JetBlue is known for having seat back entertainment throughout its fleet, which is (usually) a treat for passengers. As an aviation geek, one of the things that I like most about this is the ability to use the map feature, and track the progress of the flight. Well, after a recent controversy, JetBlue is in the process of switching to a new map vendor.
JetBlue map labels Israel as “Palestinian Territories”
It goes without saying that the current conflict between Israel and Palestine has been incredibly divisive, and in some cases this has put airlines in tough spots. For example, Delta has banned employees from wearing flag pins, in order to prevent them from wearing Palestinian flag pins, while United has taken the opposite approach, and continues to allow this.
JetBlue was recently in the news when some passengers noticed the questionable way in which the inflight map feature labeled Israel. This map feature changed Israel’s borders (to remove Golan Heights), and labeled much of Israel as “Palestinian Territories.”
Interestingly, this wasn’t uncovered for quite some time. However, during a recent flight, an Israeli woman studying in the United States tried to show another passenger where Israel was located through the inflight map, when she noticed the labeling. As the woman explained, “the label was prominently displayed in a way that didn’t seem innocent.”
As you’d expect, this generated quite the discussion online, and the airline has now taken action…
JetBlue switches map vendors over controversy
Following the backlash over JetBlue’s labeling of Israel, the airline has committed to switching vendors for its inflight map. As JetBlue explains in a statement:
“We’re sorry for the concern this has caused. We can assure you that no one on the JetBlue team was involved with drawing or labeling the map of the region and we were not previously aware of the issue.”
“After a careful review, we have decided to switch to a new map vendor. While our content provider works on making this transition, we have also asked the current vendor to adjust our onboard map so that it aligns with the U.S. government’s map guidance for the region. We are making these changes as quickly as the technology allows.”
A few thoughts on this situation:
- It’s anyone’s guess for how long the map feature had been labeling Israel in this way; since JetBlue flies nowhere close to Israel, it could very well have been that way for quite some time, without anyone noticing
- Regardless of how one feels about Israel vs. Palestine, an airline should be following the official guidance of the government to avoid controversy
- On the part of the map vendor, I do think this labeling was intentional, and I don’t think it was an oversight or a mistake, but rather a feature
- That being said, I feel strongly that this wasn’t intentional on JetBlue’s part, and JetBlue is handling this as well as it can, by apologizing and switching vendors quickly
Bottom line
JetBlue recently made headlines because its inflight map prominently showed much of Israel as being “Palestinian Territories,” which didn’t go over well with many passengers. The airline has responded quickly by cutting ties with its current map vendor. I’d say the airline handled this situation about as well as it could have…
What do you make of this JetBlue controversy?
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