British Airways Sacks Flight Attendant Who Made Racist Comments About Nigerians

The flight attendant, identified as Joanne Wickenden, 23, claimed the video was just a joke and that she was “framed” by one of her co-workers.

British Airways on Tuesday dismissed a flight attendant who posted a Snapchat video in which she made racist remarks about Nigerian passengers, according to the Daily Mail. In a statement made available to the Daily Mail, the airline said “she no longer works for British Airways.” A spokesperson from the airline also confirmed this to SaharaReporters in an email. The flight attendant, identified as Joanne Wickenden, 23, claimed the video was just a joke and that she was “framed” by one of her co-workers. “I have been framed by another BA employee. They were encouraging me, egging me on to say things. They were recording me and sent it around to our friends,” she told the Daily Mail. In the short video filmed before her Friday night flight from London to Abuja, Ms. Wickenden complained about Nigerians asking for “f***ing upgrades” while making an apparent joke about the size of their genitals.

“All the Nigerians are gonna be there asking for f***ing upgrades because they haven’t got enough leg room because their B**s are in the way. Big d***s like this swinging from side to side,” she said.

The flight attendant also mocked the way Nigerians speak, saying, “All the Nigerians are gonna be there like ‘gimme Coca Cola, gimme beef, why you have no beef left?’”

A concerned British Airways employee reported the video to the Daily Mail, which promoted the airline to investigate the matter.