YouTube star says kicked off flight
NEW YORK: A Yemeni-American YouTube star from New York called for a boycott of Delta Airlines after charging he was removed from one of its flights for speaking Arabic.
Delta said Adam Saleh and his friend Slim Albaher were asked to leave the London-toNew York flight on Wednesday morning following an unspecified “disturbance.”
“We spoke a different language on the plane, and now we’re getting kicked out,” the 23-year-old prankster, who has more than 2.2 million YouTube followers, said in a video filmed as the incident unfolded, and posted on Twitter.
Saleh said he had been talking to his mother on the phone when fellow passengers complained, and he was told to leave.
“You guys are racists,” he said. “I spoke a different language and you say you feel uncomfortable! I can’t believe my eyes. We spoke a different language and now there are six white people against us bearded men.”
Several passengers could be seen voicing their support for Saleh, with one calling out the airline staff in protest, but others at the rear of the aircraft seemed to approve, waving him off and saying “Good Bye.” After an hours-long delay involving more security checks, Saleh said he was finally able to board a flight to New York with a different airline — and would head straight to see his lawyer.