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updated 1 hour, 46 minutes ago
Muslim family removed from plane remains at odds with airline
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
On flight, passenger overheard comment from Muslim, reported it to attendant
Airline won’t clarify comment; man says couple just talked about safest seating
AirTran says removing passengers was proper; family wants apology
Man on same flight who talked with family was also kicked off, considers lawsuit
By Mike M. Ahlers
CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) — A day after a Muslim family was removed from a flight at Reagan National Airport near Washington, officials of AirTran Airways and the family stood their ground Friday, each accusing the other of misconduct.
Kashif Irfan, left, and his brother Atif Irfan were among family members removed from the flight Thursday.
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The families of Atif Irfan, a tax attorney, and his brother Kashif Irfan, an anesthesiologist, were removed from a flight before takeoff Thursday after a passenger reported hearing Atif Irfan’s wife say something the passenger thought was suspicious.
The airline declined to say what comment was overheard. But Atif Irfan say the couple was discussing the safest place to sit on a plane and speculates that someone misconstrued their intent.
Family members Friday said they are particularly concerned about AirTran’s actions after they were removed from the flight. AirTran refused to rebook the family on a subsequent flight, even after FBI agents cleared them of wrongdoing and intervened on their behalf, the Irfans said.
“The FBI agents actually cleared our names,” said Inayet Sahin, Kashif Irfan’s wife. “And they went on our behalf and spoke to the airlines and said, ‘There is no suspicious activity here. They are clear. Please let them get on a flight so they can go on their vacation,’ and they still refused.” Watch Muslims recount how they were kicked off plane »
On Friday, AirTran released a statement saying it acted properly.
“Six of the nine detained passengers approached the customer service counter and asked to be rebooked to Orlando,” the AirTran statement says.
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“At the time, the airline had not been notified by authorities that the passengers were cleared to fly and would not rebook them until receiving said clearance. One passenger in the party became irate and made inappropriate comments,” and local police escorted the passengers away, the statement said.
The statement did not mention the FBI, nor did AirTran respond to CNN’s written questions about the encounter.
An FBI spokesman said Thursday night said the agency helped the Irfan family rebook a flight but did not specify an airline.
The dispute occurred about 1 p.m. Thursday as AirTran flight 175 was preparing for takeoff from Reagan National Airport near Washington on a flight to Orlando, Florida. iReport.com: Share your story
The Irfan brothers, their wives, a sister and three children were headed to Orlando to meet with family and attend a religious conference.
“The conversation, as we were walking through the plane trying to find our seats, was just about where the safest place in an airplane is,” Sahin said. “We were [discussing whether it was safest to sit near] the wing, or the engine or the back or the front. But that’s it. We didn’t say anything else that would raise any suspicion.”
The conversation did not contain the words “bomb,” “explosion,” “terror” or other words that might have aroused suspicion, Atif Irfan said.
“When we were talking, when we turned around, I noticed a couple of girls kind of snapped their heads,” said Sobia Ijaz, Atif Irfan’s wife. “I kind of thought to myself, ‘Oh, you know, maybe they’re going to say something.’ It didn’t occur to me that they were going to make it such a big issue.”
Federal officials say a passenger on the plane notified a flight attendant about a suspicious conversation, and the flight attendant notified the pilot and federal air marshals who were aboard. The pilot asked the air marshals to remove the passengers, said Transportation Security Administration spokesman Christopher White.
Authorities first removed Atif Irfan and his wife, then returned for the rest of the family, including three small children. They also removed a family friend, Abdul Aziz, a Library of Congress attorney who was coincidentally taking the same flight and had been seen talking with the family.
After the FBI interviewed family members, the agency released them, Irfan said. Watch how Muslims find climate of fear at airport »
AirTran spokesman Tad Hutcheson said the airline acted appropriately. In a written statement, AirTran said it “complied with all TSA, law enforcement and Homeland Security directives and had no discretion in the matter.”
After the the family and friend were taken for questioning, the remaining 95 passengers, the crew and baggage were removed from the plane and rescreened, AirTran said.
TSA spokesman White said that it was the airline’s decision to remove the family and that the pilot and airline had the authority to remove the family and to rebook it.
Atif Irfan said he was “impressed with the professionalism” of the FBI agents who questioned him, but believes the airline owes his family an apology.
“Really, at the end of the day, we’re not out here looking for money. I’m an attorney. I know how the court system works. We’re basically looking for someone to say … ‘We’re apologizing for treating you as second-class citizens.’ ” he said.
“We are proud Americans,” Sahin said. “You know we decided to have our children and raise them here. We can very easily go anywhere we want in the world, but you know we love it here and we’re not going to go away, no matter what.”
But Aziz, the Library of Congress attorney who also was removed from the plane, said there is a “very strong possibility” he will pursue a civil rights lawsuit.
“I guess it’s just a situation of guilt by association,” Aziz said. “They see one Muslim talking to another Muslim, and they automatically assume something wrong is going on.”