Qantas - Airline Action
"Crew Replaced for refusing to fly Arabs"
Sydney (Reuters) Australian airline Qantas replaced four crew who refused to fly because they were suspicious of four Arab passengers who turned out to be VIP guests of the country's air force.
Qantas airways has admitted the incident - which media said enraged chief executive Geoff Dixon - but only said the crew was now being "counselled". Dixon has not commented on the incident publicly.
The goof up happened early this month when four Gulf Citizens boarded a flight from Sydney to Perth - three in business class and one in economy.
"They were in Australia on an official visit at the invitation of chief of the air force," a spokeswoman for the Australian defence department said. Despite being accompanied by a Royal Australian Air Force officer, the delegation alarmed the four crew members.
The plane finally departed more than an hour behind schedule after a new crew was called up, an Australian newspaper said.