Ryanair apologises after crew says plane approaching ‘Tel Aviv in Palestine’
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The incident occurred during a flight from Bologna to Tel Aviv on June 10.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair has apologised after a flight attendant told passengers en route to Tel Aviv that they were approaching Palestine.
The plane was travelling from the Italian city of Bologna to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.
“All passengers are requested to return to their seats as the plane is about to land in Tel Aviv in occupied Palestine,” the attendant said during the flight on June 10, according to Israeli news channel i24NEWS.
The announcement was made in both English and Italian.
The incident led to several complaints from passengers.
In a statement, the airline said it was an “innocent mistake with no intent”.
It “was immediately corrected and apologised for by the senior crew member on board”, the statement said.
Despite the apology by the cabin crew, passengers were said to have “continued to be abusive”, Ryanair chief executive officer Eddie Wilson said.
For that reason, the police was called to meet the aircraft when it landed.
“It is not Ryanair policy (or our crew practice) to refer to Tel Aviv as being in any country other than Israel.
“The crew member in question has been spoken to and received a warning to ensure that such an error is never repeated,” Mr Wilson said in a further statement.
Nevetheless, the incident caused a stir online.
Some Israeli media commentators called on Israelis to boycott the airline if an apology was not made. Others questioned whether it was truly an “innocent mistake”.
There were similar reactions on Twitter, with one user saying it was “nothing short of anti-Semitic”.
Others, however, stood in support of the airline. One Twitter user said, “Oh Ryanair, this is why we love you so.”
This is not the first time airlines have run into hot water over the region, according to the Middle East Eye.
In 2002, an Air France pilot on a flight from Paris to Tel Aviv described the final destination as “Israel-Palestine”, which led to arguments between passengers and crew.
The following year, an Alitalia pilot said “Welcome to Palestine” as he landed in Tel Aviv, leading again to strong reactions from passengers.
