Passenger removed from US plane after refusing to take off gas mask

An American Airlines (AA) passenger was removed from a flight after he refused to take off a gas mask.

Staff asked him to remove the mask when fellow passengers on the service from Dallas to Houston, in Texas, became concerned.

His refusal led to a one-hour delay after he was escorted off the plane on Thursday.

It was thought he could be wearing the mask because he was concerned with the coronavirus but passenger Joseph Say cast doubt over this because the mask did not have a filter.

Mr Say tweeted a picture from the plane:

Mr Say told ABC News: "I looked up and saw a guy coming onto the plane wearing a full gas mask, which was kind of odd.

"Immediately, people start talking in the back of the plane.

"You couldn't see his face. You couldn't identify any features on him.

“People were worried he had sneaked something on board and that he had the mask for his own safety."

He said a fellow passenger added the man wanted to make a statement rather than actually being concerned about catching anything.

The man was rebooked on a flight to Houston on Friday and this time he did not wear a mask, AA confirmed.

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