United Airlines faces criticism over flight attendant’s Palestinian flag pin: How company responds amid growing backlash

A

United Airlines

flight attendant's decision to wear a

Palestinian flag pin

and keffiyeh on a flight from Chicago to Newark has ignited a heated

debate

, drawing

criticism

from pro-Israel advocates. The incident has intensified discussions about what

symbols

should be allowed for airline staff on duty.
The

controversy

began when a passenger on Tuesday's flight from Chicago O'Hare to Newark noticed the flight attendant’s Palestinian symbols and alerted the Jewish civil rights group StopAntisemitism.

The group's founder, Liora Rez, condemned United Airlines for permitting what she views as politically charged symbols in a space meant to remain neutral, reported the Independent.
“StopAntisemitism is alarmed by the rising trend of US airline employees displaying Palestinian flags and keffiyehs while on duty,” Rez was quoted as saying. “There are no flights to Palestine. Political stances belong off the clock. Airlines must ensure that passengers aren’t confronted with divisive symbols in what should be a neutral space.”
United Airlines stands by its policy

Despite the

backlash

, United Airlines has defended its

uniform

policy. The airline's guidelines allow flight attendants to wear flag pins to indicate language skills or to express personal pride in a particular place.
“Our uniform policy has long included an option for flight attendants to wear flag pins to designate specific language skills so that our customers who are more comfortable in a language other than English can know who on our crew speaks their preferred language,” United Airlines reportedly said. “We also allow flight attendants to wear flag pins that represent their pride in a place to which they may have a special connection.”

A broader debate
The incident highlights a broader debate over the presence of political symbols in the workplace. This is not the first time airline workers' choice of pins has sparked controversy. In 2020, the decision by some airlines to allow “Black Lives Matter” pins led to backlash from passengers and staff with law enforcement ties.
https://x.com/StopAntisemites/status/1816496246082719837
StopAntisemitism has also criticized other airlines like Spirit Airlines and Delta Air Lines for allowing Palestinian flag pins. In response to similar criticism, Delta updated its uniform policy, effective July 15, to permit only US flag pins.