(Montreal) A black family in Montreal claims they were racially profiled when they were kicked off an Air Canada flight to Florida after telling staff that their luggage had not been loaded into the room. hold.
Members of the Wright family recounted their version of their July 28 misadventure at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport at a press conference on Tuesday.
Keith Wright said his daughter raised concerns with a flight attendant that the family’s bags were still visible on the rain-soaked tarmac. Their 7:30 p.m. flight had been delayed due to bad weather and the pilot had announced that some luggage would be left behind, as the plane was over its weight limit.
After the Wright family spoke out, the plane returned to the gate and staff announced they would find a solution.
Mr Wright, 55, said a white passenger who complained about the delay and asked to leave was asked to disembark with his young son. But to his surprise, he and his daughter were also asked to leave the plane without being told why.
His daughter, Jodi Smith-Wright, 31, insisted that neither she nor her father had raised their voices or been rude.
“I couldn’t believe asking a question could lead to what happened to us and I believe it was [racial profiling] because other people were really concerned about their business when they heard my complaint. No one else was asked to get off the plane,” she testified.
Seven other family members – aged between 5 and 60 – were also kicked off the flight. Mr. Wright said another black family was also asked to leave the plane, but were ultimately allowed to stay when they said they were not traveling with the Wrights.
Ms. Wright said after her family left the plane, she was met by six officers, including officers from the Canada Border Services Agency and Montreal police.
“I couldn’t believe what was happening, just for asking for the service that Air Canada claims to provide,” she blurted out.
The family of nine had to scramble to find another flight after an Air Canada official told them they would be banned from flying with the carrier for 24 hours.
The Wrights eventually spent a sleepless night driving three personal vehicles to Syracuse, New York, to catch a last-minute flight in the morning, arriving just twenty minutes before the departure of their cruise, which she -even cost nearly $12,000.
The family announced Tuesday their intention to file complaints of racial profiling with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, assisted by the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR), based in Montreal.
In an emailed statement, Air Canada confirmed that a group of passengers had been disembarked following an “incident on board the aircraft.”
Christophe Hennebelle, vice president of corporate communications, said the airline would not discuss the reasons that led to the decision, adding that the carrier deals directly with customers.
“These measures have been taken solely for the safety and well-being of our fellow customers and crew,” Hennebelle wrote. If a complaint on this subject were filed with the competent authorities, we will take the opportunity at that time to explain our decision. »
Fo Niemi, executive director of CRARR, said each family member could claim up to $10,000 and that the commission’s investigation would shed light on the alleged safety issues.
“We hope this incident will compel not only Air Canada, but also the airline industry, to develop a clear policy against racial profiling in commercial air travel,” Mr. Niemi said.