Plane passenger orders special gluten free meal on ANA flight and is given a banana

A passenger who ordered a gluten-free breakfast on a nine-hour flight claims he was given a solitary banana while other passengers tucked into sausages and eggs.

Londoner Martin Pavelka claims the lonely banana was served to him on an All Nippon Airways flight from Tokyo to Sydney, which was the second leg of his £1,200 trip to Australia.

The banana came with a sticker on it saying "GF" – for gluten free – and was served to him with a packet containing a knife, fork and salt.

Mr Pavelka, who suffers from the digestive condition coeliac, had been served a proper meal the previous evening. However, he was expecting something more substantial for breakfast.

"All other passengers were served a full breakfast meal consisting of eggs, sausage, mushrooms, bread, and yogurt," he told the Evening Standard. "This was a nine-hour flight. Although definitely gluten-free, the banana did not keep me full for very long."

Mr Pavelka, who has put in a complaint to the airline, said other passengers were laughing as he complained to the air hostess.

"I think the stewardess realised something wasn't right too," he said. "The fault must be somewhere in management."

All Nippon Airways said : "ANA takes great pride in providing an exemplary customer experience for all passengers, and for this one passenger we did not meet his expectations. We have apologised to him personally and as a result of his experience we are reviewing our policy on gluten free options and how they are served."

The Telegraph, London