Air Canada apologizes after Israel erased from the map on some of its planes
Air Canada has apologized after it emerged that some of its fleet displayed maps that appeared to have erased Israel.
The carrier's Boeing 737 MAX fleet were found to have moving maps — part of the in flight entertainment (IFE) system — that did not show Israel as a state, but replaced it with the name 'Palestinian territories.' The maps have been deactivated while they are updated.
The discrepancy was first noticed by a passenger who flagged it to the company. Air Canada said in a statement that it was found on 40 of its Boeing 737 aircraft. According to the airline's website, there are 43 737 MAX twinjets in the fleet of more than 350 total aircraft.
The IFE in question had been produced by French aerospace group Thales, while the map itself had been produced for Thales by an external company, which has not been named.
Air Canada and Thales said in a joint statement, shared with CNN on Thursday, that the issue had been 'resolved.'
'It was brought to the attention of Air Canada that the interactive map on its Boeing 737 fleet did not consistently portray certain Middle Eastern boundaries, including those of the State of Israel, at all amplification levels,' the statement said. 'Air Canada's policy in general is to display only city names on the maps in its aircraft, and the configuration on this particular system was not compliant with this policy.'
The map function was immediately disabled on the aircraft, it added, and the airline has been working with Thales and the map provider to reprogram the planes. A rectified map will be installed on the fleet from March 14.
'Air Canada and Thales apologize for the unease created by this situation,' it concluded.
Thales added in a separate statement that the map had been provided by a third party.
'Thales is working closely with the airline and the involved third-party to remediate this regrettable issue as soon possible,' they said.
It's not the first time the issue has raised its head in aviation.
In 2024, JetBlue apologized after a similar issue with its moving map. The airline said it was switching to another moving map provider, and had asked the old one to 'adjust [the map] so that it aligns with the US government's map guidance for the region.' British Airways had a similar incident in 2013.
In 2018, following a similar incident, SWISS confirmed that its policy is to turn off maps entirely when coming in to land at Tel Aviv.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why the U.K. and Allies Sanctioned Israeli Ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich
Ben Gvir speaks before aparty meeting at the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem. Credit - Amir Levy—Getty Images The U.K. and several allies have imposed sanctions on Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, accusing the two far-right politicians of inciting violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway joined the U.K. in imposing a travel ban on Ben-Gvir—Israel's national security minister and a West Bank settler—and Finance Minister Smotrich. The five governments also froze any assets either may have in their countries. 'Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. These actions are not acceptable,' said British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. 'This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account.' The British government reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution and described the ongoing violence against Palestinians in the West Bank as 'completely unacceptable.' The sanctions come as the U.K. and other European nations increase pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to lift the blockade on aid into Gaza, where humanitarian experts warn that famine is imminent. "Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we cannot do it again,' responded Smotrich, referring to a 1939 British document limiting Jewish migration. 'We are determined God willing to continue building," Smotrich added, speaking at the inauguration of a new settlement in the Hebron Hills. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the sanctions as 'outrageous,' adding that the government would convene a special meeting to determine its response to what he called an 'unacceptable decision.' Here's what to know about the sanctions. The British Foreign Office said the sanctions imposed on Ben-Gvir and Smotrich were effective immediately due to their 'repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians.' The Israeli cabinet ministers are now subject to a U.K. travel ban, will have any assets in the country frozen, and are barred from directing, managing or promoting a British company. The Foreign Office called on the Israeli government to crack down on settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, and emphasized that 'measures today cannot be seen in isolation from events in Gaza, where Israel must uphold international humanitarian law.' In May, the British government announced it was suspending negotiations with Israel on a prospective trade agreement. On May 19, Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron in signing a joint statement condemning both Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank. An estimated 529,455 Jewish settlers currently live in settlements in the West Bank, excluding those living in East Jerusalem. The United Nations considers these settlements illegal under international law. Violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has escalated since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel, during which militants killed approximately 1,200 people and took around 250 others hostage. Between Jan. 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025, at least 616 Palestinians, including 115 children, had been killed by settlers or the Israeli military according to the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In the same period, OCHA recorded 1,936 incidents of violence toward Palestinians, with 41,272 being displaced in the West Bank. Cabinet members Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich lead far-right parties that had been regarded as outside the mainstream of Israeli politics until Benjamin Netanyahu invited them into a ruling coalition—which they now hold the power to disband. Smotrich's Religious Zionism party holds 14 seats in the 120-seat Knesset while Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party holds six. The two ministers are known for their far-right political views and strong support for Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank. Smotrich, born in the occupied Golan Heights in 1980, has repeatedly called for Israeli settlers to return to Gaza. On May 30, Smotrich announced plans to establish 22 new settlements in the West Bank—a move widely regarded as illegal under international law. He called the expansion a 'historic decision,' saying, 'We have succeeded in creating a profound strategic change, returning the State of Israel to a path of construction, Zionism, and vision.' Self-described as a 'fascist homophobe,' Smotrich has previously advocated for government reprisal attacks on Palestinians and supported segregated maternity wards for Jewish and Arab mothers. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's national security minister, has a long history of far-right activism. A former disciple of the extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane, Ben-Gvir was known in his youth for his affiliation with Kach, a Jewish supremacist group outlawed in both Israel and the United States as a terrorist organization. By his early 30s, he had been convicted of incitement to racism and supporting a terrorist organization. Though he has since rebranded himself as a mainstream political figure, Ben-Gvir continues to advocate for hardline policies against Palestinians and is a vocal proponent of expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Contact us at letters@
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. made some promises on vaccines to get confirmed. Is he breaking them?
The Trump era is rife with Republicans who abandon their principles in the name of toeing Donald Trump's line. But few have gambled with those principles recently like Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy. The chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in February played the pivotal role in confirming a longtime purveyor of vaccine misinformation, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as Health and Human Services secretary. Cassidy did so despite often citing how 30 years of practicing medicine taught him how crucial vaccines are – and despite his very public reservations about Kennedy's views and motivations on the subject. He also did so at a time when vaccine skepticism has risen sharply on the right, meaning Cassidy's strongly held beliefs were already losing ground. At Kennedy's confirmation hearing, Cassidy recalled loading an 18-year-old woman who had hepatitis B onto an ambulance so she could get an emergency liver transplant. 'And as she took off, it was the worst day of my medical career, because I thought $50 of vaccines could have prevented this all,' Cassidy said. 'That was an inflection point in my career.' Cassidy, who faces reelection and likely a primary challenge in 2026, ultimately gave Kennedy a decisive vote, after obtaining what the senator cast as a series of vaccine-related concessions. But pretty much ever since then, Kennedy has tested the spirit of that agreement, if he hasn't violated it outright. Most recently, that took the form of Kennedy on Monday removing all 17 members of an expert panel of advisers that guides the federal government's vaccine recommendations. Many immediately cast this as contrary to what Kennedy promised Cassidy. It's not quite so simple, for reasons we'll get to. But plenty of other actions could fit into that category. For his part, Cassidy on Monday would not tell CNN whether he regrets his vote for Kennedy. Last month, the senator said Kennedy had 'lived up to' the agreement. But at other times, he has taken issue with Kennedy's actions. It's worth a review of what Cassidy said back then – and since. Cassidy laid out the conditions during a speech on the Senate floor. In those February remarks, Cassidy cited the same vaccine advisory panel Kennedy just cleared out. 'If confirmed, he will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' recommendations without changes,' Cassidy said, according to video of his remarks. An old transcript of Cassidy's speech on his own website omitted the word 'recommendations,' leading Kennedy's critics on Monday to accuse him of breaking his word by changing the makeup of the committee itself. But Cassidy's comments pertained to the committee's recommendations. (CNN has reached out to Cassidy's office about the transcript.) Cassidy in an X post Monday expressed concern about what comes next. He cited a 'fear' that 'ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion.' 'I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case,' he added. He declined to go further when pressed by CNN's Manu Raju. Cassidy also said in his February speech that Kennedy had 'committed that he would work within current vaccine approval and safety monitoring systems and not establish parallel systems.' But just in the past two weeks, Kennedy announced changes to the CDC's recommended vaccine schedules without ACIP's input. 'CDC will not remove statements on their website pointing out that vaccines do not cause autism,' Cassidy said in his speech. There is no evidence that the CDC has done this. But Kennedy has taken actions that seem geared toward his longstanding and debunked linking of vaccines to autism, which Cassidy took exception to at Kennedy's confirmation hearing. Most recently, this took the form of launching a 'massive testing and research effort' to find the causes of autism, which critics worry will be geared toward vaccines. And indeed, CNN previously reported HHS had asked the CDC to study vaccines and autism, despite strong evidence there's no link between the two. This is one area where Cassidy has expressed reservations. 'I'll point out that has been clearly laid to rest,' the senator said in April of the supposed link between vaccines and autism, according to The Advocate. 'The more resources we put towards that, we are not putting towards actually finding out what is the cause of autism.' Finally, Cassidy's floor speech suggested Kennedy had provided assurances that he wouldn't use his position to 'wrongfully' create suspicion about vaccines. 'I will watch carefully for any effort to wrongfully sow public fear about vaccines [through] confusing references of coincidence and anecdote,' Cassidy said. 'But my support is built on assurances that this will not have to be a concern …' There is no question Kennedy as HHS secretary has said many things that could undermine confidence in vaccines – often using misinformation. Amid a measles outbreak in Texas, Kennedy wasn't quick to explicitly recommend the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, while floating unconventional treatments like vitamin A in ways that experts worried would discourage vaccinations. He also made a series of claims about the MMR vaccine that experts reject. These have included that it contains 'fetal debris' and that it 'was never safety tested.' He has also claimed that no childhood vaccine except the Covid-19 vaccine has been fully tested against placebos. But that's not true — something Cassidy pointed out in perhaps the most significant example of him calling out Kennedy. After Kennedy made the claim at a hearing last month, Cassidy returned to the hearing to correct him. 'The secretary made the statement that no vaccines except for Covid have been evaluated against placebo,' Cassidy said. 'For the record, that's not true. The rotavirus, measles and HPV vaccines have been, and some vaccines are tested against previous versions. So, just for the record to set that straight,' Cassidy said. It was the kind of claim that might lead one to wonder whether the guy you elevated to such a powerful position was actually living up to the agreement that got him there. Cassidy doesn't seem willing to go there yet. But all signs are Kennedy is going to continue making him second-guess his choices.
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Israel objects to foreign nations sanctioning its officials
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich won't be exploring London anytime soon. The United Kingdom sanctioned the two firebrands and imposed travel bans on them. The U.K. is not alone in acting against Ben-Gvir and Smotrich; Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway have joined in. The foreign ministers of all five countries issued a joint statement on their decision to sanction the ministers and implement "other measures targeting" them. "Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. Extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous," the statement read. Netanyahu Accuses The Uk, France And Canada Of 'Enabling Hamas' The foreign ministers say that their actions against Ben-Gvir and Smotrich stem from issues in the West Bank, but that their measures "cannot be seen in isolation from the catastrophe in Gaza." Ben-Gvir responded in a post on X, saying, "While the European colonial countries fantasize that we Jews are still their subjects, the streets of their famous cities are being taken over by radical Islam. But their campaign of appeasement for the Hamas terrorists will not save them. When they finally wake up, it will be too late!" Read On The Fox News App Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar slammed the move, calling it "outrageous." "We were informed about the U.K. decision to include two of our ministers on the British Sanctions list. It is outrageous that elected representatives and members of the government are subjected to these kinds of measures," Sa'ar said on Tuesday. "I discussed it earlier today with [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and we will hold a special government meeting early next week to decide on our response to this unacceptable decision." Controversial Israeli Official Says His Country Can Learn From America's Gun Laws Sa'ar also put out a statement on X criticizing the five nations, particularly the U.K. "The British Mandate for the land of Israel ended in May 1948. It will never return," Sa'ar wrote. "The actions and decisions against Israel also contribute to hardening Hamas' stance in the negotiations for the hostage deal – and distance it and the ceasefire." Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the actions taken against the Israeli officials. "These sanctions do not advance U.S.-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war. We reject any notion of equivalence: Hamas is a terrorist organization that committed unspeakable atrocities, continues to hold innocent civilians hostage, and prevents the people of Gaza from living in peace. We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is. The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel," Rubio's statement read. The countries that signed the joint statement have been vocal critics of Israel during its war against Hamas. In May, Canada, the U.K. and France said in a statement that they "strongly oppose the expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza." They also said that Israel allowing only "a basic quantity of food into Gaza" was "wholly inadequate." "We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response," the statement from May read. In a joint statement on the Australia-New Zealand Foreign and Defense Ministerial Consultations (ANZMIN), the countries called for a ceasefire in Gaza and condemned Israel's "treatment of U.N. agencies." Australia and New Zealand defended the controversial United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the statement, saying that "no organization can replace or substitute" its ability to serve the Palestinian population. The U.S. stopped funding UNRWA under former President Joe Biden. Under President Donald Trump, the Department of Justice ruled that the agency was no longer immune to lawsuits – a decision that allowed the families of more than 100 victims of the Oct. 7 attacks to sue the agency, demanding $1 billion in article source: Israel objects to foreign nations sanctioning its officials
