Air Canada removes in-flight director from service after antisemitic posts

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Air Canada says they are investigating after antisemitic comments were made by an in-flight service director on social media.

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Airline spokesperson Sean Davidson confirmed to National Post in a written statement on Wednesday that the individual was “removed from service” and there is a “full investigation underway.”

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A Facebook account with the same name as the in-flight service director had dozens of posts about the conflict in Gaza. “This is a Holocaust created by Jews against people who refuse to allow them to steal their land,” he wrote on Aug. 6. He compared Zionism to Nazism, saying the former was “every bit as evil.”

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He also referred to an antisemitic trope and conspiracy theory about Jewish people owning the media in one post from late August. “This is why we never hear the truth about Israel,” he wrote.

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Many times he referred to the situation in Gaza as a genocide, perpetrated by Israel.

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“The people who pull the Holocaust card or the antisemitism card, their eternal ‘victim’ card, at every opportunity, are now executing people based on them not being Jewish,” he wrote in a post in April.

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On Jan. 27, 2025, which is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, he wrote that he no longer thinks of or respects this day “through the same lens as I did in the past because of Israel’s actions the past 15 months.”

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“The fact that they are still playing the victim card in the face of genocide is revolting. I hope that some day their actions match their words,” he said.

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When reached for comment by National Post, the service director said he could not provide a statement at this time.

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A spokesperson for the Air Canada Component of CUPE told National Post that the union is aware of the situation and “is in contact with the member, and will fulfill its legal obligations of representation during the investigation.”

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Air Canada said in its statement that it “denounces hate speech and promotion of violence in all forms.” It did not clarify if the service director was removed with or without pay.

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On Tuesday, Air Canada announced its flights to Israel would resume on Nov. 30 after being suspended since March. The airline said the suspension was due to the “military situation in the Middle East.”

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In 2023, the airline fired a pilot after social media posts surfaced of him attending an anti-Israel protest in Montreal, CTV News reported. Air Canada said at the time that the posts were “unacceptable.” The pilot reportedly appeared at the protest wearing his uniform and holding a sign that referenced Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

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