YouTuber Adam Saleh says he was ‘kicked off Delta flight at Heathrow after 20 people complained he was speaking Arabic’ but some passengers dispute claims
The notorious prankster – who has 1.6 million YouTube followers – broadcast footage of the incident to a huge global audience
VIDEO
BY MARGI MURPHY AND JASPER HAMILL
21st December 2016, 6:52 pm
THIS is the shocking moment an online star was kicked off a Delta flight at Heathrow today.
YouTuber Adam Saleh, who has 1.6 million followers on the video site, was escorted off a flight from London to New York after 20 other passengers complained about him.
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Adam Saleh, who was escorted off a flight this morning
TWITTER/ADAM SALEH VIA STORYFUL
The YouTuber was taken back into airport and met with police, although he was not charged
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The whole incident was caught on camera and immediately broadcast to a massive global audience
TWITTER/ADAM SALEH VIA STORYFUL
Delta said that 20 passengers complained about Adam before he was kicked off the 9am flight
Delta Air Lines staff escorted Saleh and a friend off the flight this morning – and he caught the whole incident on camera.
He claimed that a number of people complained about him because he was speaking to his mother in Arabic – although these claims have been disputed by some other passengers.
Saleh is a well-known prankster and he has not yet presented any evidence to confirm his “racism” claims.
A passenger on the plane, told BuzzFeed News that after speaking with five passengers who witnessed Saleh’s behaviour he did not believe he had been on the phone to his mother.
Saleh was previously caught out for faking a video which appeared to show a New York City cop racially profiling two Muslims and has posted a number of videos involving pranks on planes (which you can see in the image below).
The YouTuber is infamous for playing pranks on aeroplanes, but has never been kicked off before
Saleh’s latest footage has now been retweeted more than 20,000 times, with viewers expressing their shock at the star’s alleged treatment.
After being removed from the flight, Saleh was grounded in the airport and interviewed by police.
He was not charged with any crime and Delta Airlines rebooked him on another flight to New York.
In the video, the online joker yelled: “I cannot believe my eyes.
“I spoke a word and you said you feel uncomfortable. Why are you guys doing that?
“Just because I spoke a different language.”
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YouTuber Adam Saleh was travelling from London Heathrow to New York
TWITTER/ADAM SALEH VIA STORYFUL
Some passengers were stunned by the incident, whilst others waved at the camera
TWITTER/ADAM SALEH VIA STORYFUL
The identity of the people who complained about Saleh is not known
He claimed the complaints came from "six white people against bearded men".
He added: "We spoke a different language on the plane and now we're getting kicked out. This is 2016.
"Delta Airlines are kicking us out because we spoke a different language.
"You guys are racist."
The online prankster has now been given a seat on another flight, along with his companion.
In a statement, Delta Airlines said: "We take all allegations of discrimination seriously and we are gathering all of the facts before jumping to any conclusion. Our culture requires treating everyone with respect. Furthermore, Delta people are trained to and frequently handle conflicts between passengers.
"Maintaining a safe, comfortable and orderly onboard environment is paramount for every flight and requires the cooperation of all of our customers in conjunction with adherence to directions from our crew members. This is a Delta policy and is required by U.S. regulations as well as others governing aviation worldwide.
"Two customers were removed from Delta flight 1 departing London-Heathrow today after a disturbance in the cabin resulted in more than 20 customers expressing their discomfort.
"We have spoken with the customers who were removed; they were rebooked on another flight.
"Plans are in place to immediately speak with our crew and other passengers when the flight lands this afternoon. We will provide an update once we have more information."
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: "Police were called at approximately 11:00hrs on Wednesday, 21 December after two passengers were removed from a plane by crew at Heathrow Airport.
"Officers attended and the passengers were escorted to the terminal where they were assisted with making alternative travel arrangements.
"They were not arrested and no offences were disclosed."
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The vlogger recently claimed to have completed one of the most dangerous airline pranks in history after smuggling himself into the hold of a plane in a suitcase.
He claimed to have checked onto a TigerAir flight from Melbourne to Sydney undetected, although the airline disputed the claims.
Prankster Saleh filmed the entire trip from inside a suitcase and published the video online this week, racking up more than 150,000 views in under 24 hours.
However, the airline wrote a scathing open letter denying his claims which said: "There are a few inconsistencies in your production that don't line up with reality.
"It gets pretty cold at 36,000 feet without any heating. Had you been in the baggage hold, by the time you arrived in Sydney you would have been a popsicle."
TigerAir also said it had "footage of you boarding the aircraft (using your legs)".
Sourche: thesun.co.uk