According to the World Allergy Organisation, an estimated 220 to 250 million people worldwide have a food allergy, with millions more managing intolerances or special diets (2025 research). When booking a flight, many of these people may have concerns about whether cabin crew will know the correct protocol for dealing with their allergy during inflight meal services.
A new industry initiative, the SkyRate Clinic, may help address such concerns. The clinic is being hosted by the organisers of World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) in partnership with SkyRate, the independent airline allergy review platform. The SkyRate Clinic will be launched at WTCE 2027, taking place at Hamburg Messe from 6 – 8 April 2027.
Led by Julianne Ponan, founder of SkyRate and the Special Diets Ambassador to WTCE, the clinic will be hosted at the WTCE Ambassador Hub at the expo each day to give airlines, inflight caterers, and suppliers a place where they can discuss practical steps to improve passenger safety through appropriate allergen handling, labelling, crew training and onboard communication.
At the clinic, discussions on labelling, crew training and menu design will start with the passenger reviews behind each airline score. Airlines can see whether there are any flaws in their handling of allergies or dietary needs at the booking stage, in catering operations, in crew communications or at boarding.
Caterers and food brands can also find out which product gaps in allergy safety come up repeatedly, from items that are not sealed or clearly labelled, to customers being limited to a single special meal as the only safe option. The conversations are intended to help the industry make onboard travel safer and more inclusive for passengers who worry about flying with allergies or dietary needs.
The clinic sessions will be free to attend and will open for booking via the WTCE website in January 2027.
How SkyRate scores airlines
SkyRate was founded in April this year by Julianne Ponan (who has anaphylaxis) as an independent platform to help passengers with allergies or dietary needs feel confident and safe when flying, while using data-driven insights to help airlines create appropriate inflight catering options.
Skyrate receives no payment or sponsorship from any airline. Every review and rating submitted by passengers is authentic, impartial, and based on real experiences.
Based on these independent passenger ratings, each airline receives a two-part Skyrate score weighted 70% for Allergy Safety, and 30% for Dietary and Transparency. Airlines cannot influence or pay for their own scores, so the ratings reflect what passengers report.
The questions asked of passengers have been drawn up based on more than seven years of airline allergy audits, and the platform is endorsed by leading allergy experts including Dr Melissa Adamski, founder of Nutted Out Nutrition (and Nutrition Ambassador to WTCE) and Adam Fox OBE, Professor of Paediatric Allergy at King’s College London and the founding director of the KCL Allergy Academy.
“We know first-hand what it is like to travel worrying that your allergens or dietary needs won’t be taken seriously. Airlines and caterers want to get this right, and we want to support them as they do,” said Julianne Ponan. “Every improvement made onboard changes what a flight feels like for someone who has been anxious about it, and we’re looking forward to hearing visitors’ questions at the clinic to make onboard travel easier and safer.”
Shona Thomson, event manager of WTCE added: “There is no single way to make food and beverage onboard allergen-free overnight, and that is why we are partnering with SkyRate. The brand-new clinic will run every day of WTCE 2027 and give visitors free access to passenger reviews, expert guidance, and the time to work through these challenges with the SkyRate team, so they leave with a clear plan for their own operations. We look forward to hosting these important conversations showing safer, more inclusive travel is good for passengers and good for business.”
WTCE 2027 will take place at Hamburg Messe from 6 – 8 April 2027. For more information and to register, visit: https://www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/en-gb.html
