OMAHA, Neb. — An Omaha company announced it fired one of its employees for behaving poorly on a recent airline flight and reportedly using racial slurs.
Passengers on the Delta Airlines flight from Eppley Airfield to New York City said there was a group of passengers on board who had been drinking before boarding and then continued to be loud from the back of the plane, The Omaha World-Herald reported. A number of people in the group wore masks with the logo of the company Buildertrend.
Witnesses told KETV that several people, some of whom appeared to be intoxicated, were loud and refused to wear masks on board the plane. According to one witness, someone shouted the N-word at a flight attendant while protesting the mask requirement, KETV reported.
In a statement, the CEO of Buildertrend, Dan Houghton, said, “Buildertrend shares the frustration, disgust, and concern that many have expressed in the wake of this incident. This behavior does not reflect our values we hold as a company. We sincerely apologize to the passengers and employees of Delta Air Lines; to our employees and customers; our partners in business and philanthropy; and to the communities we serve.” The statement also said that one employee was terminated as a result of the incident.
The Delta crew returned to the terminal after taxiing for takeoff, and all passengers had to deplane as they investigated the incident, KETV reported.
Eppley Police Chief Tim Conahan told The Omaha World-Herald that Delta officials said they removed four people from the group from the flight, and no charges were filed.