Musician removed from flight as cello 'posed safety risk'

A cellist was left feeling "like a criminal" after being removed from a flight - because his musical instrument post a safety risk.

John Kaboff boarded a flight from Washington to Chicago and had paid for a seat for his extremely expensive cello, but was told by a flight attendant that the pilot asked him to leave.

See also: Plane passenger badly burnt when headphones explode mid-air

See also: Stranger helps mum with twins about to be kicked off flight

According to The Strad, he said: "I was mortified to have to be removed from a flight, like I just committed a crime.

"Either I could voluntarily leave or I could be removed from the airplane.

"Since it [the cello] would actually touch the floor by a little bit, since it wasn't strapped in, it would pose a safety risk."

6ABC News reports that Mr Kaboff says he's flown with American Airlines with his cello over 40 times, and a similar incident has only happened once, 12 years ago.

After the latest incident, Mr Kaboff took to social media to vent his frustrations.

He wrote: "I am at Reagan National Airport [and] I've just been kicked off an American Airlines 737 airplane for buying a seat for my cello.

"I need to go to Chicago today for work. Unfortunately a flight attendant who makes the decision for the safety of an entire airplane has decided that the cello touching the floor in the bulkhead is not safe.

"This is where the cello is supposed to sit. According to the American Airlines flight manual the cello is allowed on a 737 aircraft. This is flight 153 to Chicago."

American Airlines staff later apologised for the inconvenience and he was booked on another flight to Chicago.