Delta Air Lines said on Monday it was banning a disruptive passenger from all future flights after a video showed the passenger going on an expletive-filled rant in support of President-elect Donald Trump.
The video posted on Facebook (by another passenger) showed the unruly passenger standing in the aisle of a Delta flight from Atlanta to Allentown, yelling and insulting fellow passengers who were supporters of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton calling them “Hillary b—-es.”
Delta on Saturday apologized for the incident and said the passenger should not have been allowed to continue on the flight.
Delta Chief Executive Ed Bastian on Monday said that had staff witnessed first-hand what was shown in the video, there is no question the passenger would have been removed from the aircraft.
“He will never again be allowed on a Delta plane,” Bastian said in an internal memo to employees posted on Delta’s website.
Here’s the entire memo:
Date: November 28, 2016
To: Delta Colleagues Worldwide
From: Ed Bastian
Subject: Disruptive Passenger on DL248
Thank you for the amazing job you did running our operation and taking care of our customers during the busy Thanksgiving holiday. At Delta, we strive to deliver a safe and reliable product while providing a customer experience that is second to none. You come to work every day prepared to serve our customers and to take care of each other while also dealing with the unexpected.
As you may have heard by now, last week a video began circulating around the internet showing a disruptive passenger on board a Delta flight. This individual displayed behavior that was loud, rude and disrespectful to his fellow customers. After questioning the customer, our team members made the best decision they could given the information they had and allowed him to remain on the flight. However, if our colleagues had witnessed firsthand what was shown in the video, there is no question they would have removed him from the aircraft. He will never again be allowed on a Delta plane.
Part of being a reliable travel partner and a servant leader is acknowledging our mistakes so we can learn from them and respond more effectively in the future. Delta has apologized to the customers onboard that flight. We are also refunding those customers the cost of their tickets.
I also want to make sure all of you know we have your backs. The heightened tension in our society means that now more than ever we must require civility on our planes and in our facilities. We must stay true to Delta’s core values and treat one another with dignity and respect. We also must remain committed more than ever to the safety of our customers and our crew members. We will not tolerate anything less.
Again, thank you for all you do.
Ed
The incident occurred several minutes into the flight, the passenger who posted the video told The Morning Call, an Allentown newspaper.
Delta is refunding passengers aboard the flight the cost of their tickets, Bastian said.
“The heightened tension in our society means that now more than ever we must require civility on our planes and in our facilities,” Bastian said.
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