Former Estonian PM booted off flight to Japan after cabin crew contretemps

Former Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas was kicked off a plane at Helsinki Airport at the weekend after getting into a verbal fracas with airplane staff, Estonian media reported.

Rõivas was supposed to accompany Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna on a visit to Japan as part of Estonia’s business delegation but was removed from the flight after getting into an altercation with cabin crew.

Witnesses told the Estonian newspaper Postimees that Rõivas was drunk, which the ex-prime minister denied. “I had a dispute with a flight attendant on the Tallinn-Helsinki flight because I used a laptop to work during the flight,” Rõivas told Estonian media Elu24, adding that he had submitted “a formal complaint to Finnair with a claim for damages.”

A picture taken at the airport and published by Postimees appeared to show Rõivas being escorted out by the Finnish police.

Liisa Toots, director of the media relations bureau at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told POLITICO that Rõivas was traveling as part of a business delegation, but that the ministry was not responsible for his movements, as “members of the business delegation are in charge of making their travel arrangements.”

Toots confirmed that the ministry was aware of the incident, however, she said that the exact reason for Rõivas’ removal from the plane remains unclear. “That’s what we’re asking of those involved in the case,” she added to Postimees.

Rõivas was Estonian prime minister from March 2014 to November 2016 and is now chairman of the supervisory board of Auve Tech, an Estonian company which specializes in autonomous vehicles.

Rõivas did not immediately respond to POLITICO’s request for comment.