A family on a Spirit Airlines flight was temporarily removed from their aircraft for not following mask guidelines, according to a new video making the rounds online.
The clip shows the family stepping off the plane after a flight attendant claimed that the 2-year-old in the family was not wearing a face mask.
The family was stepped off the flight, which was traveling from Orlando to Atlantic City, before being ultimately allowed back on, The New York Post reports.
The footage shows a toddler sitting on her pregnant mother’s lap while the father argues with the flight attendant.
“She’s not wearing a mask,” the flight attendant says in the clip, referring to the infant.
The father involved others on the flight, fielding a question to nearby passengers on board.
“You’ve been sitting next to me. Was I wearing the mask the whole time? Was I wearing the mask the whole time, everybody?” he asked.
The flight attendant held firm, telling the family, “It’s not my choice. You have to take your stuff and get off.”
Another video from the day shows police escorting the family off the airplane. The Orlando Police Department confirmed that it was contacted about the incident on the Spirit flight, and clarified that its "officers stood by, while Spirit Airlines resolved the issue."
A Spirit Airlines rep said the parents broke the airline’s face mask policy, but the incident was not caught on camera. The rep also said the family was allowed to reboard the flight and travel to their planned destination.
The rep also addressed claims made on social media that those kicked off the flight included a flight attendant who was involved in the incident, saying the individual left due to a crew change.
“There is no truth to claims that a flight attendant ‘wasn’t allowed to get back on board’ or that police became involved with a flight attendant. Orlando police have stated publicly that, though present at the gate, they did not take an active role in this situation,” Sutton continued.
The face mask policy for Spirit Airlines states that all passengers must wear face masks over their mouth and nose, except when eating or drinking. Children who are two and under are exempt from this policy.
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