The World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) will launch the SkyRate Clinic at its 2027 event in Hamburg, giving airlines, caterers and suppliers the opportunity to identify gaps in allergen safety and improve the onboard experience for passengers with food allergies and dietary requirements.
The clinic is being launched in partnership with SkyRate, an independent airline allergy review platform, at Hamburg Messe from 6–8 April 2027.
An estimated 220–250 million people worldwide live with a food allergy, according to the World Allergy Organization, with many more managing intolerances or special diets. For these passengers, flying can bring uncertainty over whether their dietary needs will be understood and appropriate procedures followed throughout the journey.
Led by SkyRate founder and WTCE Special Diets Ambassador Julianne Ponan MBE, the clinic will run daily at the WTCE Ambassador Hub. Sessions will cover allergen handling, food labelling, crew training, menu design and onboard communication.
Using passenger reviews behind individual airline scores, the SkyRate team will help airlines identify where processes may be falling short, from booking and catering to crew communication and boarding. Caterers and food brands will also be able to explore recurring issues, including unclear product labelling, inadequate packaging and limited options for passengers requiring special meals.
The aim is to help industry professionals identify practical improvements to onboard food safety and make air travel more accessible to passengers with allergies and dietary requirements.
Clinic sessions will be free to attend, with bookings opening via the WTCE website in January 2027.
“There is no single way to make food and beverage onboard allergen free overnight, and that is why we are partnering with SkyRate,” said Shona Thomson, Event Manager of WTCE. “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.”
Founded by Ponan, SkyRate uses passenger reviews to assess airline performance across two categories: Allergy Safety, weighted at 70% of the overall score, and Dietary and Transparency, weighted at 30%. Its assessment questions draw on more than seven years of airline allergy audits. The platform is endorsed by allergy experts including Dr Melissa Adamski, WTCE Nutrition Ambassador and founder of Nutted Out Nutrition, and Adam Fox OBE, professor in paediatric allergy. Airlines cannot influence or pay for their own scores, according to SkyRate.
“We know first-hand what it is like to travel worrying that your allergens or dietary needs won’t be taken seriously,” said Ponan. “Airlines and caterers want to get this right, and we want to support them as they do. 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.”
