A Singapore Airlines (SIA) business-class passenger was mistakenly served a dish containing pork, despite seeking clarification from cabin crew multiple times.
The incident, which occurred on 7 July 2025 during Flight SQ24 from Singapore to New York, has prompted public concern over food labelling practices and religious sensitivity.
The passenger, a Singapore Permanent Resident named Jiyad Hussain, was served an appetiser labelled “Grilled Mediterranean Salad with Prosciutto”. Unfamiliar with the term “prosciutto”, he inquired whether it was bacon or contained pork.
According to his account, he was assured by two members of the cabin crew that it was not.
Relying on this assurance, Mr Hussain began eating the dish but was soon troubled by its taste and texture. He later researched the term and was shocked to discover that prosciutto is in fact a form of dry-cured pork.
“I was in complete shock,” Mr Hussain told TOC in a letter, noting that he has strictly followed halal dietary laws as a practising Muslim for over 30 years. He said the experience constituted a “deep personal and spiritual violation”.
Singapore Airlines acknowledged the error in correspondence seen by TOC, confirming that the crew served the meal “without confirmation” of its contents.
In an apology email dated 15 July 2025, SIA’s Customer Affairs Manager Elaine Chua stated that the crew was “initially uncertain whether the prosciutto was pork” and had offered alternatives after the mistake was realised.
The incident has drawn attention to the lack of ingredient labelling on SIA’s in-flight menu. A screenshot of the menu from the flight shows no visible indicator that the appetiser contained pork, unlike other dishes which bore icons such as “spicy” or “healthy”.
According to the airline’s own website, passengers with special dietary needs, including religious restrictions, are advised to pre-select meals in advance.
However, Mr Hussain highlighted that he had pre-booked a Muslim meal for one of the meal services but not for the lunch course, which he selected under the “Book the Cook” programme.
In subsequent emails, Mr Hussain strongly criticised the response from SIA, calling the initial offer of a S$150 voucher “saddening and insulting”.
The airline later increased the offer to 15,000, and then 30,000 KrisFlyer miles. Mr Hussain rejected all offers, stating, “No person of faith — Muslim, Jew, Hindu, or otherwise — would ever willingly break a sacred dietary law in exchange for 30,000 miles.”
In his reply dated 22 July 2025, Mr Hussain reiterated the emotional and spiritual weight of the incident, stating, “This was not a case of simple service failure. I was served pork, which led to the first violation of my religious dietary practice in 30 years”.
He also expressed dissatisfaction with how the situation was handled onboard, stating that a crew member suggested he may not have been heard clearly when asking about the dish’s contents. He described this as “dismissive” and said it compounded his sense of distress.
SIA has since stated that the feedback has been forwarded to its Inflight Services and Cabin Crew Performance departments, and that training procedures have been reviewed to prevent similar occurrences.
In its final correspondence, dated 25 July 2025, the airline said it had “prompted internal discussions” and expressed regret over the distress caused but stated it was unable to increase the compensation beyond the 30,000 KrisFlyer miles already offered.
The airline added, “We understand the seriousness of having violated a core aspect of your religious practice… and we remain committed to learning from this incident.”
In full response to TOC, the spokesperson stated:
“Singapore Airlines (SIA) deeply regrets that a customer on flight SQ24 from Singapore to New York on 7 July 2025 was served an appetiser that contained pork.
We sincerely apologise to the affected customer for the distress this has 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.
Following the incident, we have strengthened our cabin crew training and service procedures, with particular emphasis on ingredient awareness and clear communications with customers regarding food contents.
SIA remains in direct contact with the affected customer regarding this incident.
SIA is deeply committed to respecting the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds of all our customers.
We advise customers with special dietary requirements, including religious needs, to pre-book their special meals for all meal services before their flights.”
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