This is not a good year for Delta Airlines. Many frequent fliers are calling for a boycott of Delta after the air service allegedly committed yet another incident of discrimination. An American YouTube star claimed that he was kicked off a flight because he was overheard speaking Arabic on the phone to his mother.
YouTuber Adam Saleh had already boarded the aircraft at the time of the incident. In footage recorded on his cell phone, Saleh captured flight attendants escorting him off of the plane. In the video Saleh revealed that some of his fellow passengers had allegedly complained about him speaking the foreign language. “We spoke a different language on the plane, and now we’re getting kicked out,” he said.”This is 2016. I cannot believe my eyes. I spoke a word and you said you feel uncomfortable. Why are you guys doing that? Just because I spoke a different language.” As Saleh moved through the aisle, he panned around the aircraft, showing a number of passengers sarcastically waving goodbye to him.
We got kicked out of a @Delta airplane because I spoke Arabic to my mom on the phone and with my friend slim… WTFFFFFFFF please spread pic.twitter.com/P5dQCE0qos
— Adam Saleh (@omgAdamSaleh) December 21, 2016
We are still stuck at the airport and Delta has not given us any info. They keep telling us to wait. Please spread the word #BoycottDelta
— Adam Saleh (@omgAdamSaleh) December 21, 2016
UPDATE: We're being security checked AGAIN right now.
— Adam Saleh (@omgAdamSaleh) December 21, 2016
Hopping to do some serious damage control, Delta took to Twitter to release a statement regarding the situation. “Two customers were removed from this flight and later rebooked after a disturbance in the cabin resulted in more than 20 customers expressing their discomfort. We’re conducting a full review to understand what transpired,” the official Delta Twitter account wrote. “We are taking allegations of discrimination very seriously; our culture requires treating others with respect.”
Saleh also took to Twitter to provide fans and supporters with updates about his travel plans. “We are still stuck at the airport and Delta has not given us any info. They keep telling us to wait. Please spread the word,” Saleh tweeted, also sharing that he was being checked by security for a second time before being permitted to board another flight.
Two customers were removed from this flight and later rebooked after a disturbance in the cabin resulted in more than… 1/3
— Delta (@Delta) December 21, 2016
…20 customers expressing their discomfort. We're conducting a full review to understand what transpired. We are… 2/3
— Delta (@Delta) December 21, 2016
…taking allegations of discrimination very seriously; our culture requires treating others with respect. *MR 3/3
— Delta (@Delta) December 21, 2016
Word of Saleh’s experience definitely spread quickly. Supporters joined the YouTube star on social media, using the hashtag, #BoycottDelta, voicing their outrage for the airline service’s repeated discrimination and racism. “The amount of racism hatred & ignorance I just watched in @omgAdamSaleh ‘s video makes me sick to my stomach,” one person tweeted. “Speaking Arabic on a plane is a national threat but having a racist misogynist president that laughs about groping women isn’t,” another chimed in.
In just the past year, Delta has been at the center of controversy for a number of incidents similar to Saleh’s. In November. 2016, passengers on a flight were harassed by a Donald Trump supporter, yelling “Hillary B*tches” and other insults. And just one month before, a flight in Detroit, reportedly stopped an African-American doctor from assisting a sick patient. Delta released a formal statement on the company’s website, saying that a full investigation has been launched regarding Saleh’s allegations. In the meantime, it looks like the airlines will be seeing a pretty significant decline in its customer base.
https://twitter.com/hadeel_maadi/status/811588607916068865
https://twitter.com/rowoones/status/811550863441481728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The amount of racism hatred & ignorance I just watched in @omgAdamSaleh 's video makes me sick to my stomach!
#BoycottDelta— مُهجـة (@MohjahAbughanem) December 21, 2016
Being drunk, abusive and arrogant is not enough to get kicked off a plane. But Being smart enough to speak 2 languages is? #BoycottDelta
— Benny James (@Beno_ldn) December 21, 2016
I can't believe that those people in the back literally said "bye" in a cheerful intonation. #BoycottDelta
— Snober Abbasi (@snobers) December 21, 2016
Arabic is one of the six most-spoken languages in the world. Violating a basic human right isn't justified. Speak up. #BoycottDelta
— Snober Abbasi (@snobers) December 21, 2016
people saying "bye" to the guy as he was being kicked out make me so mad. y'all are disgusting and shouldve been kicked off #BoycottDelta
— ًㅤㅤㅤ (@ovofever) December 21, 2016
I would like to cancel my travel on @Delta to SXM in feb and instead travel on @jetblue, you know the non-racist airline #BoycottDelta
— JP (@skittlesj21) December 21, 2016
https://twitter.com/HeyColleenMcC/status/811574235042869248