CNN commentator Symone Sanders and activist Brittany Packnett share that a ‘belligerent’ British man attacked and threw water on them while waiting in a Delta lounge on their return trip from Kenya
- Sanders and Packnett were waiting in the Simba SkyTeam lounge at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday
- They said that a black female flight attendant tried to quiet the inebriated man – identified as British citizen Duncan Conrad Hockey
- But when Hockey wouldn’t quiet down, the two women also asked him to be quiet
- Packnett shared that the man flicked them off and threw water on her, before attacking her and Sanders
- He would not stop until a group of men started walking towards him
- Hockey was eventually arrested, according to tweets from Sanders
- The SkyTeam lounge in Nairobi – the Simba lounge – is fully operated by Kenya Airways
- Kenya Airways is a part of the SkyTeam alliance – a 22 airline alliance that also includes Delta Airlines
- ‘We’re reaching out to the ladies to better understand what transpired in the Kenyan Airways lounge,’ Anthony Black, a spokesperson with Delta Airlines, said
CNN political commentator Symone D. Sanders and activist-educator Brittany Packnett shared on Twitter that they were assaulted by a white Kenya Airways passenger on their return trip from their vacation on Thursday.
Sanders and Packnett were waiting in the Simba SkyTeam lounge at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, when the inebriated man began disturbing the peace while on the phone.
A black female flight attendant is said to have asked the man to settle down, but he is said to have ignored her and prompted the other two women to also ask the man to quiet down.
Symone Sanders and Brittany Packnett were waiting in the Simba SkyTeam lounge at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday
During the Thursday incident, a black female flight attendant tried to quiet the inebriated man – identified as British citizen Duncan Conrad Hockey
‘Then he flicked us off,’ Packnett asserted on Twitter. ‘The attendant told him she had called security, and he walked over and doused me with water as I was sitting.’
In the thread, Packnett includes photos of the man and also shows a picture of herself with visible water stains.
The man – later identified as British citizen Duncan Conrad Hockey – is seen in the picture staring intently on his phone.
Packnett continued: ‘After he assaulted me, he attempted to charge me. @SymoneDSanders jumped in and she and I pushed him back.’
Packnett shared that she and Sanders decided to speak up after the man ignored the flight attendant
‘Then he flicked us off,’ Packnett asserted on Twitter . ‘The attendant told him she had called security, and he walked over and doused me with water as I was sitting.’
The irate educator grew even more annoyed once a group of men came over to the commotion and the man finally decided to quiet down. But Packnett stressed that the man had not moved.
Packnett then tagged @Delta and @Kenyaairways to tell them that the women had been assaulted in the Simba lounge.
‘There were several witnesses to his previous behavior and his assault,’ she added.
Both women voiced their displeasure with the Skyteam partner’s for what they felt was a lackluster response
The irate educator grew even more annoyed once a group of men came over to the commotion and the man finally decided to quiet down. But Packnett stressed that the man had not moved
Packnett shared that the altercation ‘triggered her sciatica’ and hurt her back, stressing that she just wanted to go home
They also expressed discomfort with how long it took for security personnel to come and eventually arrest the man, taking more than an hour.
Packnett shared that the altercation ‘triggered her sciatica’ and hurt her back, stressing that she just wanted to go home.
She was eventually able to make her layover and has since been back State side.
The SkyTeam lounge in Nairobi – the Simba lounge – is fully operated by Kenya Airways. Kenya Airways is a part of the SkyTeam alliance – a 22 airline alliance that also includes Delta Airlines.
The woman had been on vacation in Africa and were on their way when the altercation took place. Sanders (pictured) stressed that she was ‘terrified’ of the incident
They also expressed discomfort with how long it took for security personnel to come and eventually arrest the man, taking more than an hour
Delta Airlines is not in charge of the alliance and the SkyTeam Central base is stationed in the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
Delta Airlines said in a statement that they were looking to figure out what exactly occurred during the Thursday incident.
‘We’re reaching out to the ladies to better understand what transpired in the Kenyan Airways lounge,’ Anthony Black, a spokesperson with Delta Airlines, said in a statement to the DailyMail.com.
Kenya Airways could not be reached for a comment.