Muslim woman to sue airline after being removed from flight

PA

A Muslim-American woman who was removed from a plane just before take-off is set to sue the airline for the 'humiliating' incident.

A flight attendant allegedly thought he heard Irum Abbassi say 'It's a go' into her mobile phone, and consequently reportedly believed she may have posed a terrorist threat.

The mother-of-three was searched and went back to the flight, but the cabin crew refused to allow her back on board.

Irum maintains that she actually said 'I've got to go', and is now suing Southwest Airlines for the incident.

She was given an apology, a voucher and a boarding pass for the next San Jose flight out of San Diego's International Airport.

Her lawyer told the Daily Mail: 'Suspicions were aroused because of her religion. She would not have been removed from the plane if she had been a blond-haired, blue-eyed woman.'

A Southwest Airlines spokesman said: 'We do not discriminate against anyone for any reason, and we've been recognised as a leader for our diversity and care for all of our customers throughout our 40 years of service.'

Earlier this year, however, the airline hit the headlines when it removed a University of New Mexico football player for wearing trousers they deemed too baggy.



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