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'You bloody keep quiet or you will be thrown out': UK airline offloaded Indian family as their child was crying

Speed News Desk | Updated on: 9 August 2018, 15:00 IST

According to reports, an Indian family was deplaned from a British Airways flight because their three-year-old son was crying.

One of the British crew members shouted at the child saying “you bloody keep quiet otherwise you will be thrown out of the window.

The Indian passenger who was deplaned, A P Pathak, said, “We were travelling to Berlin from London in British Airways, Our son started crying and a flight attendant came and threatened to deplane us if our child doesn't keep quiet and after a while, he called the security and we were asked to deboard.”

Pathak also wrote a letter to Union aviation minister Suresh Prabhu and foreign minister Sushma Swaraj alleging “humiliation and racial discrimination” by the European airline.

“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,” Pathak added.

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Pathak is a joint secretary-level officer in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The incident took place on July 23 on a London-Berlin flight (BA 8495). Following this, the plane was returned to the terminal and the family, along with some other Indians seated behind them who offered the child biscuits to console him, were asked to deplane.  

"We had to make our own arrangements for staying and travelling to Berlin the next day by paying a very hefty amount," Pathak said, adding that the other Indian family was given tickets for a flight the next day, without any accommodation though.

Meanwhile, the airline in a statement said, “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,” it added.

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First published: 9 August 2018, 15:00 IST