French Montana Says He Will Boycott Delta Airlines for Kicking Off Arabic-Speaking Passengers
French Montana has announced he will no longer fly with Delta Airlines, following an alleged incident in which YouTube star Adam Saleh was kicked off a plane for speaking Arabic (though the airline now disputes Saleh’s account, saying that he and his friend “sought to disrupt the cabin with provocative behavior.”)
On Wednesday morning, Saleh recorded a video of him and his friend Slim Albaher being escorted off a Delta flight from London to New York. In the footage, Saleh claims they were being removed from the plane because other passengers complained he was speaking Arabic. The YouTube star shared the video on social media, which resulted in a wave of backlash against Delta. People have accused the airline of discriminating against the men for simply speaking a foreign language, and many—like French—have called for a boycott of Delta.
“I don’t like speaking on things like this but this struck a nerve,” French wrote on Instagram. “I have a mother that doesn’t speak English and discrimination like this make me really sad. The fact that this can happen to her makes me sick. I’m NOT using delta anymore.”
Not too long after the video went viral, some began questioning the validity of Saleh’s claims. Skeptics have pointed out that he has a reputation for video pranks and that this could be a stunt to gain more notoriety. Saleh, however, insists this isn’t the case.
“The only thing I can say is, I would never film a phone video,” the 23-year-old told the New York Times. “That’s when it’s really serious, and I must film.” Saleh’s video camera was reportedly in his luggage.
Representatives of Delta stated Saleh and Albaher were removed from the flight after “more than 20 customers” expressed their discomfort. In a statement issued Wednesday evening, the airline called Saleh “a known prankster” who “sought to violate” the “safety and comfort of our passengers and employees.”
