Delta Air Lines has confirmed that it is urgently changing its uniform and grooming policy for flight attendants and other front-line employees in the wake of a Palestine flag pin controversy that has engulfed the Atlanta-based carrier in the last few days.
The furore began on July 7 when a photo of a Delta flight attendant sporting a Palestine flag pin on a flight from Boston to West Palm Beach went viral, with anti-semitism support groups calling out Delta and concerned customers blasting the airline over the gaffe.
It was initially reported that the flight attendant was breaking Delta’s uniform and grooming policy and critics demanded the crew member be disciplined for wearing a Palestine flag carrier.
It turns out, however, that the flight attendant hadn’t done anything wrong and there was nothing in Delta’s uniform rules that banned him from wearing a Palestine flag pin.
That fact, though, did not stop a Delta customer service rep from telling a customer on social media site X that they, too, would be “terrified” if they spotted a flight attendant wearing a Palestine flag pin.
Delta was forced to quickly delete the post and it has been reported that the employee who wrote the reply is no longer employed by the airline.
That response, however, was not enough to stop a furious reaction from the Association of Flight Attendants which is trying to unionize Delta’s crew member workforce.
The union has claimed Delta has shown “contempt” for its employees and has demanded the airline make a public apology. The union also wants to implement a strict ban on customers taking non-consensual photos of flight attendants.
On Thursday night, Delta stopped short of caving to the union’s demands, but a spokesperson for the airline told us:
“Delta removed a mistakenly posted comment on X Wednesday because it was not in line with our values and our mission to connect the world. The team member responsible for the post has been counseled and no longer supports Delta’s social channels. We apologize for this error.”
In addition, Delta confirmed that it was urgently changing its uniform and grooming standards to prohibit any flag pin apart from U.S. flags. The new policy will take effect from July 15.
A spokesperson explained that they were taking this decision to “ensure a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment for all.”
Delta’s decision to ban flight attendants from wearing Palestine flag pins comes just two months after JetBlue made a similar policy change. In JetBlue’s revised grooming standards, flight attendants are only allowed to wear a flag pin for any destination that the airline currently serves.
