Delta Air Lines planes are seen at John F. Kennedy International Airport on the July 4th weekend in Queens, New York City, U.S., July 2, 2022. Photo: Reuters

Delta Air Lines announced this week that effective July 15, flight attendants will only be permitted to wear pins of the US flag on their uniforms after a recent incident involving two flight attendants who wore Palestinian flag pins that mislabeled as “Hamas badges.”

On Tuesday, a user on X/Twitter posted two images of Delta Airlines flight attendants wearing Palestinian pin flags and in the caption described them as “Hamas badges” and also referenced 9/11.

“Since 2001 we take off our shoes in every airport because [of] a terrorist attack in US soil,” the post said. “Now imagine getting into a @Delta flight and seeing workers with Hamas badges in the air. What do you do?” The photos in the tweet showed flight attendants on separate flights on different days — a male flight attendant on a Boston to West Palm Beach flight on July 5 and a female flight attendant on an Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale flight that took place days afterward, according to StopAntisemitism.org.

Delta’s official X account replied to the post, saying, “I hear you as I’d be terrified as well, personally. Our employees reflect our culture and we do not take it lightly when our policy is not being followed.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which is the country’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, criticized Delta for the “racist anti-Palestinian tweet” on Wednesday. CAIR demanded an apology, urged Delta to educate its staff members better, and said Delta’s response supports the original tweet’s false claim that a “Palestinian flag pin worn by a flight attendant was a ‘Hamas badge.'”

The Palestinian flag, which represents the Palestinian people, features black, white, and green horizontal stripes, with a red triangle on the left side. The Hamas terrorist organization has its own flag, which has a green background with white writing of the Shahada, an Islamic declaration of faith.

The Delta post on X has since been deleted. The airline said in a statement on Thursday that the “mistakenly posted comment on X” was removed “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,” a spokesperson of the airline added.

Whether this racist post on Delta’s X account was approved or unauthorized, Delta must apologize and take steps to educate its employees about this type of dangerous anti-Palestinian racism. Bigotry against Palestinian-Americans is absolutely out of control in workplaces and at… pic.twitter.com/3wezN6W8iN

— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) July 10, 2024

Delta said neither of the flight attendees who wore the Palestinian flag pins have been fired since they “both were compliant with Delta uniform guidelines.” The airline is also in contact with the flight attendants “to offer support.”

“However … Delta is shifting its pin allowance policy effective July 15,” the airline announced. “Beginning then, only US flags will be permitted to be worn on uniforms. Previously, pins representing countries/nationalities of the world had been permitted. We are taking this step to help ensure a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment for all. 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.”