A United Airlines flight attendant was spotted wearing a Palestinian flag pin on a domestic flight — riling pro-Israel advocates even as the airline stood by its uniform policy.
Jewish civil rights group StopAntisemitism blasted United for allowing staffers for what they viewed as a divisive political statement after an outraged passenger notified the group of the staffer, who wore the pin and a keffiyeah around her neck during a Tuesday flight from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport to Newark Airport.
“StopAntisemitism is alarmed by the rising trend of US airline employees displaying Palestinian flags and keffiyehs while on duty,” StopAntisemitism founder Liora Rez said. “There are no flights to Palestine.
“Political stances belong off the clock,” Rez said. “Airlines must ensure that passengers aren’t confronted with divisive symbols in what should be a neutral space.”
The group is calling on airlines to prohibit such symbols — but United isn’t budging on its policy to allow flight staff to wear Palestinian or other flag pins “that represent their pride.”
“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,” the airline said in a statement.
“We also allow flight attendants to wear flag pins that represent their pride in a place to which they may have a special connection,” the statement added.
Airline workers have stirred controversy for their choice of pins before. When airlines allowed attendants back in 2020 to wear “Black Lives Matter” pins, it sparked a backlash from passengers and even other attendants who have spouses or relatives in law enforcement.
And StopAntisemitism has criticized other airlines for allowing staff to don Palestinian flag pins, including Spirit Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
After Delta attendants were spotted wearing Palestinian flag pins, the airline told StopAntisemitis. that effective July 15 flight attendants would only be permitted to wear US flag pins on their uniforms.
