‘Too tall’ athlete booted off flight

A Russian athlete who stands seven feet tall says he was kicked off a domestic flight because of his height. Alexander Kimerov, a professional volleyball player, was escorted off the Moscowbound flight after a heated dispute with a flight attendant who said his legs were blocking the aisle. The incident on-board the budget airline Pobeda, which was departing from Siberia, was filmed by a fellow passenger and posted to social media. The athlete, who plays for Fakel Novy Urengoy, told the club’s website that the dispute erupted when he asked to be upgraded to a seat with more leg room. “The stewardess said that these places are more expensive than usual,” he said, “and when I offered to pay her the cost right there, (she) refused.”