British Airways ‘sorry’ it chose not to show Jewish sitcom in aircraft due to the war

EXCLUSIVE: Airline had said it paused British show Hapless from in-flight entertainment to 'remain neutral' during Israel–Hamas conflict

By Richard Ferrer
  • Richard Ferrer has been editor of Jewish News since 2009. As one of Britain's leading Jewish voices he writes for The Times, Independent, New Statesman and many other titles. Richard previously worked at the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, edited the Boston Jewish Advocate and created the Channel 4 TV series Jewish Mum Of The Year.
 18 December 2023, 12:48 pm
A scene from Hapless.

British Airways has apologised for postponing the inclusion of a Jewish-themed British sitcom from its in-flight entertainment due to the conflict in the Middle East.

The airline had been due to include the show Hapless on its in-flight menu this month, which is based around the lives of Jewish characters in London, only to announce it had been sidelined to “remain neutral” during the ongoing war.

Responding to mounting concerns over its decision, a British Airways spokesperson told Jewish News: “We understand that the decision to review the content has caused upset and hurt to the Jewish community, and we’re sorry – that was never our intention.

“We’re proud to offer a wide range of entertainment options for our customers to enjoy and constantly review these, taking into consideration current events. The series will appear on our aircraft early next year.”

It is understood the program is now scheduled to appear on the airline’s in-flight lineup early in the new year.

Hapless creator Gary Sinyor, who described the decision as “shocking”, was informed that the show would be sidelined by Spafax Media, the company that curates BA’s entertainment platform.

An email from Spafax, seen by Jewish News, reads: “BA asked us to review content on board and being booked in relation to Israel/Palestine and the conflict currently happening. Their preference is to remain as neutral in these situations as possible. As a result we’ve been asked to remove Hapless from the December line-up but are very happy to book this once the conflict dies down.

Spafax is a subsidiary of WPP Group PLC, which has signed a declaration against antisemitism.

Responding to BA’s apology, Sinyor said: “I’m obviously delighted that BA have apologised. This was not about the Jewish community though I’m grateful for the support. Hapless is intended for the mainstream audience and our national airline made a wrong decision in picking on a British comedy with Jews in it.”

It is understood the show is now scheduled to appear on the airline’s in-flight lineup early in the new year.

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