Airline that kicked Jewish children off plane ‘must be investigated'

Telegraph

28-07-2025

The airline that kicked Jewish children off a plane must be investigated, a former attorney general has said.
Sir Michael Ellis KC said he was 'deeply concerned' after a group of Jewish children returning to France from a summer camp in Spain were escorted off a flight after at least one of them sang a Hebrew song.
The Spanish airline Vueling allegedly removed the director of a Jewish summer camp and approximately 50 children from the flight to Paris, according to footage shared on social media on Wednesday. The airline said the group had 'compromised passenger safety'.
Following the incident, Amichai Chikli, Israel's minister for diaspora affairs and combating anti-Semitism, described the incident as an example of 'serious' anti-Semitism, adding that the children, aged between 10 and 15, had been singing songs in Hebrew on the plane.
Spanish police said the children's removal from the plane had nothing to do with their singing but it was instead due to 'misbehaviour'.
Writing to Sir Stephen Hillier CBE, the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Sir Michael called for the airline watchdog to urgently investigate.
Sir Michael, who was attorney general between September and October 2022, said: 'Without prejudging the matter, I am deeply concerned, bearing in mind the extraordinary increase in anti-Semitism seen in the UK and elsewhere, that passengers professing the Jewish faith who might choose to travel on Vueling flights in the future are not subject to discrimination.
'The CAA is also obligated to uphold the Equality Act 2010 in exercising its functions, which requires the elimination of discrimination, harassment and victimisation of any group with protected characteristics.
'I am, therefore, asking the CAA to urgently investigate Vueling and seek assurances that the airline is in compliance with its international obligations under the CAA, FAA, IATA and EU laws and regulations, as well as the Montreal Convention 1999 (Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air).
'As I am sure you will appreciate, as well as receiving significant media attention, particularly in Europe, this incident will be of enormous concern to the Jewish community here in the UK. I trust that you share my concern at the reported incident and will be making this a priority.'
'The Spanish and French authorities are said to already be investigating this incident. However, in my view the allegations raise deeply alarming questions which necessitate action from the relevant British regulatory authorities, bearing in mind the British connections I have outlined above.'
Sir Michael asked the CAA what undertakings it would make to investigate Vueling and what enforcement actions would any airline found to be discriminating against passengers on the basis of race, colour or religion be obligated to follow.
He also asked the watchdog what assurances it could give that Vueling and all other airlines operating in the UK were safe for Jewish passengers, and whether it had requested any video or CCTV footage of the incident, as well as copies of statements from passengers and crew.
Following the incident involving the children, the Vueling crew requested the assistance of the Guardia Civil, which decided to disembark the group to prioritise passenger safety.
It said in a statement last week: 'We deny that the incident was related to the singing of songs. The minors repeatedly tampered with emergency equipment and interrupted the crew's safety demonstration, ignoring the crew. The pilot, believing they were endangering the flight, ordered their removal.
'Proceedings have been opened against one flight attendant for resisting authority.'
Vueling denied that the crew's decision was related to the religion of the passengers.
A CAA spokesman said: 'The UK Civil Aviation Authority has received Rt Hon Sir Michael Ellis's letter, and will respond accordingly in due course.'