Singh was entertained by BA as inquiry was under way
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Gurbux Singh was being entertained by British Airways at Lord's while the airline was under investigation by the Commission for Racial Equality for alleged discrimination.
A spokesman for the CRE confirmed yesterday that a complaint from a BA employee had been received by the CRE before Singh attended the Lord's cricket match at which he admitted raising his fists and swearing at police officers.
The spokesman described the complaint as an "expression of concern" but declined to elaborate. He said an organisation the size of BA was bound to "throw up" race discrimination problems from time to time and, in the past, Singh had met senior airline staff to discuss "positive" race issues.
The CRE is also looking at the airline's plans for restructuring the company and the possible disproportionate impact on ethnic-minority staff.
A spokesman for BA said it had invited the commission to visit the company to ensure that its plans announced in February for the "future size and shape" of BA did not have a disproportionate impact on black and Asian staff.
But the airline said that it was not aware of any complaint or "expression of concern" about race discrimination at the company.
The CRE spokesman said Singh had also met BA staff at a race equality event that the airline sponsored.
His predecessor, Herman Ouseley, had also met BA managers in connection with a race discrimination issue involving Sikhs applying to become pilots. The issue centred on complaints that Sikhs were unable to become BA pilots because the airline was unable to accommodate their need to wear turbans.