Man Removed From Aircraft After Making Racist Comments Toward Crew
A 70-year-old-man was taken off a flight yesterday after making racist comments toward a member of the crew.
The man was aboard a Binter Canarias aircraft that was traveling from Tenerife North Airport (TFN) to La Palma (SPC). As he was boarding the plane, witnesses say he "hurl[ed] racist abuse" at a black flight attendant.
Binter Canarias is a small Spanish regional airline that operates flights between the Canary Islands.
"I don't want blacks around me," the 70-year-old-man told the female flight attendant, according to Spanish media outlet El Pais. The incident occurred on March 14.
The man then took his seat but was quickly asked to leave the aircraft by the pilot.
Witnesses captured video of the incident showing yelling between the crew and the passenger. Eventually, Spanish police come aboard — leading the man to grab his bag and head off the aircraft.
The altercation delayed the ATR 72 by 20 minutes, and the airline filed a complaint against the man for "racial abuse."
The airline issued the following statement in a tweet:"From Binter we want to express our utmost rejection and outrage at behaviors of this type and show our full support to our crews who constantly strive to provide the best service to our customers."H/T: SF GateFeatured Image by Bruno Geiger Airplane Pictures and Collection