British professional boxer Amir Khan feels his removal from an American Airlines flight in the U.S. was racially motivated, Sky News reports. He says he and his colleague were “picked on” because they were “two Asian boys.”
American Airlines removed Khan and his colleague from Flight 700 to Dallas-Fort Worth at Newark Liberty international airport in New Jersey on September 18, The Guardian reports. The pair were flying to a training camp in Colorado.
The airline says the 34-year-old boxer and his colleague refused to adjust their masks, properly stow luggage and place their phones on airplane mode. They banned the pair from future flights.
Khan tweeted that he felt the incident was disrespectful.
A week later he tweeted to dispute claims from an American Airlines spokesperson stating that police weren’t involved in the deplaning.
So @AmericanAir Spokesperson said no police where involved in the matter. I was dragged off the plane till I was later recognised, 2 cop cars waited outside the plane. My mask was always up and when I was asked to put down the phone I did, cops saw all my baggage was in storage pic.twitter.com/JJMV7H3Rom
— Amir Khan (@amirkingkhan) September 25, 2021
Khan told Sky News that he thought the incident was racially motivated. He also wondered if the flight happening a week after the anniversary of 9/11 “might have had something to do with” the situation.
“I just feel like I was treated really badly, it was a week after 9/11 and I do feel like things were a little bit tense but to be picked on, two Asian boys who are sat at the front, being pulled out of in front a full plane, it’s quite embarrassing really”, he said.
American Airlines released a statement saying they had reached out to Khan.
“Prior to take off on 18 September, American Airlines Flight 700, with service from Newark Liberty international airport to Dallas-Fort Worth, returned to the gate to deplane two customers who reportedly refused to comply with repeated crew member requests to stow luggage, place cell phones in airplane mode and adhere to federal face covering requirements,” the statement read, according to The Guardian. “Our customer relations team has reached out to Mr Khan to learn more about his experience.”
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