Local airline Kulula have confirmed that they are investigating an incident that took place on Friday evening. According to eyewitnesses on the flight, an “unsavoury passenger” referred to the captain by using the k-word shortly after take off.

The incident began gaining public attention after Nadine Watkins took to Twitter to snap a picture and explain what was going on at 22:56 on Friday.

“Turning back to O.R Tambo after an unsavoury passenger called the captain the K-word. Our flight might be 10 minutes late‚ but as South Africans we can’t allow this type of behaviour to continue.”

Turning back to O.R Tambo after an unsavory passenger called the captain the k-word. Our flight might be 10 minutes late, but as South Africans we can't allow this type of behaviour to continue. #stopracism @kulula pic.twitter.com/sQarXNhAai — Nadine Watkins (@nadine_watkins1) June 15, 2018

Watkins then explained in a follow-up Tweet that a woman was on the phone to her boyfriend when she allegedly used the word to describe the captain of the plane. The man sitting next to her heard her use the word and informed a flight attendant.

Also Read: More confusion as Ashwin Willemse “did not give testimony” during new investigation

The woman spoke to her boyfriend on the phone and the guy sitting next to her overheard her calling the pilot the k-word. He alerted the flight attended before lift off and they got the security to remove her. — Nadine Watkins (@nadine_watkins1) June 16, 2018

Spokesperson for Kulula, William Smook told various media houses that “Kulula does not tolerate any conduct that makes their staff feel uncomfortable.”

“There was an incident of some sort and it is being investigated. A lot of the people that were on board as crew on that flight are working now and flying. Kulula doesn’t tolerate any conduct that makes their staff feel uncomfortable. It’s just not the kind of world that we want to live in,” Smook said.

The identity of the woman and the captain are not currently known to the wider public.