[UK] - Two Muslims claim they were humiliated when American Airlines flight was cancelled because 'they made passenger & crew feel uncomfortable'
Two Muslim men have claimed their American Airlines flight was cancelled because flight crew "didn't feel comfortable" when they waved hello to each other.
Abderraoof Alkhawaldeh and Issam Abdallah say they were harassed by law-enforcement after boarding a flight from Birmingham, Alabama, to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on September 14th.
The two men, who knew each other from their local Muslim community, had travelled separately to the same event in Birmingham, and were on their way home.
After they boarded, the flight was initially delayed, followed by an announcement that the flight was cancelled.
Alkhawaldeh told the Dallas Morning News that he overheard a crew member say it was cancelled for security reasons.
When the men got off the plane, law-enforcement officers were waiting for them.
They were then told that the flight was cancelled because the crew didn't feel comfortable flying with them.
Abdallah said he was told that the crew was also suspicious because he flushed the toilet twice while using the lavatory during the initial delay.
Abdallah added: “The flight attendant reported that he went to the restroom and flushed the toilet twice. The last time I know, flushing is allowed in this country.”
After they were questioned and had their bags re-searched, they were allowed to leave, but they claim police followed them as they went to a coffee shop together.
Alkhawaldeh and Abdallah said they were rebooked on a later flight, which included many of the same passengers.
The flight, AA 5886, was operated by Mesa Airlines, a regional carrier that operates some flights for American under the brand American Eagle.
In a statement provided to the Dallas Morning News, a spokesperson for the airline, LeKesha Brown, said that the flight was cancelled as a result of "concerns raised by a crew member and a passenger."
“American and all of its regional partners have an obligation to take safety and security concerns raised by crew members and passengers seriously.
“All customers on Flight 5886 were rebooked on the next flight to DFW. We're committed to providing a positive experience to everyone who travels with us. Our team is working with Mesa to review this incident.”
https://sg.yahoo.com/news/two-musli...comfortable-with-them-on-board-104212647.html
Visitor comments :
Two Muslim men have claimed their American Airlines flight was cancelled because flight crew "didn't feel comfortable" when they waved hello to each other.
Abderraoof Alkhawaldeh and Issam Abdallah say they were harassed by law-enforcement after boarding a flight from Birmingham, Alabama, to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on September 14th.
The two men, who knew each other from their local Muslim community, had travelled separately to the same event in Birmingham, and were on their way home.
After they boarded, the flight was initially delayed, followed by an announcement that the flight was cancelled.
Alkhawaldeh told the Dallas Morning News that he overheard a crew member say it was cancelled for security reasons.
When the men got off the plane, law-enforcement officers were waiting for them.
They were then told that the flight was cancelled because the crew didn't feel comfortable flying with them.
Abdallah said he was told that the crew was also suspicious because he flushed the toilet twice while using the lavatory during the initial delay.
Abdallah added: “The flight attendant reported that he went to the restroom and flushed the toilet twice. The last time I know, flushing is allowed in this country.”
After they were questioned and had their bags re-searched, they were allowed to leave, but they claim police followed them as they went to a coffee shop together.
Alkhawaldeh and Abdallah said they were rebooked on a later flight, which included many of the same passengers.
The flight, AA 5886, was operated by Mesa Airlines, a regional carrier that operates some flights for American under the brand American Eagle.
In a statement provided to the Dallas Morning News, a spokesperson for the airline, LeKesha Brown, said that the flight was cancelled as a result of "concerns raised by a crew member and a passenger."
“American and all of its regional partners have an obligation to take safety and security concerns raised by crew members and passengers seriously.
“All customers on Flight 5886 were rebooked on the next flight to DFW. We're committed to providing a positive experience to everyone who travels with us. Our team is working with Mesa to review this incident.”
https://sg.yahoo.com/news/two-musli...comfortable-with-them-on-board-104212647.html
Visitor comments :
- Ian 16 hrs ago
If the Flight Crew was concerned....then I'd be concerned. They are trained to look for suspicious people
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- michaelb 17 hrs ago
No one is more aware of negative press and the ramifications of cancelling a Flight than the Pilot and crew , if their concerns were serious enough to actually cancel a Flight when they fly every day , see all kinds of people and all kinds of behaviour, I am comfortable in trusting their judgement that something was "wrong" , and it was a hell of a lot more than them " waving to each other" , there is clearly more to this story that is not being told.
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- J R S 17 hrs ago
The flight crew did the correct thing, better "safe then sorry"!
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- Ozymandius 16 hrs ago
I worked with an airline before. Cancelling a flight costs a fortune. Gate fees, penalties for late departures, crew costs, equipment and fuel costs, etc... about 250k for a cancelled flight. So there is unquestionably more to this story, because no airline cancels a flight just because someone is 'uncomfortable'.
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- Italiangirl88 17 hrs ago
They did the right thing. If the flight crew was spooked, they had every right to cancel the flight. Better safe, then sorry.
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- FuturesFocus 18 hrs ago
Sorry for your luck guys, but better safe then sorry. I'm sure if by chance something like that protected your flight, you'd be happy guys! If you spooked the flight crew, they did the right thing.
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- Jim 17 hrs ago
I have a buddy who is Capt. on a major Airline He is very "High Time" and very experienced. He's route takes him to Paris quite often. He told me that he's achieved his success by following his instincts and listening to his "GUT." He always stands next to the ramp entering the plane and personally looks at the passengers boarding his plane and has denied boarding several times based on this principal. He told me, "This is my bird and I'm responsible for everything that happens on her." The safety of my passengers and plane is not based on a social experiment. Great guy with a lot of common sense.
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- Rick 18 hrs ago
Well done to that crew. See something, say something. Much better to remove any doubt, than to risk your life and the lives of the passengers. If those individuals who were questioned by law enforcement were reasonable, then they would understand that there are legitimate concerns about safety, particularly after the events of 9/11 and numerous other events.
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- sujit 17 hrs ago
I whole heartedly support the crew member and airline pilots. They have every reason to cancel the flight if they see anything suspicious. We have to be always vigilant.
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- Doug 17 hrs ago
Pilot's plane, pilots call. Period.
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- tim h 18 hrs ago
Highly doubt it was over them saying hello to each other. That being said- these things may upset some people, but we are safe because people taking action when something doesn't feel right. Sometimes it pans out, sometimes it doesn't. I'll take a few hurt feelings over something potentially worse, any day.
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- Syed 18 hrs ago
They said they were re-booked on a later flight, which included many of the same passengers. Then what was the problem in the first plane? Is something missing here?
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- Dick 18 hrs ago
I admire the crew for doing this, knowing there may be some backlash. Always better to be safe than sorry, especially in this type situation.
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- Michael 18 hrs ago
Why do people ha e to use the bathroom on the airplane before the flight even takes off?
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- Richard 14 hrs ago
There is definitely more to this story. Most likely the airline is investigating the plane before saying more. Either way the airline did the right thing; they felt uncomfortable and it was NOT just because two people said hello to each other.
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- FrunkU 18 hrs ago
There are many reasons a flight gets cancelled. 2 people saying hello to each other is Not one of them. You’re not that important guys, sorry.
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- Aya 19 hrs ago
If Ilhan Omar would be on this flight I would not even board it. Some people always do something, so it is better to be safe then sorry.
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- Scott 16 hrs ago
Good. Flight crew did their job. No harm, no foul.
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- Herkey 17 hrs ago
I saw an interview with them and they said they were on their way to a CAIR conference. Did they purposely make the crew nervous so they could claim victim status and that prejudice is common toward Muslims? That's the CAIR model.
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- John 18 hrs ago
Why hasn’t YooHoo published an article about the Muslim Americans Airlines mechanic the FBI has in custody because he tampered with a plane’s navigation system before takeoff last week? Found a lot of troubling anti-American evidence since his arrest. I guess it doesn’t fit the narrative? Maybe somebody would have done something?
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