Black men sue American Airlines for racial discrimination

Three black men have filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against American Airlines, alleging that the carrier briefly removed them from a flight after a complaint about body odour.

The men, who were not seated together and did not know each other, say that every black man was removed from the 5 January flight from Phoenix, Arizona, to New York.

"American Airlines singled us out for being Black, embarrassed us, and humiliated us," the men said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

The Texas-based airline said it was investigating the matter as the allegations did not align with its values.