British Airways fell in fresh trouble after an Indian family claimed they were removed from a flight in London because their three year old son was crying. AP Patak has alleged that the flight crew projected them to racist remarks before ordering them and another Indian family that sat behind them off the plane. The incident has sparked severe outrage on Indian social media and people have called for a nationwide boycott of British Airways.
The incident allegedly occurred shortly before take-off at London City Airport on a flight destined for Berlin on July 23. An Indian government employee, Patak has complained to Indian Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu in a letter, calling out the airline's “humiliation and racial behaviour”. He said his son had become uncomfortable and started crying after the seat belt had been fastened and then his wife picked him up despite the belt sign being on. “My son felt uncomfortable and started crying. My wife managed to comfort him by taking him in her arms. A male crew member approached us and started shouting, scolded my son to go to his seat. My son got terrified and started crying even more,” Patak wrote.
He added, “Another Indian family sitting behind us offered the child some biscuits to console him and and my wife again put the boy on his designated seat and fastened the seat belt even though he kept on crying. The aircraft then started taxiing to the runway. The same crew member came again and shouted at my son that “you bloody keep quiet otherwise you will be thrown out of the window” and we would be offloaded. We were petrified.”
Patak has claimed that the plane then returned to the terminal and security personnel were called to remove the family and the family in the row behind them from the aircraft. “I wold like to reiterate and emphasise that the said crew member made racist remarks and used hatred words like “bloody” about the Indians.
A British Airways spokesperson responded to the incident saying, “It is a safety requirement for all airlines that passengers are seated and have their seat belt fastened for take-off. We take such claims like this extremely seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We are investigating the complaint and will liaise with our customer.”
