Delta Airlines fined $50,000 for asking a Muslim passenger to get off the plane

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Delta Airlines fined $50,000 for asking a Muslim passenger to get off the plane
Delta Airlines fined $50,000 for asking a Muslim passenger to get off the plane

New Delhi : Delta Airlines has been fined $50,000 by the US Transport Department for allegedly discriminating three Muslim passengers who were asked to get off the airplane.

In a consent order, the authorities said it found Delta "engaged in discriminatory conduct" and violated anti-discrimination laws when it removed the three passengers.

On July 26, 2016, a Muslim couple was removed from the Delta Airlines after a fellow passenger complained against the suspicious behavior of the couple. The woman was wearing a scarf and the man had inserted something into his watch.

The fight attendant mentioned that she saw the man using his cell phone for text messages and wrote Allah several times during his conversation.

The captain confirmed identities of the couple with Delta Security officials, who confirmed that there was no red flag against them; still pilot refused to take off with them on the plane.

The Department of Transportation said the captain had failed to follow Delta's security protocol and it appeared that "but for the couple's perceived religion, Delta would not have removed or denied them reboarding" of their flight.

A similar incident happened with another Muslim passenger on July 31, 2016.

Delta disagreed that it engaged in discriminatory conduct but "does not dispute that each of these two incidents could have been handled differently," the order said.

The government said the fine "establishes a strong deterrent against future similar unlawful practices by Delta and other carriers."