U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has penned an open letter to the head of Airlines for America asking what the airline industry has done to prevent what he says have been several recent examples of discrimination against Muslims and Arab Americans on airlines.

In a letter addressed to A4A CEO Nick Calio, Durbin pointed to a recent case in which a Muslim college student was ejected from a Southwest Airlines flight after another passenger allegedly heard him speaking over the phone with his uncle in Arabic. He also noted another case in which a United Airlines flight attendant allegedly refused to give a Muslim chaplain an unopened can of soda, saying it could be used as a weapon.

"Airlines are entrusted with enormous responsibilities to keep our skies safe while respecting the rights of all passengers," Durbin said. "No airline passenger should be subject to discriminatory treatment on the basis of the passenger's religion or ethnicity."

The senator wants A4A and its members to answer three questions:

• Do A4A members require diversity and nondiscrimination training for employees?
• Do its members have a complaint process in place for passengers who believed they have been discriminated against?
• What procedures do airlines have in place to ensure allegations of discrimination are fully investigated?

In a statement to CNN, A4A said "we look forward to reviewing Sen. Durbin's concerns and will respond to him accordingly." http://bit.ly/214ghCg

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