Twitter, @LPGLDN
- EasyJet tried to remove two Black men from a flight for refusing to put on their shoes for take-off.
- A video shows passengers objecting to the treatment of the two men.
- The men were ultimately allowed to stay on the flight, and the cabin crew was changed instead.
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Passengers on an EasyJet flight reportedly staged a mutiny to stop the airline from unfairly removing two Black men from the flight.
The airline reportedly attempted to remove the two men for "huffing at a member of the crew" when they were asked to put their shoes on for take-off.
The incident took place on a flight from London Gatwick Airport to Malaga in Spain, and passenger Luke Gayle posted a video of it on Twitter.
-LG (@LPGLDN) August 5, 2021
The argument took place during the flight's taxi on the runway, forcing the plane to turn around.
An attendant called the police to report two "disobedient passengers," leading to four armed officers entering the plane, taking the two men's passports, and offloading their luggage.
In the video passengers can be heard objecting to the treatment of the men, telling them "no, don't get off" and "sit down."
After the complaints of the other passengers, the two men were permitted to remain on the flight and the cabin crew was changed instead.
EasyJet said that the crew was replaced because their shift was over and not because of the passengers' objections, according to The Daily Mail.
Gayle wrote on Twitter, "After all the backlash and objections from the entire flight, except for that one member of cabin crew, they gave in and allowed them to stay on board. The cabin crew were swapped over."
He added that he believed the men's "skin color [played] a part in the over reaction of EasyJet."
In a statement to The Daily Mail, a spokesperson for the airline said, "EasyJet does not discriminate against any individual. Safety is our highest priority and there is nothing to suggest that discrimination played any part in the issue onboard."
"The primary responsibility of our crew is for the safety of everyone onboard."
"Our crew must ensure that safety requirements are followed by all passengers and as part of their role must check prior to take-off that everyone is compliant with these".
"This is particularly important for passengers seated in emergency exit rows where crew ensure there are no loose items during take-off."
The airline said they will be reviewing the incident internally after receiving complaints from customers onboard the flight.