US Airline Apologises Amid Row Over Cabin Crew Wearing Palestine Flag Pin

Delta Air Lines has found itself embroiled in a huge controversy over its social media post on the Palestinian flag. A now-deleted tweet by Delta, which is one of the major airlines of the United States, sympathized with a post that incorrectly said its two flight attendants, with Palestinian flag pins, were wearing "Hamas badges."

An X user tweeted on Tuesday, "Since 2001 we take our shoes off in every airport because a terrorist attack in US soil. Now imagine getting into a Delta flight and seeing workers with Hamas badges in the air. What do you do?"

A day later, the Delta Air Lines' X account responded to the post and said, "I hear you as 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."

The response, however, was deleted later.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the US' largest Muslim advocacy organization, slammed the airline for the "racist anti-Palestinian" tweet and demanded an apology.

In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said," Whether this racist post on Delta's X account was approved or unauthorized, Delta must apologize and take steps to educate its employees about this type of dangerous anti-Palestinian racism. Bigotry against Palestinian-Americans is absolutely out of control in workplaces and at schools - and it must stop."

Delta Air Lines' Apology

After backlash, Delta Air Lines issued an apology on X and said it "strives for an environment of inclusivity and respect for all". It also said the employee responsible "no longer supports Delta's social channels".

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

According to CBS News, the two Delta employees photographed wearing the pins will continue to work for the airline as "it was in compliance with its uniform policy".

Moving forward, though, employees will only be permitted to wear US flags on their uniforms, Delta said.

"Previously, pins representing countries/nationalities of the world had been permitted," CBS News quoted Delta as saying.

"We are taking this step to help ensure a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment for all.  We are proud of our diverse base of employees and customers and the foundation of our brand, which is to connect the world and provide a premium experience," the airline said.