A woman bodybuilder was barred from boarding an American Airlines flight at DFW International Airport on Thursday because her clothing was deemed offensive.
Deniz Saypinar, a 26-year-old professional bodybuilder from Turkey, was flying to Miami when airline staff flagged her attire as inappropriate. After missing her flight, she posted an Instagram story on her social media platform of 1 million followers detailing the ordeal.
“I like to wear feminine clothes that reveal my femininity, but I never dress in a way that would offend anyone,” Saypinar said in her post. “I’m mature and civilised enough to know what I can and cannot wear.”
American Airlines passengers are expected to adhere to the company’s dress code, which only says to “dress appropriately; bare feet or offensive clothing aren’t allowed.”
A spokesperson for the airline confirmed the incident in a statement.
“As stated in the conditions of carriage, all customers must dress appropriately and offensive clothing isn’t permitted on board our flights,” the spokesperson said. “The customer was advised of our policy and was rebooked on a subsequent flight. The customer has since arrived in Miami.”
Saypinar was the first woman in Turkey to receive International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness professional status, and she placed first in the 2020 National Physique Committee bikini championship.
According to the Daily Mail, Saypinar claimed flight crew said her clothing disturbed other families at the airport. Saypinar included an image of the outfit — a brown tank top, denim shorts and a white jacket tied around her waist — that got her removed from the flight.
“I don’t deserve to be treated like the worst person in the world for wearing denim shorts,” she said. “What separates us from animals if humans can’t control even their most primitive impulses.”
This isn’t the first time in recent years that American Airlines made headlines for threatening to remove passengers over clothing concerns.
In April, a two-time cancer survivor flying from Los Angeles to Charlotte was nearly banned from a flight because of a sweatshirt that contained an expletive on it, View from the Wing reported.
In 2019, a Houston doctor was told to cover up her romper on her trip home from Jamaica with her son in an incident the woman said was racist and misogynistic. After the woman, named Tisha Rowe, posted about being nearly kicked off the flight for her outfit, the airline publicly apologized and said it fully refunded her and her son’s travel.
The experiences of both Rowe and Saypinar sparked outrage online, drawing comments of support on their respective posts.
