EasyJet Denies Anti-Semitism in Returning Flight to Gate

EasyJet has denied allegations it discriminated against Jewish passengers, insisting that a recent flight had to be returned to the gate due to disorderly conduct, unrelated to any other factor.

“Flight EZY3920 from Barcelona to Paris Charles de Gaulle on 1 May 2016 with 180 passengers on board returned to the gate in Barcelona and was met by police due to a group of passengers behaving in a disruptive manner,” EasyJet spokesperson Andy Cockburn told JTA on Monday in answer to a query.

There had been a report that some of the passengers felt that they were being discriminated against because they were Jewish. But Cockburn said it was not the case.

“All passengers were asked to disembark at the request of the police so they could speak to a small number of passengers in order to investigate the incident,” he said.

Although he did not have information about whether anyone was prosecuted, he said that company protocol prohibited the plane from taking off because of the disruptive behavior of certain passengers, which constitute a security risk.

EasyJet “does not tolerate abusive or threatening behavior on board,” he added. The plane took off after a delay of several hours.