A video showing a man racially abusing an elderly passenger on a Ryanair flight has prompted widespread outrage and an investigation by British police. The video appears to show a White man in an altercation with a Black woman over seating arrangements in their row.
Despite protests from another passenger that the woman was disabled, the man can be heard threatening to push her.
The airline has drawn criticism for failing to eject the abusive passenger. “He refused to sit next to the woman because she was Black,” wrote David Lawrence, the man who filmed the incident, on Facebook. “The elderly lady was moved to another seat whilst the man was allowed to continue his journey with extra room and on-board service,” he added on YouTube. He said the video was filmed on flight FR 9015 from Barcelona to London Stansted on October 19.
Essex Police, the force with jurisdiction over Stansted Airport, said they were made aware of the incident on Sunday and are now working with Spanish officers on an investigation.
