Air Canada Sorry for Swapping Israel for Palestinian Territories on Flight Maps

Air Canada has issued an apology after replacing Israel with Palestinian territories on digital maps aboard its planes prompting outrage from Jewish groups and passengers. The error spotted by travelers this week erased the Jewish state’s name from in-flight screens fueling accusations of bias. The airline blamed a third-party vendor and promised a swift fix amid a growing PR headache.

Passengers on a Toronto-to-London flight first flagged the change with screenshots showing only Palestinian territories over Israel’s borders. Jewish advocacy groups like B’nai Brith Canada slammed it as erasure of a sovereign nation rooted in anti-Israel sentiment. Air Canada said the glitch stemmed from outdated software not deliberate policy.

The mix-up comes as tensions over Israel-Palestine flare globally with airlines wary of wading into the fray. Canada’s government affirmed Israel’s right to exist calling the map error unacceptable per Foreign Minister Melanie Joly. Air Canada vowed to audit its systems to prevent repeats as critics demanded accountability.

Social media erupted with posts on X branding the move a political statement not a mistake. Some users tied it to broader trends of firms bowing to anti-Israel pressure while others accepted the apology as genuine. The airline has faced boycotts threats from pro-Israel customers vowing to fly rivals instead.

Air Canada’s vendor GeoMap cited a data update gone wrong claiming no intent to redraw borders. Experts note such errors are rare but explosive given the region’s history of conflict since 1948. The carrier pulled the faulty maps from its 200-plane fleet pending a full overhaul by week’s end.

The incident echoes a 2023 flap when Air France briefly mislabeled Tel Aviv fueling similar uproar. Jewish leaders met with Air Canada execs Friday pressing for transparency on how the swap occurred. The airline pledged sensitivity training for staff to grasp the stakes of such oversights.

Critics argue the gaffe reflects deeper bias in corporate Canada a charge Air Canada rejects as baseless. Pro-Palestinian voices online hailed the error as a nod to their cause though no evidence ties it to activism. The airline’s stock dipped 2 percent as the story gained traction beyond borders.

This blunder tests Air Canada’s reputation as a neutral carrier in a polarized world. Whether its apology quells the storm or stokes more depends on how fast trust is rebuilt. For now Israel’s name is back on the maps but the fallout lingers over the skies.