‘Just rip him off the plane’: Passenger removed from Delta flight for refusing to end call

An unruly passenger was removed from a Delta flight after they refused instructions from the crew to get off their phone call while the plane was taxiing out.

A passenger onboard a Delta Airlines flight from Miami to Atlanta was removed for not getting off a phone call before the plane was taking off.

Delta told CTV News in a statement that the incident happened Monday aboard flight 1323 as the plane was taxiing. The airline said that crewmembers told the passenger several times to end the call, but the passenger didn’t listen and became disruptive.

“The safety of our customers and crew comes before all else, and Delta has zero tolerance for disruptive behaviour” they said in an email statement. “We apologize to our customers for this experience and delay in their travels.”

Footage of the incident shows other passengers on the flight directing their frustrations towards the uncooperative traveller.

“So we’re all supposed to listen and he doesn’t,” one man asks angrily.

“Just rip him off the plane, he’s in the front row,” another man can be heard yelling.

The stubborn passenger was eventually taken off the plane, after it had returned to the gate. The flight took off about an hour later than it was originally scheduled.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration, passengers on an aircraft must follow crewmembers’ instructions. Those who don’t comply may be subjected to civil penalties of nearly US$14,000.