British man arrested in Iceland airport for wearing too many clothes

Ryan Hawaii was stopped at Keflavík Airport for wearing eight pairs of trousers and ten shirts

British Airways Heathrow
British Airways planes wait on the snowy runway at Heathrow
(Image credit: Twitter)

A British man has been arrested at Keflavik airport in Iceland for wearing too many clothes.

He claimed he was denied a boarding pass at the British Airways desk for his flight home after he put on all the clothes that wouldn't fit in his checked luggage.

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After being stopped by security staff while trying to board the BA plane, the dispute escalated into a row which he filmed and posted on Twitter.

Hawaii was reportedly then prevented from boarding an EasyJet flight the following day “after the second airline heard about the previous day's drama,” says The Sun.

Shortly after the initial confrontation police were called and had to pepper spray him and wrestle him to the ground, according to local media reports - something which British Airways dispute.

Hawaii eventually made it back to the UK via Norwegian Airlines and says he is being refunded by both BA and easyJet for the flights he missed.

Hawaii believes “his treatment was due to racial prejudice because he had dreadlocks, wore flashy clothes and nail polish,” says Iceland Monitor.

A spokesperson for British Airways told Sun Online: “We give our customers a wide range of fares to choose from to meet their needs.

“Our hand baggage only fares from Iceland are as low as £47 each way, and are designed for customers who are travelling without any hold baggage.

“We do understand that our customers' plans can change so they can choose to pay a fee at the airport if they need an extra bag.”​​

“We explained our policy to our customer, and arranged an alternative flight to London.”​

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