11°
Eliz Orban's video from the Dec. 11 flight shows her husband, Erhard Orban, trying to get Edeline to wear her mask as the plane prepared for take off from Denver.
Moments later, a flight attendant can be seen coming over to their seats and asking them to get off due to non-compliance.
The Orbans questioned the move, but ultimately exited the plane -- frustrated and saddened that they wouldn't be able to make it to the Rockefeller tree or see Erhard's childhood friends.
"I am still sitting here in confusion, disbelief, disgust and humiliation," Eliz wrote on social media, noting her husband is a New Jersey native (Monroe Township).
"It’s truly our second home. A tradition that we have is to go see the Rockefeller tree every year. It’s a tradition we also wanted our 2 year old daughter to experience."
The Orbans are premier silver members with United Airlines, and have always flown with them, Eliz said.
"In fact, we had flown with Edeline 4 times already since the pandemic, without ever having an issue," she wrote.
"Today, we were asked to leave the plane after it had rolled out, and they had to bring it back to the gate, because our 2 year old daughter would not 'comply' and keep her mask on. "
Orban added that the World Health Organization recommends children under 5 years old shouldn't be required to wear masks.
The airline told Heavy.com that their mask policy includes children as young as 2.
“The health and safety of our employees and customers is our highest priority, which is why we have a multi-layered set of policies, including mandating that everyone onboard 2 and older wears a mask,” United told Heavy.com.
“These procedures are not only backed by guidance from the [federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and our partners at the Cleveland Clinic, but they’re also consistent across every major airline.”
The specific incident remains under investigation by United Airlines.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Saddle Brook-Elmwood Park and receive free news updates.
