A United Airlines flight attendant was seen wearing a Palestinian flag pin on a domestic flight, angering pro-Israel activists despite the airline sticking to its uniform policy.
Jewish civil rights group StopAntisemitism sharply criticized United Airlines for allowing employees to participate in what it viewed as a polarizing political statement. An outraged passenger had previously informed the group about the employee wearing the pin and a keffiyeh around her neck during a flight from Chicago O’Hare Airport to Newark Airport on Tuesday.
“StopAntisemitism is alarmed by the increasing trend of US airline employees displaying Palestinian flags and Palestinian scarves while at work,” said StopAntisemitism founder Liora Rez. “There are no flights to Palestine.”
“Political views belong outside of work hours,” Rez said. “Airlines must ensure that passengers are not confronted with divisive symbols in what is supposed to be a neutral space.”
The organization is calling on airlines to ban such symbols, but United remains committed to allowing flight crew to wear pins with the Palestinian flag or other flags “that represent their pride.”
“Our uniform policy has long included the option for flight attendants to wear flag pins to indicate certain language skills, so that our customers who feel more comfortable speaking a language other than English know who on our crew speaks their preferred language,” the airline said in a statement.
“We also allow flight attendants to wear flag pins that express their pride in a place to which they may have a special connection,” the statement continued.
Flight attendants have courted controversy with their choice of pins before. When airlines allowed their flight attendants to wear pins that read “Black Lives Matter” in 2020, it sparked a backlash from passengers and even other flight attendants whose spouses or relatives work in law enforcement.
And StopAntisemitism has criticized other airlines, including Spirit Airlines and Delta Air Lines, for allowing their staff to wear badges featuring the Palestinian flag.
After Delta flight attendants were spotted wearing Palestinian flag pins, the airline informed StopAntisemitis that starting July 15, flight attendants would only be allowed to wear US flag pins on their uniforms.
