The Passenger is Threatening to Sue if His Demands are Not Met

Delta passenger Mohammad Shibli is threatening to sue the airline after one of its flight attendants allegedly refused to give him water, cussed at him, and slapped him in the face. He is willing to let it go, but only if Delta provides sensitivity training to all of its employees and forks over a full day of profits.

Shibli’s claim rests on a July 29 flight from Atlanta to Fresno. He says the altercation began when his family requested water for his two-year-old son, and the attendant refused. Other crew members reportedly provided the drink later on, but the situation continued to spiral as the flight progressed.

“As she walked back and forth to serve other passengers, she bumped into me with her body,” Shibli argues. “I tried to ignore it, but the passenger in my row, whom I had never met before, could tell that the Delta attendant was provoking me.”

Shibli alleges that the flight attendant used vulgar language, threatened to have him arrested, and ultimately struck him in the face. Eyewitnesses reportedly backed his version of events, with one claiming that the attendant said, “You don’t get to call me that” immediately after hitting him.

“To my surprise, the Delta attendant continued to serve other passengers and acted like nothing happened,” Shibli added.

Law enforcement questioned the Delta employee after landing, though she was not arrested. Delta has since suspended her pending investigation.

The potential lawsuit frames the situation as a racial and political dispute. Shibli is a Palestinian Muslim, and his wife was wearing a shirt with “Palestine” printed on it during the flight. His attorney, Ali Awad, suggested the altercation was triggered by prejudice, linking the incident to previous controversies involving Delta employees and Palestinian symbols.

The case demands two remedies: that all Delta employees undergo mandatory sensitivity training on Palestine, and for the airline to hand over one day of its profits, amounting to roughly $20 million. If Delta does not concede, Shibli and Awad will move forward the hard way.

“As a father, I looked helpless in front of my son. As a husband, I was humiliated. And as a passenger, I feared for the safety and security for myself and for my family,” Shibli continued.

FMI: www.delta.com