A passenger on a EasyJet flights claims he was the victim of ‘racial profiling’ after an airline steward burst into the toilet he was using during the flight.
Adil Kayani, from Sutton Coldfield, was interrupted by a male employee.
The steward has sparked fury by bursting in because Adil “was taking too long”.
But Adil said he was left “exposed” and “made to feel like a criminal”.
The Mirror reports the EasyJet says the steward did it for “safety and security reasons” and claimed 35-year-old Adil had been in there for 15 minutes.
Adil said: “There was a heavy knock on the door.
“I shouted ‘I’ll be out soon hold on a minute’.
“But then the lock turned from red to green.
“Someone had opened it from the outside and forced their way in.
“I was still sat on the toilet. I shouted get out and he shut the door immediately.
“They didn’t do this to anyone else on the flight. It’s not as if I was in the toilet for a long time. I feel completely violated.”
Adil was returning home from a winter break in Marrakesh, Morocco on March 5 and claims he was in the toilet for 15 minutes.
After he was ushered out the lavatory, he complained to the staff. “When I came out of the toilet I saw the guy who opened the door but he avoided me.
“I was expressing I was unhappy about it. I sat back down and a stewardess was sent over to explain. She said it was part of their safety and security policy.”
The passenger has been offered – and said he has rejected – a £500 goodwill gesture and an apology from EasyJet after he complained to company when back in the UK.
Adil, who has a Pakistani heritage and is a Muslim, believes he was the victim of “racial profiling”. EasyJet venomously deny this allegation.
The wholesaler added: “I think it was racial discrimination. They can see the colour of my skin.
“I was racially profiled. It was discrimination. I think it is Islamophobic. I feel like my dignity was violated and my dignity is more important than the money.
“I’m just not happy with that. I want a proper apology from the individually who I feel was not only dismissive, but extremely rude and arrogant.
“I was made to feel like a criminal. It was really humiliating for me.
“That is the first time anything like that has ever happened to me. The only way I can make sense of it is because of my racial background.
“Why else was no one broken in to? It doesn’t make sense.”
An EasyJet spokesperson said: “EasyJet is sorry if Mr Kayani is unhappy, however the cabin crew correctly followed safety procedures by knocking on the toilet door and then opening it after there was no answer following a concern that a passenger had been inside for some time.
“This procedure is in place to ensure passenger safety of all passengers on board including the well being of the customer in the toilet.
“There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that race played a role.”
