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ELEVEN friends were
ordered to get off a packed holiday flight seconds before take-off
- because they were deaf.
The pilot claimed the
group was a liability to the safety of the plane.
The humiliated passengers
are now seeking compensation from easyJet.
The friends - from a
centre for the deaf in Liverpool - had arranged a weekend away in
Amsterdam.
But they didn't get
further than the tarmac at the city's airport when the captain
ruined their plans.
One of the passengers
said: "We were in our seats excited about our break when we
were suddenly told the flight would not leave with us onboard.
"It was made clear
we had to disembark because we were deemed a hazard. The pilot
thought that because we were deaf we would not be able to follow
emergency instructions.
"We were
discriminated against for being disabled. He said we needed carers
if we wanted to fly and made us feel like young children.
"It was so, so
humiliating. We had to get off the plane while other passengers
watched and stared."
The outraged passengers
have instructed solicitors Peter Edwards Law to seek compensation.
Mr Edwards said: "It
is my understanding this was discriminatory behaviour against
disabled people."
The group later flew to
Amsterdam on another easyJet flight in October.
Now easyJet bosses have
apologised and launched an investigation.
An airline spokeswoman
admitted it had made a mistake. She said: "Our captain acted
in an over zealous way.
"There was a
misunderstanding. He thought wrongly that there were special needs
passengers travelling without a care assistant. He was concerned
for the safety of the aircraft."
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