Jewish French teens removed from Vueling flight in Spain amid controversy

Thursday 24 July 2025 - 13:30

A group of nearly 50 Jewish French teenagers returning from vacation in Spain were removed from a Vueling flight departing from Valencia to Paris-Orly, sparking accusations of antisemitism.

The incident took place on Wednesday afternoon. According to a statement released by the Spanish airline Vueling, the group demonstrated "highly disruptive behavior" that endangered flight safety. The airline claims the teenagers interfered with safety equipment and actively disrupted the mandatory safety demonstration.

Despite several warnings, Vueling states the group continued their behavior, prompting the flight crew to request the intervention of Spain's Guardia Civil, who proceeded to remove the group from the plane. One of the group’s adult supervisors was arrested during the incident. A video shared online shows her being restrained and handcuffed on the tarmac.

The Guardia Civil confirmed the airline’s version, explaining that the group refused to follow repeated instructions. The arrested supervisor was later released.

However, parents of the teens strongly dispute this account. Speaking to Israeli news outlet i24News, Karine Lamy, mother of one of the teens, claimed the group had been calm and accused the airline of reacting because one child sang a song in Hebrew. "It was antisemitic," she said.

Another parent described the treatment as excessive and humiliating. "They were not wild kids. The youngest were just 12 or 13 years old," she said, adding that the supervisor was “manhandled” after trying to stop officers from confiscating the teenagers' phones.

The incident has raised questions about how airlines handle youth groups, cultural sensitivity, and the boundaries between safety and discrimination.