(WFAA) A passenger on Southwest Airlines claimed she was discriminated against when she was allegedly told she could not sit in the aisle of the emergency exit door because she was wearing a hijab. Her sister, who was not wearing a hijab, says she was allowed to sit in the aisle.
Fatima Altakrouri said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon that she and her sister wanted to sit next to each other in two empty seats on the emergency exit row as they were boarding the May 22 flight to Dallas. They ended up returning to their original separate seats after the flight attendant allegedly denied Fatima. She said they have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Altakrouri, who was born and raised in the U.S. and wearing a hijab during the flight, claimed a flight attendant told her that she “couldn’t speak English and would bring the whole plane down in an emergency.”
