Muslim Activist Removed From Flight Says Airline Singled Her Out

A Muslim activist and blogger says American Airlines discriminated against her when they had her removed from a flight on Saturday.

The woman, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, says she got into an argument with a white man that started earlier at Newark Liberty International Airport and continued when they were boarding the plane for a flight to Charlotte.

According to the British paper The Guardian, Al-Khatahtbeh says she was wrongfully singled out when the airline had her removed from the plane before it left. She chronicled the event on social media, saying the dispute began at the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at the airport when, she alleges, the man behind her cut the line while she was still taking her shoes off.

The man said he was a first-class passenger with American and that he was also registered with Pre-Check, the service that allows passengers with that designation to go through a special security line and not have to remove shoes, belts or laptops from carry-on bags.

In a video she posted to Facebook from onboard the plane, Al-Khatahtbeh said the man complained about her to the crew and “now they literally have police coming to escort me off this flight right now, for no reason, literally taking this man’s word over mine. He made me feel uncomfortable, this man sitting in first class. I’m a veiled Muslim woman on this flight and they’re taking his word for it.”

The man was not removed.

Al-Khatahtbeh was later released by police.

In a statement, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airport, said: “This morning, the port authority police department received a request from American Airlines personnel at Newark Liberty international airport, who indicated the airline had directed a passenger to deplane from a flight, and that police assistance was needed. Police responded, and briefly took the individual into custody; she has been released. The port authority’s independent inspector general has begun an investigation.”

American Airlines said: “We are aware of an incident that took place during boarding of flight 2029 at Newark Liberty international airport. We are concerned by these allegations and our team is working to understand what occurred.”