Sikh actor Waris Ahluwalia gets apology from Aeroméxico Airlines

Sikh movie star Waris Ahluwalia finally received an apology and reached an agreement with Aeromexico on Tuesday, a day after the airline barred him from a New York flight for not removing his turban.

The details of the agreement were not immediately disclosed.

“We apologize to Mr. Waris Ahluwalia for the bad experience he had with one of our security elements in addressing your flight to New York in the Mexico City International Airport,” the airline wrote in a statement.

Security had demanded Ahluwalia publicly remove his turban at a security checkpoint even though it had not triggered a metal detector.

“This case motivates us to ensure that security personnel strengthen its care protocols, always respecting the cultural and religious values of customers,” the statement said.



Ahluwalia felt "great" about the long-awaited apology, but said there's more work to be done.

"We're halfway there," Ahluwalia told the Daily News. The 41-year-old actor has vowed to remain in Mexico until the airline also guarantees that it will train employees to better work with Sikhs and educate them on how to screen people in religious headwear.

"The apology is fantastic, but that is something that has happened in the past," he said. "Now we need to be forward-looking. How do we prevent this from happening again, which is essentially the crux of why I'm here."

Ahluwalia stayed the night in Mexico on Monday — his way of protesting racial profiling after Aeromexico barred him from a New York-bound flight earlier in the day in the dispute over his turban.

“Good morning from Mexico City,” Ahluwalia posted on Instagram Tuesday morning beneath a selfie of himself holding a sketch of heart.

“On this day, and each day hereafter we must remember that our struggle against fear and ignorance is fought with love. That is the only way forward for humanity,” he continued, along with the hashtags #fearisanopportunitytoeducate and #lovenotfear.

"I want to go home," Ahluwalia said from his Mexico City hotel, where he's cooling his jets after his unexpected trip extension. "But now the next step is a conversation on education and the training of their staff. The training doesn't have to happen tomorrow ... we just need something in writing that they will work with the Sikh Coalition to train their staff. It's very simple."

He has ruefully joked that security officials had caused an “international civil rights brouhaha" — but he remained steadfast in his decision to sit fast until ensuring this doesn't happen to anyone else.

“This isn’t about me,” said Ahluwalia. “This isn’t about one person or about religious tolerance. This is about civil rights and racial profiling and if I have to be a part of that dialogue, I will be.”