Pilot sues United Airlines for not offering him gluten-free food

A pilot with celiac disease is suing United Airlines for not providing him with gluten-free food.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Colorado on August 12, says Captain Mark MacKenzie “is demanding reasonable accommodations in the form of equal access to safe meals, particularly gluten-free foods.”

Instead, the airline charged him for food he couldn’t eat, the lawsuit says.

“Despite knowing about Captain MacKenzie’s disability and requesting appropriate accommodations, United refused to provide appropriate accommodations and not only denied Captain MacKenzie’s requests for safe meals, but also charged him for meals that he is unable to consume due to his disability,” it said.

“The defendant’s conduct in denying Captain MacKenzie’s request for accommodation constituted disability discrimination and violated Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act,” it continues.

MacKenzie wants the judge to order the airline to provide him with appropriate food and also pay him “damages and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.”

In the lawsuit, he is described as an “extremely experienced and qualified” pilot who has flown “without accidents or incidents” for over 35 years.

MacKenzie lives in Boulder, Colorado, and flies for United out of Denver International Airport.

Newsweek asked United Airlines and MacKenzie’s attorney for an email statement on Tuesday.

According to the Mayo Clinic hospital group website, celiac disease is “a disease caused by an immune reaction to the consumption of gluten.”

Gluten is a protein found in foods that contain wheat, barley or rye.

“If you have celiac disease, eating gluten triggers an immune reaction to the gluten protein in your small intestine,” the website states. “Over time, this reaction damages the lining of your small intestine and prevents nutrients from being absorbed. This condition is called malabsorption.”

The lawsuit states that MacKenzie’s exposure to gluten “suffered effects on multiple body systems, including his digestive system. When Captain MacKenzie did not eat a gluten-free diet, he suffered from weight loss, malnutrition, anemia and other nutritional deficiencies.”

It points out that MacKenzie has to fly for many hours without food because he is not given gluten-free food.

“For example, on a recent daytime flight from Denver to Roatan, Honduras and back to Denver, where the duty day lasted 11 hours, United did not provide Captain MacKenzie with anything gluten-free to eat,” the lawsuit states. “Because United refused to provide Captain MacKenzie with gluten-free meals, he was forced to purchase food out of his own pocket while other pilots were provided meals to eat.”

It is also claimed that United were warned about his condition.

“In 2020, Captain MacKenzie informed United that he has celiac disease and that he was having difficulty obtaining safe food at work and during layovers and was being charged for food he could not eat,” it said.