Mexican airline sorry after rock band's tattoo ruckus

Mexican airline sorry after rock band's tattoo ruckus

MEXICO CITY - A Mexican airline apologised on Wednesday after employees told two members of a rock band that they had to cover their tattooed arms before they could board a flight.

The group Panteon Rococo said its lead singer and trombonist were told by an Interjet employee that airline policy required them to cover their arms to board a plane on Monday in the northern city of Ciudad Juarez.

The band wrote on its website that singer Luis Ibarra and trombonist Francisco Gonzalez were finally able to get on the aircraft after federal police intervened in their favour amid a heated argument with Interjet staff.

The ska- and punk-inspired group, which has been around for 20 years, described the incident as a "shameful" act of discrimination.

The airline issued a statement to apologise, insisting it does not discriminate for "economic, physical, cultural, social or any other reasons". The company said an internal investigation found that its personnel in Ciudad Juarez had "committed a regrettable mistake" and that it had taken "preventive and corrective measures".

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