Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Airport worker punches Brit dad’s flights out
AN angry airport worker lands a punch on a British dad holding a nine-month-old baby – as tempers flare over a 13-hour flight delay.
Exhausted easyjet passengers were stunned by what one described as the “proper whacking” at Nice Airport.
Arabella Arkwright, 49, who took the picture said her husband Johnny had to help pull the worker off the dad, adding: “I, like everyone else, was horrified. People had been very well behaved.”
But one video shows the dad in the black cap pushing the airport worker in the chest before he was punched on Saturday in the South of France.
Mrs Arkwright added: “This guy literally smirked, as if, excuse my French, basically ‘f*** you’ and then whack.
“It was a proper whacking.” Ms Arkwright, of Hatton, Warks, was returning from holiday with husband Johnnie, 64, their son Harry, 16 and 13-year-old daughter Violet.
The airport worker was believed to be an employee of Nice Airport’s special assistance provider Samsic.
Flight EZY 2122 from Nice to Luton Airport was due off at 11am on Saturday but didn’t leave until 11.56pm.
Frustrations grew during the delay as children cried, nappies ran out and nobody was allowed out of departures, said Mrs Arkwright.
Apologising, for the delay easyjet said: “We are very concerned to see this picture and can confirm the person in the photo is not an easyjet member of staff and does not work for our ground handling agents in Nice. We are taking this up with Nice Airport.”
Nice Airport was asked to comment.