Zakir Slaimankhel was kicked off a Qantas flight at Denpasar Airport after an extended argument with cabin crew. Photo / TikTok
Zakir Slaimankhel was kicked off a Qantas flight at Denpasar Airport after an extended argument with cabin crew. Photo / TikTok
A man kicked off a Qantas flight for demanding cabin crew apologise to his wife has been identified as a high-profile Kiwi international rugby player and charity ambassador.
News.com.au can reveal that Zakir Slaimankhel was the man filmed arguing with a flight attendant aboard an aircraft at Bali’s Denpasar Airport on September 20.
Slaimankhel, who arrived in New Zealand as a refugee from Afghanistan, was the leading try scorer for Afghanistan at the Asia Rugby Sevens tournament in Indonesia in August and is an ambassador known as ‘Brother Zak’ for non-profit Muslims Around the World (MATW).
He has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram where he shares content from his travels and his work with orphans.
News.com.au has approached Slaimankhel for comment over the incident that went viral when a fellow passenger shared footage that found its way onto TikTok.
In the footage, Slaimankhel claimed there was an altercation between the cabin staff and his wife and young children, who he says were teething at the time.
During the argument, he claimed the interaction left his wife in tears and accused staff of mishandling his pram.
“They made her cry and she’s crying because they were being rude to her. With a newborn baby,” he could be heard telling the flight attendant.
Zakir Slaimankhel was kicked off a Qantas flight at Denpasar Airport after an extended argument with cabin crew. Photo / TikTok
The argument escalated and the flight attendant told him to “stop” a number of times. But Slaimankhel continued to demand an apology.
“Unless you carry my kids out, force them out, we’re not leaving,” he said.
At another point, he told the staff member to: “Bring the police here,” to which the flight attendant responded: “We are.”
Slaimankhel was told he swore and was rude towards the staff, to which he responded: “You’re getting angry at my wife because both of them (their kids) are double teething.”
He then said: “You can’t upset my family and kids. What are you talking about: ‘You can’t upset my crew,’ my wife is crying.”
“Tell security to come and take me by the balls,” he later added.
Finally, he told the flight attendant to: “Get out of my face,” before the staff walked away.
Slaimankhel with orphans during his work for non-profit Muslims Around the World.
Qantas slams behaviour
In a statement to news.com.au, a Qantas spokesperson claimed the family were eventually removed from the aircraft after clashing with the crew “a number of times prior to the flight departing Bali”.
Under airline procedure, incidents involving inappropriate behaviour is referred to a panel which will decide on further action, which could include a travel ban.
“The safety of our customers and crew is our number one priority,” the spokesperson said.
“We ask customers to follow the direction of crew for the safety and comfort of everyone on board.”
In the comments, users were mixed in their response, with some siding with the airline, while others stating the man was defending his family.
“Idk who’s in fault here, but generally speaking. Airlines quality of service & customer care (towards economy class) are just getting worse everyday,” one comment read.
“I would like to see what happened beforehand, but this flight attendant was trying to rev him up!” commented another.
‘Make the country proud’
Slaimankhel’s work with Muslims Around the World shows him interacting with child orphans in places like Togo.
“Leaders of the future, these orphans smile more than us,” he writes beneath one photo.
“Something that may seem so small so little for us can mean the world to someone else,” he writes beneath another.
On a trip to Lebanon with the non-profit, Slaimankhel shared a photo with an elderly man. He wrote beneath it: “All ages, the same struggle.”
He represented Afghanistan at the Asia Rugby Sevens championship two months ago and was the leading try scorer for a side that brought home the silver medal.
Slaimankhel playing for Auckland Grammar's First XV in 2012. Photo / Photosport
In an interview with SBS News, Slaimankhel described how he, his older brother Sabir and three more family members made up five of the squad of nine.
Slaimankhel’s brother Omar, the former Warriors star, was captain of the side.
Slaimankhel said representing his home country during the humanitarian crisis was a big deal for him and his family.
