A 12-Hour Flight Didn't Have Any Food, So the Crew Ordered KFC From the Airport

It’s hard to find a more universal punchline than airline food. Even the most infrequent fliers have heard all of the jokes, while million milers can still dread being asked to choose between chicken and pasta. But some passengers on a recent British Airways flight weren’t thrilled when a catering issue meant that the crew had to serve in-flight KFC instead of a more-traditional meal.

According to flight-focused website One Mile at a Time, British Airways Flight 252 was flying from Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos to London’s Heathrow Airport. The twelve-plus hour trip included a layover in Nassau in the Bahamas. At some point after takeoff, the crew realized that there were “unforeseen circumstances” involving the meals that should’ve been served to passengers. Because of the flight’s half-day duration, the crew made an emergency food run, stocking up on chicken from the KFC inside the Nassau airport.

“With limited options available at the airport, our teams sprung into action and made sure our customers onboard our flight had something to eat,” an airline spokesperson told USA Today. “We apologize to customers that their full meal service was not available and that we had to wing it on this occasion. We’re sorry if we ruffled any feathers.” 

In a now-deleted Instagram video, crew members could be seen handing out the KFC, serving it to passengers directly from the chicken chain’s buckets. One passenger on the flight grumbled that all travelers on-board were given one piece of chicken, while another described the meal as “an absolute disgrace.”

Other travelers applauded the airline’s improvisation, adding that the KFC was a better option than a foodless 12-hour flight. "The intense heat out there made the food unsafe and BA didn't want to chance the whole flight getting sick,” an unnamed passenger told The Sun. “This was their only option to ensure everyone stayed safe but didn't starve. Everyone also got a voucher to buy food on arrival [in London].  I think BA did the best they could, given the circumstances.”

The airline has not confirmed what caused the catering issue, and it has not specified how it accommodated vegetarian or vegan passengers, or those with other food sensitivities. Passengers in all classes of the airline were given the same single portions of KFC.

It sure seems like British Airways tried to make the best of a bad situation, and perhaps the passengers who were unhappy with the fast food compromise might’ve been equally unsatisfied by getting nothing on the flight. At the very least, they didn’t have to worry about whether to choose the chicken or the pasta this time.