France has demanded clarification from Spanish low-cost airline Vueling and Spanish diplomats after 50 Jewish teenagers were removed from a flight because of their behavior, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called Vueling CEO Caroline Martinoli on Friday, July 25, to express his deep indignation at the removal of a group of young French Jews from the airline's plane. A similar request was also sent to the Spanish ambassador to France“, the statement said.
The minister specifically requested clarification to determine whether there was discrimination based on religion. The Vueling director responded that a “thorough investigation“ was underway and that the results would be shared with the French and Spanish authorities.
Earlier, the newspaper El Español reported that around 50 teenagers from a Jewish choir were removed from a Vueling flight from Valencia to Paris. According to the newspaper, before takeoff, the minors sang songs and behaved inappropriately, and the crew warned them that if the singing or noise continued, the police would be called. As a result, the pilot contacted the Civil Guard, requesting that they take action and remove these passengers from the flight; the group leader was subsequently detained.
Vueling, in turn, posted a comment on social media stating that safety is a key priority for the low-cost airline. The airline described the teenagers' behavior as confrontational, noting that it threatened the safety of the flight. According to the airline, the minors "mishandled emergency and rescue equipment and actively violated the mandatory safety demonstration, repeatedly ignoring the flight attendants' instructions."
Source: tass.ru