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Ryanair Blasted for Not Ejecting Passenger Over Racial Abuse

Ryanair Under Fire for Not Removing Passenger Over Racial Abuse

(Bloomberg) -- Ryanair Holdings Plc faced a barrage of criticism on social media for failing to remove a passenger who fired a torrent of racial abuse at an elderly female flier.

In a video first posted to Facebook on Friday, the unidentified man called the woman an “ugly black bastard” and ordered her to stop speaking in a foreign language. He also threatened to push her from her seat if she didn’t move. The clip has gone viral, receiving more than 4 million views.

The woman was moved to another seat by the cabin crew aboard the flight Friday from Barcelona to London Stansted Airport, while the man was allowed to remain on the flight in his assigned spot. Thousands have taken to social media to criticize the Dublin-based airline. The woman, 77, was returning from a vacation with her daughter, the Huffington Post reported.

“Ryanair have failed spectacularly here,” Karl Turner, the member of Parliament who speaks for the Labour Party on transportation, wrote on Twitter. “Suspect the pressure to turn this aircraft around quickly and get it airborne meant that they have allowed this alleged offender to remain on the aircraft. He may now get away with it.”

“We would encourage Ryanair to look at their policies and ensure that staff know what to do, should an incident of this nature occur in the future,” Show Racism the Red Card, a leading UK anti-racism charity, said in an emailed statement.

A Ryanair spokesman said the incident has been reported to local police and wouldn’t comment further.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ellen Milligan in London at emilligan11@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tom Contiliano at tcontiliano@bloomberg.net, Phil Serafino, Anthony Palazzo

©2018 Bloomberg L.P.