In a video circulating on social media, staff on US airline Spirit have kicked a young family off a flight because their child was not wearing a mask while eating.
The clip first started appearing on Twitter and Instagram on Monday, showing how the family responded after they were informed they were “non-compliant” with the airline’s Covid19 safety regulations.
When approached by a flight attendant who said they need to leave the flight, the couple asked what they did wrong, and they were told their child wasn’t wearing a mask. It’s worth pointing out that on Spirit’s official website, it is stated that children under the age of two are exempt from mask requirements.
Other passengers on the flight chimed in to protest the decision, with one person suggesting the crew were “wasting time” on this.
The father continued to ask what he and his pregnant wife had done wrong, to which the attendant responded: “We’re done talking, pilot wants you off.” They were informed that if they didn’t leave, the police would be called.
In a further video the dad, who kept removing his mask briefly to talk, seemed to blame the situation on “one African-American” who wasn’t okay with the situation. Ultimately, the flight was deplaned.
In a later video uploaded by the couple themselves, the young family appear to have been let back on the plane. The father suggested that the attendant who kicked them off was no longer present on the flight, either, but it’s unclear if that’s the case.
Spirit Airlines has yet to respond to the situation.