Cannabis Sweets, Mass Food Poisoning and the Rules You Never See: When Crew Meals Become Aviation Headlines
- 21 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Published: 20 February 2026
Written by: Todd Skaggs
Airlines plan for turbulence, technical faults and weather disruption. They do not expect sweets to send crew to hospital.
In early 2026, three British Airways cabin crew members were hospitalised after unknowingly consuming sweets given to them by a passenger that were later found to contain high levels of THC. The incident did not occur during flight operations, but it quickly became headline news for one simple reason: aviation does not tolerate unnecessary risk, especially when it involves crew wellbeing.
It sounded almost unbelievable. Yet it was real.
And it is not the only time food has unexpectedly made aviation history.
The day 100 passengers fell ill at 35,000 feet
One of the most infamous cases dates back to 1975, when a Japan Airlines flight from Tokyo to Paris experienced mass food poisoning. Over 100 passengers and a crew member became violently ill due to contaminated catering. The aircraft landed safely, but the investigation reshaped airline catering protocols for decades.
The lesson was clear. Even something as ordinary as a meal tray can become a safety variable.
When a holiday dinner grounded over 200 crew
In late 2024, more than 200 United Airlines flight attendants reportedly fell ill after consuming holiday meals provided at Denver International Airport. While the incident occurred on the ground rather than in the air, it disrupted staffing and scheduling and demonstrated how quickly food-related issues can ripple across operations.
Airlines operate on tight margins of resilience. A single unexpected event can affect rosters, duty limits and network reliability.
Mid-air nausea and emergency investigations
In June 2025, an Air India flight from London to Mumbai experienced a mid-flight health scare when multiple passengers and two crew members reported dizziness and nausea. Early reports suggested potential food contamination. The aircraft landed safely and all recovered, but it again highlighted how enclosed cabin environments magnify even minor health incidents.
These cases are rare. That is precisely why they make headlines.
Why pilots rarely eat the same meal
Many passengers are unaware of a quiet aviation rule: pilots often do not eat the same meal.
The reason is simple. Redundancy.
Airlines aim to prevent simultaneous incapacitation. If one pilot becomes unwell, the other must remain fully fit to operate. It is not superstition. It is structured risk management.
Crew meals may be prepared separately, sourced from different batches, or selected deliberately to avoid overlap. These procedures are built into operations manuals and safety protocols worldwide.
The average traveller will never notice. That is the point.
Strange headlines, serious systems
The idea that cannabis sweets or contaminated catering could disrupt aviation sounds dramatic. In reality, these incidents demonstrate something reassuring.
Every one of these flights landed safely.
Every situation triggered established procedures.
Every investigation fed back into a system designed to learn and improve.
Commercial aviation is resilient not because nothing unusual ever happens, but because it assumes that something unusual eventually will.
So while sweets sending crew to hospital may sound like a bizarre footnote in aviation history, it ultimately reinforces the same message: layers of defence matter, even in places passengers rarely think to look.
Key Facts
• A British Airways crew were hospitalised in 2026 after unknowingly consuming THC-laced sweets.
• A 1975 Japan Airlines catering incident affected over 100 passengers and reshaped airline food safety protocols.
• Many airlines require pilots to eat different meals to prevent shared health risk.
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Author: Todd Skaggs Aviation staffing and consultancy insights LinkedIn
