Delta Air Lines dismissed 15 employees from Miami International Airport (MIA) following an internal investigation related to possible irregularities in the management of its flights to Cuba, a case that has now also led to a lawsuit for alleged workplace discrimination.
The investigation focused on flights between Miami and Havana and examined, among other aspects, seat assignments at the boarding gates, the processing of payments for excess baggage, and ticket sales through travel agencies, according to a report this Wednesday by the specialized site Paddle Your Own Kanoo.
One of the terminated employees is Annette Feliciano, a Puerto Rican who had been working for Delta for 27 years and served as one of the so-called Red Coats, employees responsible for overseeing boarding and managing flight departures.
Feliciano regularly worked on Delta operations from Miami, including connections to Havana. According to his account, in May 2025 he was summoned to a meeting and accused of having some sort of irregular collaboration with travel agencies that sold tickets to Cuba.
The former employee claims that an audit found no irregularities in her actions, but that the scrutiny over her and other Latino workers linked to the Cuban flights continued.
Among other matters, his superiors asked him about the cash processing of excess baggage payments, a practice that Feliciano explained is common among some passengers traveling to Cuba.
She was also questioned about whether she had accepted coffee or pastries offered by travelers. Feliciano stated that she knew it was prohibited to receive monetary compensation from passengers, but she maintained that she was unaware of any rule prohibiting the acceptance of food or drinks.
Subsequently, the employee was suspended without pay, had to turn in her identification, and months later learned that she had been dismissed. According to her complaint, another 14 employees were also let go. Of the 15 workers terminated, 13 were Latino.
Feliciano is now accusing Delta of racial and age discrimination, retaliation, and creating a hostile work environment. The lawsuit claims that during his employment, he endured discriminatory comments, excessive scrutiny, unequal treatment, and unfounded accusations.
The case, identified as Feliciano v. Delta Air Lines, Inc., was filed on September 30 in the Federal Court for the Southern District of Florida after being transferred from a state court in Miami-Dade. The case is assigned to Federal Judge Darrin P. Gayles.
So far, Delta has not publicly explained the specific reasons for dismissing Feliciano and the other employees, while the former employee maintains that any justification provided by the company would merely be a pretext to cover up illegal discrimination.
The case arises at a time when Delta operates a daily flight between Miami and Havana. The airline had operated two daily connections on that route during 2025, but later reduced its frequencies.
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