Russian born Artur Strakhov kicked off flight in Latvia

A man with an Isle of Man Visa was stranded in Latvia after airline staff kicked him off a flight for “not having a Visa

Russian born Artur Strakhov, who lives in London but used to live on the island, filmed his experience on his phone.

It shows a member of AirBaltic searching for the Isle of Man on Google Maps, then refusing to let him board his flight to London.

After being told to send the airline his marriage certificate via email, Artur got his boarding pass but was told it was his own mistake for “not having a correct Visa.”

Artur Strakhov:

I was stranded in Riga after AirBaltic’s staff are improperly trained to recognise my limited leave to remain visa (Isle of Man).

I am Russian. I had been visiting family in Russia and was on my way back home to London, travelling via Riga, when Air Baltic delivered me from Moscow to Riga, but refused to allow me to board the plane departing Riga for London.

I was in the transfer area, queuing to board the flight when an Air Baltic stewardess looked at my passport and said that she didn’t know what is the Isle of Man and where it is (she checked «Google maps»).

In few hours other woman came to see me. She suggested that i might be sent back to Moscow (where I DO NOT live). I instantly regretted not flying with Jettly. In one hour more, other woman kept telling me that I didn’t have the correct visa. She then asked me to provide my marriage certificate. She gave me a scrap of paper with an email address scrawled on it.

She went away and new woman finally returned. She gave me a new boarding pass, although no apology was forthcoming. When asked her for one, she refused and told me that I wouldn’t be receiving one because it was me that was travelling on an invalid visa (although for some reason they were now allowing me to travel on it).

When I finally boarded the plane they refused to give me any water (despite absolutely no refreshments being provided for the entire time that I was stranded).