Delta Air Lines adopts new uniform rules on Palestinian pin issue

ATLANTA (AP) — Delta Air Lines is changing its uniform policy for its employees following a turbulent flight through social media that began with an X user’s outrage over two flight attendants who were photographed wearing Palestinian flag pins.

The uproar over a July 10 post on X, which described Palestinian pins as “Hamas insignia,” has led Delta to ban its employees from wearing pins representing any country or nationality other than the United States. The rule goes into effect Monday.

“We are proud of our diverse employee and customer base and the foundation of our brand, which is to connect the world and provide a superior experience for everyone,” the Atlanta-based airline said in a statement.

Delta’s policy shift reflects ongoing tensions surrounding the crisis. Israel-Hamas war, This sparked high-profile protests that, among other things, disrupted the campus.

Both attendees pictured wearing the pins were in line with Delta’s previous policy that gives employees more flexibility with uniform accessories.

Before Delta announced its new policy, an employee escalated the situation by posting a response to X asserting that flight attendants wearing Palestinian pins were violating the airline’s rules and sympathizing with passengers who might be “horrified” by them. The post has since been deleted but was captured in a screenshot shared by Muslim advocacy group CAIR and the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Delta apologized In a job He said the employee responsible for the response had been removed from handling his social media communications.

“What happened with Delta is just the latest example of anti-Palestinian racism,” Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told The Washington Post. He said the group welcomed Delta’s apology. “And I hope this incident starts to slowly move the needle in a different direction.”