A Delta Airlines jet. Photo: Reuters/Beata Zawrzel

Delta Airlines has launched an investigation into accusations of antisemitism against one of its flight attendants after an Orthodox Jewish man was removed from a flight from Florida to New York earlier this week.

The unnamed individual told the Orthodox Jewish news outlet Hamodia that he and his family had boarded flight DL 1541 from Fort Lauderdale to New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Monday afternoon. The man brought a single suitcase and a hat box onto the aircraft, which his lawyers insisted had conformed to Delta’s carry-on luggage weight restrictions.

Moments after taking his seat, the Jewish man was approached by two members of staff, including the flight attendant, who told him, “You people always have tons of luggage. Why can’t you put the hat box under your feet?”

The man responded that he would place the box under his feet should it become necessary, but at that moment there was plenty of space in the locker. The flight attendant then walked off, returning in a rage two minutes later and seizing the man’s suitcase from the locker. When the man told her that he did not consent to his property being moved, she responded, “If you don’t let me, I’ll show you.”

Shortly afterwards, the man was escorted from the plane by security guards who decided, after hearing his side of the story, to allow him to reboard the flight. However, upon learning this, the attendant threatened to leave the plane, which would have resulted in the flight’s cancelation. As a result, Delta provided the passenger with a hotel room and a $500 voucher.

Witnesses to the incident who spoke to ABC News expressed sympathy with the Jewish man, with one passenger shooting cellphone video that showed available space in the overhead locker. Michelle Landsman, who was sitting a few rows behind the man, told the broadcaster that the attendant “took his bag in a rage for no reason.”

“I’m Jewish, I just felt terrible, I believe it’s an antisemitic act towards this man, or towards the Hassidim,” Landsman said.

Another unnamed passenger who is also Jewish said that he and his son had been intimidated by the attendant’s behavior.

“When she used the term, ‘You people..’ I was afraid she was gonna be aggressive to the point where I told my son, ‘Let’s be careful she doesn’t come after us.’ And I told him take his yarmulke off, so we don’t get targeted as well, I took my yarmulke off,” the passenger disclosed.

In a statement acknowledging the incident, Delta said that it was “committed to using the result of this investigation to come to a full understanding of the events that took place and respond.”