Recently, a leading European airline allegedly deplaned an Indian family from a flight because their three-year-old child was crying. The mother was able to calm the child down when the plane was taxiing to take off, but the unbecoming behavior of the cabin crew frightened the child who started sobbing inconsolably.
The alleged incident reportedly took place on British Airways London-Berlin flight (BA 8495) on July 23 with an Indian Engineering Services officer, Mr. A.P Pathak and his family. The Pathak family, along with another Indian family seated behind them, was deplaned.
The officer has filed a complaint with Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu in which he has alleged “humiliation and racial behaviour” by the airline.
“You Keep Quiet..”
Narrating his ordeal in an interview to ANI, Pathak says, “When we were travelling to Berlin from London in British Airways, our son started crying and a flight attendant came and threatened to offload us if our kid doesn't keep quiet. Another Indian family sitting behind us offered the child some biscuits to console him. My wife again put the boy on his designated seat and fastened the seat belt even though he kept on crying..”
“The same crew member came again and shouted at my son that ‘you keep quiet otherwise you will be thrown out' and (said that) we would be offloaded.”
The plane then returned to the terminal. The father says that after that security was called in and their boarding passes were taken away and they were asked to deplane.
“My family and the other Indian family, which had offered biscuits to my son, were offloaded..”
We were travelling to Berlin from London in British Airways, Our son started crying and a flight attendant came and threatened to offload us if our kid doesn't keep quiet and after a while, he called security and we were offloaded: A.P Pathak, Passenger pic.twitter.com/gFm47qgOIw
I have given a letter to Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu and EAM Sushma Swaraj and complained to British Airways but they have not replied yet, it was an act of racial discrimination, I request an apology and compensation for harassment of an Indian: A.P Pathak, Passenger pic.twitter.com/6bb5wekgaZ
In the interview, Pathak emphasizes on the harassment suffered by him and his family. He recalls how even after several requests and apologies, they were loaded off the flight without any compensation.
He stated that he will never travel with British Airways in the future and urged viewers to do the same.
“We take such claims like this extremely seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We have started a full investigation and are in direct contact with the customer,” said a British Airways spokesperson.
We take claims like this extremely seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We have started a full investigation and are in direct contact with the customer: British Airways statement https://t.co/T5VWCT8krc
Here's how netizens reacted to the incident:
“Highly Deplorable...”
If true, this is highly deplorable racist behavior by @britishairways https://t.co/kGO7sLH9eq
Stop showing those fake and dishonest adverts about caring for Indians. How dare you discriminate and shout at children. Indian family offloaded from British Airways flight ‘over crying 3-yr-old' #DontFlyBA @British_Airways https://t.co/ZLDTw703Ab
Why am in not surprised? Have flown with British Airways a few times and found their cabin crew as one of the most uncouth crew outside America. https://t.co/LW36pGdIEd
So, @British_Airways throws off a family over crying 3-year-old. Seems staff yelled at the baby too and even used racist language. So much for those ads targeted at Indian customers. It's just another racist foreign company. And now one that I will never use.
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