Iberia pilot declares 'Welcome to Palestine' upon landing in TLV
Flight to Tel Aviv leaves passengers furious after captain issues different greetings in English and Spanish, both omitting the word Israel.
An unusual greeting came over an Iberia flight’s PA system on Wednesday upon the aircraft’s arrival at Ben Gurion airport when the voice pilot announced in Spanish, “Welcome to Tel Aviv – Palestine.”
The aircraft landed in Tel Aviv in the afternoon, and while the aircraft taxied back from the runway, the pilot announced his greeting in Spanish followed by a greeting in English, “Welcome to Tel Aviv.” The pilot’s omitting of the word Israel didn’t go unnoticed.
Passengers who understood the Spanish greeting were furious, and several of them approached the captain upon embarking the aircraft. As a result, the captain locked himself in the cockpit.
A speaker for Iberia in Spain told Yedioth Ahronoth that the pilot’s message was “unwise.”
According to the speaker, the company wished to apologize before the passengers, and has opened an internal investigation into the matter, during the duration of which the pilot in question will not be flying the route to Israel.
