Delta Accused Of Kicking Man Off Flight For ‘Being Russian’, 'Occupying Crimea'

A man in a Facebook post Tuesday alleged he was kicked off a Delta Air Lines flight for "being a Russian citizen" and is reportedly planning to sue the airline.

Andrei Yeremin wrote on his Facebook page: “Got kicked out from the plane Delta airlines!!!! Seattle Atlanta! Despite the fact of having platinum membership with the sky team alliance. For being Russian citizen. Not kidding. Passenger next to me refused to fly with me because according to him I was an occupant of Crimea as well as other Russian citizens.”

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“As a result had to take another flight much later. Funtime idiots. God bless America. Time to go home after 22 years of living here,” said Yeryomin, adding he holds American citizenship.

According to a report by the Moscow Times, Yeremin replying to comments on his post in Russian said he was wearing clothes with “Russia” written on it in order to express his support for Russian athletes, when the incident occurred.

He added he did not “give a damn about politics.”

The report also added the Russian Embassy in Washington in a Facebook post (In Russian) said it was looking at sorting out the issue. It also added in English, "Delta, any comments?” tagging the airlines’ Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines in a statement issued to state-run Russian news agency RIA Novosti agency (In Russian) said he was deplaned only for security reasons.

“While the flight 1588 from Seattle to Atlanta, which was sent on July 24, was preparing to take off, a late arriving passenger broke through a closed door at the exit to land and thereby triggered an alarm,” they said.

In another statement to Sputnik International, it added: “The customer was questioned by law enforcement as a result of the security breach and subsequently rebooked on a later flight to Atlanta. Both flights operated without incident. The safety of our customers and crew is Delta’s chief responsibility.”

It was also reported that Yeremin would file a suit against the airline.

This is an addition to the slew of controversies that have surrounded Delta in recent times. In a similar incident that occurred a few weeks ago, conservative social and political commentator Ann Coulter went on Twitter to call Delta Air Lines the "worst airline" in the U.S. after she was removed from her “extra room seat” on a flight.

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On July 7, it was reported that a flight attendant smashed a large bottle of red wine over the head of a passenger during a struggle to stop the man from opening an exit door. The man, identified as Joseph Daniel Hudek, punched one of the attendants twice in the face when they attempted to prevent him from opening the door. After a passenger jumped into the fray, it was Hudek who went for the bottle of wine first, hitting the passenger on the head with a red dessert wine bottle. Then a flight attendant with two large bottles of wine, struck Hudek with both, breaking one on his head. Hudek was later was charged with interfering with a flight crew.