A BLACK passenger is suing for racism after a row with an air stewardess that saw her slap him after he allegedly spat in her face.

American couple Ariel and Santana claim they were victims in the violent altercation – and allege the cabin crew had already become physical with them before the slap.

6Santana is seen rowing with the cabin managerCredit: Facebook

6She slaps him after he allegedly spat at her while shouting in her faceCredit: FACEBOOK

6Santana then responds by slapping the cabin managerCredit: FACEBOOK

Video of the incident was widely shared back in March in which Santana can be seen having an argument with the cabin manager on the Brussels Airlines flight from Ghana to Belgium.

The row escalates when the stewardess slaps him, after he allegedly spits on her, with Santana then striking her back.

Santana and Ariel revealed they are planning on filing a lawsuit against the airline during an interview with YouTube account Bla Xit.

The couple were travelling from Accra, Ghana, with their two 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren and Ariel’s mum, after a trip helping with humanitarian projects on March 13.

Ariel and Santana claim the clip only shows a small part of the story – alleging it was actually the cabin crew who were at fault.

The row was sparked when the couple claim Ariel’s mum asked to move seats as a man sitting next to her kept elbowing her and leaning into her lap.

Ariel’s mum, 71, then called a steward who told her he cannot help, sparking the couple to intervene as Santana offered to take her place.

The other passenger then allegedly started yelling at them in French as the situation escalated.

The male steward seen in the video then allegedly struck Santana, leading to the furious row caught in the two minute clip.

Santana – a former boxer – was arrested by police when the plane landed in Zaventem before being released four hours later without charge.

The couple allege they were the victims of a “racist attack” on the flight.

6Cabin crew then move in to help the womanCredit: FACEBOOK

6Passengers also step in and bundle Santana to the groundCredit: FACEBOOK

Ariel said: “My husband and I were seated in a row with our two 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren.

“My mother was in the row behind us, between a man and a woman.

“But throughout the flight, they kept talking by disturbing my mother, banging her, literally leaning on her lap. It was hellish.”

After claiming the stewards didn’t help, Santana then stepped in and claimed a steward then struck him the face “without reason”.

It is here the couple claim the video picks up as he angrily argues with the cabin crew.

Santana can be heard in the video telling the cabin manager “he hit me” as she attempts to calm down the situation.

He then appears to yell in the woman’s face, she raises her hand appearing to wipe away spit – before slapping him.

Santana responds by striking her across the face, with other crew and passengers left bundling him to the ground amid screams.

6Passengers watch on as the flight descends into chaosCredit: FACEBOOK

Santana claims he was left with several broken ribs after the incident and the couple now plan to take legal action.

He said he wants “justice to be done. I have no other choice after what happened to me”, reports RTBF.

Santana added: “I am a black man and in their minds it was: I do what I want.

“A steward can hit me, then a hostess. And that for them was completely normal.”

Santana also alleges he was manhandled by police upon landing, saying he told them he was struggling to breathe due to the pain in his ribs.

He admits he was in the wrong to strike the woman, but claims he was “pushed to the limit” and was “hit and jostled” several times by the cabin crew.

Santana added: “Brussels Airlines cannot get away with this. But which employee of a company hits a customer?

“What hostess or steward hits a passenger? I have traveled the world and this is the first time I have experienced this.”

The Sun Online has contacted Brussels Airlines for comment.