Sunday, November 1, 2015

Iberia Airlines Captain on Flight from Spain to Israel announces "Landing Shortly in Palestine"

On an Iberia Air flight from Spain to Israel on Wednesday, Israeli passengers were infuriated when the captain announced as they were approaching Ben-Gurion Airport that they “would be landing shortly in Palestine.”
Israel’s Channel 2 reported that the captain first made the announcement in Spanish and then stated in English that in a few minutes the plane would be landing into Tel Aviv.
Passengers said that the captain had never mentioned the word “Israel” during in-flight updates.
One passenger, Lior, told Channel 2 that he was “somewhat overwhelmed” by what happened.
“Everyone started whispering, we were just in shock, I don’t understand why he said that,” he added. “We live in the State of Israel and he should have said ‘Israel,’ he didn’t absentmindedly say it in English, it was intentional – and even more so in this tense time.”
Another passenger said that what the captain did “was unacceptable, we all noticed it.”
Channel 2 quoted one passenger who reportedly complained about the incident in a letter to the airline saying, “My family and I were incredibly offended, it was completely inappropriate and it does not do service to your company.”

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