Delta denies any plan to ask passenger's their religion

Posted 25/08/2011

Rumors that Delta Airlines in the future will ask customers to state their religion before boarding are not true, the airline said.

In a letter to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish museum in Los Angeles, the company said its employees will not seek information regarding religious affiliation “on behalf of any SkyTeam partner.”

The controversy began last month, according to Reuters. That was when the airline reportedly entered an agreement with Saudi Arabia that critics said could potentially prohibit American Jews from flying into the country.

Delta, which has been trying to build its Middle East  brand, immediately denied the charges, said Fox News.

The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington also told Fox News that allegations that Jews are not allowed in the country are “complete nonsense.”

But some observers argued that Saudi Arabia, which recently joined the 14-member SkyTeam Alliance, has a longstanding policy of religious discrimination.

The company was the focal point of an open letter written by Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, that appeared on Foxnews.

 “What would happen if a leading US carrier voluntarily allows itself to be hijacked by bigots in order to open a new market?” Cooper asked. “I think you know the answer,” he wrote.

After the article was published, Delta officials met with Cooper in Los Angeles. Cooper later said that Delta "has now" done the right thing.

By David Wilkening

Originally published 25 Aug 2011 at: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/398/f/5923/s/17a66a58/l/0L0Stravelmole0N0Cstories0C11490A910Bphp0Dmpnlog0F1/story01.htm