Another Sign That Airline Passangers Still Have No Rights

AirTran Airways apologized last week to members of a Muslim family for kicking them off a plane and refusing to rebook them despite requests from FBI agents who had cleared them of wrongdoing.

The families of Atif Irfan, a tax attorney, and his brother Kashif Irfan, an anesthesiologist, were removed from a flight at Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC before takeoff after a passenger reported hearing Atif Irfan's wife say something suspicious. The FBI interviewed the family and cleared them of wrongdoing. But AirTran still refused to honor the family's tickets to Orlando.

"We regret that the issue escalated to the heightened security level it did," AirTran said in a statement. "But we trust everyone understands that the security and the safety of our passengers is paramount."

The statement was an abrupt about-face for the airline, which three hours earlier had issued a press release with an unapologetic description of the incident. In the airline's first statement, it claimed that it did not re-book the family only because the security concern had not been resolved, and because one member of the group "became irate and made inappropriate comments."

That account differed from statements taken from the family and the FBI. "The conversation, as we were walking through the plane trying to find our seats, was just about where the safest place in an airplane is," said Inayet Sahin, Kashif Irfan's wife. "We were [discussing whether it was safest to sit near] the wing, or the engine or the back or the front. But that's it. We didn't say anything else that would raise any suspicion."

Authorities first removed Atif Irfan and Sobia Ijaz, then returned for the rest of the family, including three small children. They also removed a family friend, Abdul Aziz, a Library of Congress attorney who was coincidentally taking the same flight and had been seen talking with the family.

The FBI said agents interviewed the family, resolved the security concerns and then tried to help re-schedule the flight with the airline. "The FBI agents actually cleared our names," said Sahin. "They went on our behalf and spoke to the airlines and said, 'There is no suspicious activity here. They are clear. Please let them get on a flight so they can go on their vacation,' and they still refused." The FBI ultimately helped the family book a flight on US Airways.

AirTran dug itself a deeper hole by claiming In statements that it "complied with all TSA, law enforcement and Homeland Security directives and had no discretion in the matter." But TSA spokesman White said it was the pilot's decision to remove the family and the airline and pilot had the ultimate authority to decide whether to allow the family back on AirTran flights.

Family members said Friday they had not decided whether to accept AirTran's apology, saying there were a variety of opinions.

Meanwhile, an Islamic group -- the Council on Islamic American Relations, or CAIR -- filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation, which oversees airlines. "We believe this disturbing incident would never have occurred had the Muslim passengers removed from the plane not been perceived by other travelers and airline personnel as members of the Islamic faith," CAIR said in its complaint.