A United Airlines pilot who suffers from celiac disease is suing the Chicago-based carrier for discrimination after it is alleged the airline refused to provide him with gluten-free meals or put him up in hotels that offered gluten-free dining options.
Captain Mark MacKenzie describes himself as a ‘highly experienced’ pilot who has 35 years of ‘accident and incident-free flying’ and who has worked for United since March 1992.
MacKenzie suffers from celiac disease and says that United Airlines should make reasonable accommodations for his disability by providing gluten-free meals.
The Denver-based pilot alleges in his 12-page complaint, which was filed in a Colorado district court earlier this month, says that United routinely provides him meals that he simply cannot eat because they contain gluten and even charges him for the privilege.
MacKenzie says that if he consumes any food that contains gluten, he suffers “substantial impairment to multiple major life activities” and that ingestion of gluten could have “serious long-term physical repercussions.”
United Airlines provides meals for its pilots on many flight but unlike normal customers, Captain MacKenzie claims the airline refuses to let crew with special dietary needs choose a special meal like gluten-free.
Occasionally, United Airlines does provide ‘gluten-sensitive’ meals but these are not gluten-free and MacKenzie says he cannot eat them. As a result, MacKenzie says that he is required to bring his own food because United will not honor his request for special gluten-free meals.
And not only does United allegedly refuse to provide special meals for pilots like MacKenzie, the airline still deducts the cost of some meals from his salary even if it goes to waste.
In addition, MacKenzie says United often puts him in hotels that do not have any gluten-free dining options and that the airline has refused his request to stay in hotels with gluten-free menus.
Captain MacKenzie first told United that he had celiac disease in 2020 and, at the time, requested access to gluten-free meals but has been rebuffed by the carrier ever since.
Instead of offering gluten-free meals, MacKenzie even alleges that the airline told him to eat select parts of normal meals that shouldn’t have gluten in them, but MacKenzie rejected this idea because the meals are rarely labeled correctly.
MacKenzie is suing United for claims under the Americans With Disabilities Act and is seeking to get a court order to force United to provide him with gluten-free meals.
