Air New Zealand apologises after passengers say they were removed from flight because of their size

Air New Zealand has issued an apology to two passengers who say they were kicked off a flight because of their size. Angel Harding told 1News of the “trauma” she had experienced from a flight attendant on the Napier to Auckland service on March 8. She was returning back to Northland with friends after a hui in Hastings. Harding said the plane was taxiing when she felt a pain in her left arm as a crew member was forcing the arm rest into her arm. “I was kind of was in shock and I moved forward, and she started yelling to me that the pilot can’t take off unless all the arm rests were down, and she was quite aggressive to me. She was speaking to me in an aggressive manner. I just couldn’t believe what was happening to me,” Harding told 1News. She was told she should have booked two seats. There had been no issues on the flight down to Napier from Kerikeri to Auckland, and then Auckland to Napier. The plane soon turned back to the gate and all passengers were told they would have to leave due to an “inconvenience”. However Harding and a friend of hers were not allowed to reboard. “My thoughts are they took me off because of my build, because of my size. As to myself and our build, our size had a lot to do with it. They didn’t say it [was], they said it was an inconvenience.” Air NZ reportedly offered them accommodation and meals, and the airline paid for their seats, but the next flight wasn’t until two days later. However seats became available on a later flight on the Friday.<br/>