Easyjet passenger ‘punched by Nice Airport staff during 14-hour delay’

A British man holding a ninemonth-old baby was punched in the face by a member of staff at Nice Airport after remonstrating over a 14-hour delay, a witness has said.

Arabella Arkwright, 49, captured the blow in a picture circulated online.

An Easyjet spokesman said that the person in the photograph is believed to work for Nice Airport’s special assistance provider Samsic.

“It was completely unprovoked,” said Mrs Arkwright, who was returning from holiday with her husband, Johnnie, 64, their son Harry, 16, and 0 The worker seen punching the passenger at Nice Airport daughter Violet, 13. She said: “This guy literally smirked, smiled as if, excuse my French, basically ‘f*** you,’ and then whack. It was a proper whacking.

“My husband pulled him off. You can see my husband’s face, he’s absolutely appalled. He’s the most unconfrontational man in the world.”

She said her fellow passengers “couldn’t believe it”, adding: “They were yelling, ‘get the police, how dare you’.”a spokesman for the airline said: “Easyjet is very concerned to see this picture and can confirm the person in the photo is not an Easyjet member of staff and they do not work for Easyjet’s ground handling agents in Nice. We are urgently taking this up with Nice Airport and their special assistance provider Samsic, who we understand the person photographed works for.”