United Airlines responds to comments about flight attendant wearing Palestinian flag pin

United Airlines has released a statement after one of its flight attendants complained that she was wearing a pin with the Palestinian flag while on duty. The airline cited its policy that allows flight crew to wear pins with the flag “that express their pride.”

United defends flight attendant wearing Palestine pin

As the New York Post first reported, a United Airlines flight attendant on a flight from Chicago O’Hare International (ORD) to Newark Liberty International (EWR) on Tuesday wore a pin with the Palestinian flag under her name tag and a lanyard with the pattern of a keffiyeh, a traditional Arab head covering.

A passenger on board the United flight informed the Jewish civil rights group StopAntisemitism, which has since condemned the airline for allowing its employees to display “divisive political symbols.” StopAntisemitism founder Liora Rez said:

“(We are) alarmed by the increasing trend of US airline employees displaying Palestinian flags and Palestinian scarves while at work. There are no flights to Palestine.”

United Airlines has since released a statement defending the right of crew to wear national flag pins. Initially, the airline cited its policy of encouraging national flag pins “to denote certain language skills” and thus help non-English-speaking passengers find a crew member who speaks their preferred language.

Photo: MKPhoto12 | Shutterstock

The statement then went on to say that United “also allows flight attendants to wear flag pins that express their pride in a place to which they have a special connection.” It’s worth noting that the flight attendant was carrying a literal “Pride” rainbow flag, which is commonly worn to show solidarity with the LGBT community.

Last year, the airline also changed its uniform policy to allow employees to display their pronouns, saying it supports its employees to “identify in the way that best suits them.” In recent years, it has also allowed its cabin crew to wear visible tattoos, nail polish and makeup, regardless of gender.

A different answer than Delta’s

This incident is similar to what Delta Air Lines went through last month when two of their flight attendants were criticized for wearing pins with the Palestinian flag. Delta eventually fired one of their social media employees for agreeing with a post that equated the pins with support for Hamas. Delta subsequently changed its uniform policy so that employees could only wear pins with the US flag, stating that doing so would “help ensure a safe, pleasant and welcoming environment for all.”

The activist group StopAntisemitism also criticized Spirit Airlines for allowing its staff to wear “Palestinian insignia.”

Photo: The Global Guy | Shutterstock

However, United appears to be standing firm and will continue to allow its employees to wear pins with the flag of their choice out of “pride.” While crew uniform and appearance requirements have become less stringent over the years, the airline is sure to stir up controversy by allowing politically motivated fashion statements. Simple Flying has reached out to United Airlines for comment and will update this story accordingly.