Delta Air Lines Issues Apology Over Palestine Flag Pin Controversy

Summary

  • Delta Air Lines apologizes for a social media post that was perceived to be anti-Palestine.
  • The social media controversy surrounding Palestine flag pins worn by Delta flight attendants sparked outrage.
  • Delta removed the offending post and updated policies regarding the flag pins worn by its employees.

Delta Air Lines has issued an apology for a recent incident in which one of its social media posts came across as anti-Palestine. The post was taken down, but not before it angered many people, some of whom even demanded the airline’s boycott.

What happened?

Recently, two Delta Air Lines flight attendants were photographed wearing Palestine flag pins. The photos soon made it to X (formerly Twitter) where a user equated the flag to being a Hamas badge. The user said,

“Now imagine getting into a @Delta flight and seeing workers with Hamas badges in the air. What do you do?”

While the post may have riled up the sentiments of some people, it was Delta’s response to it that surprised and angered many. In a post that has now been deleted, a Delta employee posted,

“I hear you and I’d be terrified as well, personally. Our employees reflect our culture and we do not take it lightly when our policy is not being followed.”

Delta Air Lines A320 taking off

Photo: lorenzatx | Shutterstock

Delta found itself in the middle of a controversy when several users online viewed the post as being anti-Palestine. The carrier eventually took down the post after saying that it was investigating the matter.

Delta’s apology

After reviewing the post and the entire situation, Delta issued an apology on X and said that the person who put out that post no longer handles the airline’s social media. Delta commented,

“On Wednesday, we removed a reply that was not in line with our values. We strive for an environment of inclusivity & respect for all, in our communities & our planes. The employee responsible no longer supports Delta’s social channels. We apologize for this hurtful post.”

A Delta Air Lines Airbus A350 taking off

Photo: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock

This has also led to changes in Delta’s policies regarding the uniform pins that its flight attendants can wear. According to StarTribune, a Delta spokesperson explained that until recently, the carrier’s flight attendants were allowed to wear pins representing other countries and nationalities.

But that has now changed, with cabin crew members only being allowed to wear pins representing the United States of America. According to the spokesperson, this has been done to “ensure a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment for all.”

Sensitive issue

The situation in the Middle East related to the Israel-Palestine conflict has had people divided, and the issue has also resulted in some tricky situations in the aviation industry. Last year, a Jetstar Airbus A320 had to return to the gate in Sydney after a male passenger got involved in an argument about the Israel-Palestine conflict. The plane eventually took off without the offending passenger.

Related

Jetstar Airbus A320 Flight Abandoned After Israel-Palestine Argument

A Jetstar flight was abandoned after a passenger behaved erratically and got involved in an argument about the Israel-Palestine conflict.

In April, pro-Palestine protesters blocked the way to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), forcing passengers to walk with their luggage to the terminal. The police were informed about the incident, and a few arrests were made.

In June last year, Ryanair’s CEO had to apologize to a Jewish human rights organization after one of the carrier’s flight attendants mistakenly said Palestine instead of Israel in an inflight announcement, angering many passengers.

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