Medical Emergency Upon Landing
Upon arrival in Abu Dhabi, Callaghan was in such a weakened state that airport personnel had to wheel him to the medical room.
A doctor administered an IV with an anti-nausea drip, which helped stabilize him, but his symptoms persisted into his stay in Bangkok.
For the first two to three days of his trip, he remained bed-bound, struggling with extreme fatigue and dehydration.
Callaghan strongly believes the inflight meal was the cause of his condition, suspecting improper food storage due to the flight delay.
“I believe the food had been sitting out since the original time the plane was supposed to take off and not been stored properly,” he stated.
By Russell Lee Photography from England – Etihad A330, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40842618Etihad Airways’ Response
Etihad Airways (EY) denied that their inflight meal was responsible for the illness. A spokesperson for the airline stated:
“We take all such matters very seriously and investigate thoroughly. Our food on this flight, as with all our flights, was prepared and stored under strict temperature-controlled conditions to ensure safety and quality.”
The airline also emphasized that no other passengers reported similar symptoms after consuming the same meal.
Photo: By dxme from Schweiz – Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | A6-BLA (ZRH), CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46821489Passenger’s Demands and Future Precautions
Despite the airline’s stance, Callaghan remains convinced that the meal was the culprit. He criticized Etihad’s handling of the situation, calling it “unprofessional” and demanding a refund along with an acknowledgment of the issue.
Following this harrowing experience, Callaghan expressed anxiety about his return flight.
“After what I’ve been through, I don’t really want to get on a plane so I’m stuck in Thailand at the minute,” he said, adding that he planned to avoid eating anything during his flight back to prevent a recurrence.
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