Ethiopian Airlines has addressed a viral video showing a disgruntled passenger allegedly being removed from her seat, which was purportedly reserved for a minister. The video, shared by CNN’s Larry Madowo, depicts the passenger protesting to flight attendants, calling for equality, and insisting that the minister should leave the flight.
The woman was ultimately removed from the plane while screaming.
In a statement, Ethiopian Airlines clarified that there was a misunderstanding regarding the minister taking another passenger’s seat. The airline explained that on Friday, July 19, there was an overbooking on flight ET308, which was heading to Nairobi from Addis Ababa.
Three individuals with standby economy class boarding passes arrived at the gate just minutes before the flight’s scheduled departure and were advised to book the next flight.
“However, they ignored the advice of the Boarding Agent and attempted to board the aircraft bypassing security personnel at the boarding gate. Our staff members courteously asked these passengers to disembark,” the statement read in part.
Ethiopian Airlines reaffirmed that the seats were not influenced by the presence of a national VIP passenger in business class. They assured the public that they follow standard protocol, wherein VIPs, Business Class passengers, and Platinum ShebaMiles members are allowed to board only after all other passengers are seated.
“A misapprehension arose among the standby passengers, leading to the distorted belief that their seats had been allocated to a VIP. This is not the case, and the circulating video does not reflect the true sequence of events.”
“We extend our gratitude to our patrons for allowing us the chance to clarify these circumstances before forming any judgments. Ethiopian Airlines is dedicated to the safety and well-being of all our passengers and to the adherence of our established operational guidelines.”
The airlines said that the three affected passengers boarded the next flight.
