A flight attendant operating a regional flight on behalf of American Airlines has stirred controversy over her Palestinian flag pin.
Flight Attendant Wears Palestinian Flag Pin On American Airlines Flight
On August 25, 2025, a flight attendant on American Eagle flight 4907 from Aspen (ASE) to Dallas (DFW), operated by SkyWest, was photographed wearing a Palestinian flag pin in violation of uniform policy. The image quickly spread online, reigniting the debate over political expression in the cabin.
American Airlines’ uniform rules are clear: crew may only display company-issued pins such as anniversary awards, union logos, or approved affinity group insignia, not personal or political symbols. SkyWest’s own standards reinforce this, allowing only up to three pins, all of which must be company-issued or approved.
This is not the first time the issue has come up. Earlier this year a passenger confronted a flight attendant in Miami over her “watermelon” pin, a now-common stand-in for the Palestinian flag. Police ultimately intervened, and American confirmed the pin was not approved under company policy. I also wrote about a United Airlines flight attendant who wore a Palestinian flag pin.
Other airlines have taken different approaches. Delta responded to similar issues by banning all flag pins except the U.S. flag. JetBlue also moved to tighten its rules. United previously permitted Palestinian pins under a “language pin” program and later as part of an affinity group allowance, but now bans such pins.
As View From The Wing notes, “It is possible to wear a Palestinian flag and believe you’re advocating for two states. That isn’t usually what it means. Spain recognizes a Palestinian State. The Catalan independence movement would like a word…Hamas, though, doesn’t want a ‘two-state solution’ they want a single state from the river to the sea that destroys Israel. They are an existential threat if allowed to remain in power and rebuild, so Israel has a right and ethical justification for taking out that threat. ”
Well-said…
Pragmatically, It Is Appropriate To Ban These Pins
As I’ve argued before, it makes sense to ban such controversial pins while in uniform, even if it reflects an unfortunate reality of incivility; a time in which we cannot tolerate opposing views on highly controversial issues. The pins become a distraction and undermine the primary mission of an airline to provide safe, reliable, and quality air transport. The ban is therefore appropriate because of the passions that an Israeli or, particularly a Palestinian flag pin, inflame. Russian versus Ukrainian flag pins may evoke the same reaction.
I do love it when flight attendants wear flag pins to designate what language(s) they speak. I also loved it when Emirates once had flag pins to show where its diverse crews came from and what languages they spoke.
Take Arabic, for example. There is no “Arabic” flag. Rather, there are dozens of nations in which Arabic is spoken and many have distinct dialects or nuances. If a flight attendant is from Gaza or the West Bank and speaks Arabic, I think a Palestinian flag pin is quite appropriate.
But unless the flight attendant above spoke Arabic with a Palestinian dialect, she had no business wearing that pin in uniform and even if she did, per SkyWest uniform policies, she was not authorized to wear that flag pin.
CONCLUSION
Once again, the cabin has become a flashpoint for political expression. Such divisive symbols can distract from service and inflame tensions among passengers. As I have argued before, airlines must keep the cabin neutral. Crewmembers are free to express themselves off duty, but uniform compliance ensures the focus remains on safety and service, not politics.
I don’t need to know and don’t care what crewmembers’ views are on anything. They are primarily there for our safety, secondly for in-flight service. Period. Focus on that.
The only pins permitted other than official company logo pins should be foreign language indicators. The lack of an Arabic “flag” is easily solved by a simple pin with the language’s name written in Arabic. In fact that could be the standard for every language – a pin with the language name written in the native wording- to avoid any perceived issues with national flags. (And might avoid occasional confusion in instances where a country has multiple official and/or widely spoken languages.)
Anyone ought to be able to wear any pin they wish . No one notices them anyhow .
Behaviour ought to be banned , not stupid pins .
For example , male cheerleaders ought to be banned by the NFL .
People certainly notice them…
@Matthew … Yes , they do . ( They are usually busybodies or troublemakers .)
I am more polite and merely notice their nice legs and curvy shapes , and they then smile in return .
The problem is approved affinity group pins. The Star of David is such a pin. Gay people want and have their own pin. I am for no affinity pins and language pins, including Palestinian flags.
As fat as politics, Israel and Hamas totally agree. They agree that one side should have all the land. The big difference is who. Also Hamas is not everyone, just as not all Americans for maga-people.
Typo…am for flag pins to denote languages
Then Governor George Wallace of Alabama stated the Israeli position on Gaza decades ago…. Segregation today, Segregation tomorrow, and Segregation forever!
Support for the people of Palestine is not in and of itself an act of antisemitism. Being critical of what Israel is doing to the people of Gaza is not in and of itself an act of antisemitism.
For the avoidance of doubt, I’ve never claimed otherwise.
Agreed and my apologies as I’m not accusing you of doing so – I love your blog! More just commenting on the general reaction to this.
You posted what Gary wrote and replied, “Well said.” Yet he claims to know why anyone wearing a Palestinian flag is doing so and what wearing one “usually… means.” No, he doesn’t. That’s just his biased opinion. He then goes further by switching the conversation to Hamas, as if every Palestinian or supporter of Palestinian rights is Hamas or a Hamas supporter. And again, he was completely wrong. One can be anti-Hamas, believe that October 7 was an atrocity, hope for the safe return of the hostages and want to see an end to the bloodshed of innocent Palestinians. Some of those who do are even Jewish and Israeli.
Again, no argument.
I happen to be more strongly pro-Israel than most…but that doesn’t mean your statement is incorrect. It is indeed correct…I know many such people.
Wearing the pin , is not a political statement when you have been advised not to do so. It is a statement you are a non-compliant jerk that does not deserve the employment you have been given. Simple as that.
Bingo!
Fire their ass but I’m sure the union would cry.
And wearing a cloth mask in 2025? (be my guest to wear a N95 mask if you feel you need but cloth mask is absolutely stupid and useless). This person should not be a FA as it clearly suffers from mental issues. Enough said.
What a nonsense statement on so manh levels.
I agree. Total nonsense to wear a useless piece of cloth to cover your face in 2025.
Are you referring to the ICE agents’ masks? I agree, they look like the Gestapo.
Got your US visa revoked yet? Better plan your next vacation in Venezuela.
2 Al Pastor with a side of rice please Ricardo.
So tou agree that what you said was completely nonsense? Good.
Why is it nonsense? Even if you believe in the Covid nonsense, even the lunatics agreed quickly cloth masks were worthless. But in the great American entrepreneur spirit, hundreds of millions were made off selling them to saps. Complete with stupid phrases and logos on them.
My only argument should be there would be a huge shortage of FA’s if mental illness was a qualifier. Since many are c#ck suckers like you, and it is a mental illness, staffing levels would decrease dramatically. And not in the dramatic way so many of you Hershey Highway lovers are.
Wow! Even you quickly remembered that cloth masks were worthless.
Good boy!
Dave, you really need to swallow a bottle of laxatives, if only so your @sshole stopes being jealous of all the nasty sh*t that comes out your mouth.
@Aaron … agree it is nonsense to refer to “mental issues” over an insignificant pin . Let them wear any pin their wish .
I have a large cigar I wish to smoke … other people always seek to make a big deal about it . Then blow some smoke in answer to their protest .
All this complaining about pins is merely “blowing smoke” .
Yea you have a “cigar” Aaron would love to smoke, right between your legs.
Dave, which BelAmi boy do you prefer the most? You strike me as a Joel Birkin type of guy…if you could only be so lucky.
You’re the one talking about his “cigar”, not me, you weird closeted Nazi lol
I wear a N95 mask on flights. Transmission of respiratory disease does happen. I suffered one of the worst colds in my life after sitting next to a coughing woman in 2010. At the time, she was sitting in the middle seat and I was sitting in the aisle with my face turned towards the aisle. Not good enough.
Still, I have become lax. N95 only in airports, flights, trains, crowded train stations, and supermarkets.
@derek: if you read my post, I am fine if someone feels the need to wear a N95 mask. Their decision and I have nothing against it. Now, this FA is wearing a cloth mask that together with a pin that goes against the rules of its employer it is simply a statement to show how mentally unfit this person is to be there for “my safety” as they say it is the reason you have FAs on flights.
@Santastico … I must protest your comment’s use of “mentally unfit” , because it is Not “mentally unfit” to wear either a mask or a pin of choice . Neither does any harm .
The real harm is being done by male cheerleaders in the NFL
If they tried that in the NHL they would be “checked” right quick .
Neither is a sign of being mentally unfit in any capacity.
A man taking a c#ck in his mouth is a mental deficiency to a majority of humans in this world. Prove me wrong fa**ot.
No wonder why they left you people on fences in Wyoming.
You really are obsessed with me and cock…it does makes us all wonder about you, Dave.
Ti9s continued DEI-flag nonsense is disturbing.. If your employer says NO FLAGS then they should comply or face the punishment!! maybe fines would help
You think employees should be compelled to pay fines for violating company policies?
OK, not being mean, but “fining” employees is one of the dumbest ideas I’ve ever encountered. You’re probably not dumb. But that idea sure is.
All you have to do is wear the uniform as stipulated by company policy. Your political proclivities should stay personal.
I’ve worked for big theme parks. I just want everyone to picture your favorite character with a pin, of any type, on (e.g. let’s use Big Bird with a Thin Blue Line pin”).
No FAs are not theme park characters, but they are in uniform no different from Big Bird.
No political stance taken. Leave all the pins at home when in uniform.
I’m old enough to remember when my friends and I worked at Sesame Place in Langhorne over the summer and we called Code 23 over the speaker when more than one black walked into a gift shop.
Naturally we expected them to shoplift. Fair or not it was good business.
What up with Mask?. Trying to be tough with Palestine Flag… Chicken to show her face. She is Weak.
Some people refuse to keep their opinions to themselves at work. Work is work. Do your job. If you want to protest, push religion, push sports, whatever, do it on your own time!
It isn’t that hard.
And I would bet good money that she would report anyone who turned up to work wearing an Israeli flag pin for creating an “unsafe” work environment.
But more to the point, uniforms exist to increase the trust of passengers, so we see the crew as a coordinated professional team representing a brand, not separate individuals with varying standards and strong opinions on geopolitics.
I don’t care what this person thinks about the Middle East, or for that matter religion, taxes, immigration or abortion. Part of being an adult is recognising that the public sphere belongs to a lot of people with conflicting views, especially in public facing service roles. A mature person knows how to moderate their behaviour for that environment. She is clearly not up to the job.