Delta Air Lines was Friday fined USD 50,000 by the US Department of Transportation to settle allegations it discriminated against three Muslim passengers who were ordered off their planes.
In its consent order, the department said it found Delta "engaged in discriminatory conduct" and violated anti-discrimination laws when it removed the three passengers.
In one incident on July 26, 2016, a Muslim couple were removed from Delta Flight 229 at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris after a passenger told a flight attendant their behavior made her "very uncomfortable and nervous".
"Mrs X" was wearing a head scarf and the passenger said "Mr X" had inserted something into his watch.
The flight attendant said she saw Mr X texting on his cell phone using the word "Allah" several times.
The captain then spoke with Delta's corporate security, who said Mr and Mrs X were US citizens returning home and there were "no red flags."
Other passengers and flight attendants complained about him but the first officer saw nothing unusual about him and Delta security also said "Mr A"'s record had "no red flags."
The Transportation Department said the captain had not followed Delta's security protocol and the removal of Mr A "after being cleared was discriminatory."
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