New Delhi: Enraged by the incessant crying of their three-year-old child on flight, an Indian family has alleged that it was forced to deplane in London.
This unsavoury incident took place on British Airways London-Berlin flight (BA 8495) on July 23.
The father of the child has written to aviation minister Suresh Prabhu, alleging “humiliation and racial behaviour" by the airline.
According to reports, the child’s mother had managed to comfort the child when the plane was taxiing for take off, but the allegedly intimidating behaviour of a cabin crew scared the child and he started crying even more.
The aircraft then returned to the terminal, says father, and the family in question along with a few other Indians seated behind them were offloaded.
"A male crew member approached us and started shouting.. scolded my son to go to his seat...My son got terrified and started crying (inconsolably). (An)other 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...," read the letter to Suresh Prabhu.
The aircraft then started taxiing on 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," it adds.
The plane then returned to the terminal. The father says thereafter 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…," the complaint said.
“The crew member made racist remarks and used words like ‘bloody’ about Indians…. I request to have the matter investigated and take strictest possible action," he concludes.
The airline, on its part, says it is in touch with the customer and does not tolerate any discrimination.
A British Airways spokesperson said: “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."
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