Sikh man barred from Mexico flight sees 'small victory'

MEXICO CITY (AP) — An Indian-American actor and designer who was turned away from an airline flight after refusing to remove his Sikh turban during a security check said he's "thrilled" that Aeromexico is vowing to overhaul its screening protocols.

In an interview Tuesday night at a Mexico City hotel where he ended up extending his stay by two nights, Waris Ahluwalia also expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support on social media that he believes helped pressure airline executives to change and apologize.

The text said the airline had "issued a directive to its staff regarding the religious significance of the Sikh turban" and planned to ask that the U.S. Transportation Security Administration and the Mexican government implement sensitivity training on religious headwear for airport agents.

Aeromexico said earlier in the day that because of the incident it intended to revise security protocols to respect cultural and religious values of its customers.

Word spread rapidly on social media, and within about an hour airline executives tracked him down at the gate and offered him a boarding pass for the next flight to New York.

"TSA officers are trained to treat all passengers with dignity and respect, and receive periodic training regarding cultural and religious sensitivities," the agency said in a statement Wednesday.