Ethiopian Airlines has issued a statement to clear the air on a viral video showing a disgruntled passenger being removed from a flight after allegedly being told to give up her seat to a minister.
The video, shared by CNN’s Larry Madowo, shows the passenger complaining to the flight attendants about being asked to leave her seat, which she claims was reserved for the minister. She was eventually forced off the plane while screaming.
However, the airline has denied that the minister was involved in the incident, stating that there was an overbooking on Flight ET308 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi and three passengers with standby economy class boarding passes attempted to board the plane despite being advised to book the next flight.
According to the airline, their staff members politely asked these passengers to disembark after they ignored security personnel at the boarding gate.
The airline emphasized that their seats were not influenced by the presence of a national VIP passenger in business class, and that they follow a standard protocol where VIPs, business class passengers, and platinum ShebaMiles members board after all other passengers have been 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,” the airline said.
The airline apologized for any inconvenience caused and assured the public that they are committed to the safety and well-being of all passengers and adherence to established operational guidelines.
The three affected passengers were reportedly boarded on the next flight.
The incident has sparked debate online, with some calling for more transparency and accountability from airlines while others have questioned the passenger’s actions.
