JetBlue replaces map vendor after controversy over Israel labeling

JetBlue’s seat back entertainment map recently labeled much of Israel as “Palestinian Territories” in significantly larger text, overlaying the entire state of Israel. This incident follows a situation where police were called on a passenger who commented on the Hamas massacre of Israel on October 7th, in response to a flight attendant wearing a Palestine pin. The crewmember reportedly used her position to suppress customer speech.

The airline has issued an apology and announced plans to replace the map provider. A JetBlue spokesperson stated, "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."

The spokesperson further explained, "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."