Delta Air Lines adopts new uniform rules over Palestinian pin issue

ATLANTA (AP) — Delta Air Lines is changing its employee uniform policy following a turbulent ride through a social media storm started by an X user’s outrage over two flight attendants who were photographed wearing Palestinian flag pins.

The uproar over the July 10 post on X, which described the Palestinian pins as “Hamas badges,” led Delta to ban its employees from wearing pins representing any country or nationality besides the U.S. The rule will take effect Monday.

“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 Atlanta-based airline said in a statement “We are taking this step to help ensure a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment for all.”

Delta’s policy shift reflects the ongoing tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas war, which has triggered high-profile protests that, among other things, have roiled college campuses.

Both attendants pictured wearing the pins were in compliance with Delta’s previous policy giving employees more flexibility with uniform accessories.

Before Delta announced its new policy, one of its employees escalated the situation by posting a reply on X asserting the attendants wearing the Palestinian pins were violating company rules and sympathizing with passengers who might be “terrified” by it. That post has since been deleted but was captured in a screenshot shared by the American Muslim rights group CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Delta apologized in a post and said the employee responsible for the reply had been removed from handling its social media communications.

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