On 25 November 2025, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed his wish for healthier snacks on flights. The statement comes just days after the launch of a new campaign meant to bring back kindness and civility in the world of travel.
In an interview about the launch of “The Golden Age of Travel Starts With You” campaign by the US Department of Transportation, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy not only went into the details of said campaign but also expressed his desire for a change in food culture in the aviation industry.
“By the way. I would love some better snacks. I would love a little healthier snack on the aeroplane. Maybe that could change it all if we didn’t get the really fat cookies like fattening cookies full of butter and sugar and crap. Or that little snack pack of pretzels that are really…Could we do something better? I think airlines should embrace a little MAGA as well. Could you get a healthy choice on the aeroplane? That might go a long way, when they come and disrupt me while I’m working on the plane”, Duffy said during the interview with Blaze News posted on 25 November.
No comments from US carriers
At the moment, several US airlines offer free snacks on their long-haul flights. For example, travellers flying with American Airlines and Delta Air Lines receive a free snack on flights over 250 miles, and United Airlines has a 300-mile policy. However, the snacks the airlines offer free of charge are limited to cookies, pretzels, chips, and other not-so-healthy options. While healthier snacks include fruit and vegetables, those have to be purchased separately.
At the time of writing, none of the US-based airlines has commented on Duffy’s remarks. It also remains unclear whether or not the Transportation Secretary will end up imposing healthy snack options in the future.
I launched @USDOT’s civility campaign to help us return to the golden age of travel!
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 25, 2025
Thank you @CBedfordDC on @theblaze for joining in on the conversation ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/DdzFuWoM2s
Aside from wondering about healthy snacks on planes, Sean Duffy has recently kept quite busy with several travel-related projects. While “The Golden Age of Travel Starts With You” campaign was mainly meant as a way of motivating people to reflect on the way they act when travelling, the Secretary is also working on a $12.5 billion overhaul of the nation’s air traffic control system, looking to address the shortage of air traffic controllers. Moreover, Duffy has withdrawn a previous plan requiring airlines to pay passengers cash compensation when US flight disruptions are caused by carriers.
