Why did British Airways initially remove Jewish sitcom from flights? Airline updates on decision, says it will start screening next year

British Airways has taken a U-turn on its decision to remove the Jewish sitcom Hapless from its inflight entertainment package due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The sitcom was due to air late this year on British Airways flights. However, the company later reviewed its content and issued a notice about its removal.

However, British Airways then reconsidered its decision and later stated that it would start airing Hapless early next year. A spokesperson for British Airways issued a statement and said:

“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.”

Furthermore, as the matter came into the public eye, Deadline reported about the statement from the series’ director, Gary Sinyor, who claimed that he was told that British Airways removed the series as they did not want to “take sides” in the ongoing conflict. Hence, they decided to delay the screening of the series.

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“We’re sorry – that was never our intention”: British Airways issues an apology for pausing the screening of Jewish sitcom

After British Airways decided to pause on the Jewish series, the airlines received massive backlash, as many were infuriated due to their stand on the issue. However, the airlines claimed they wished to remain “neutral” about the October 7 fiasco. British Airways issued an apology and stated:

“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.”

BA purchased the first season of Hapless in August 2023, just two months before the Hamas-Israel conflict started on October 7. They had announced that the series would be available for all passengers from December 2023. However, as the airlines paused the £20,000 deal, the show's director claimed that it had nothing to do with “Israel.” He said:

“I mean, other than that the Jewish people live in Israel and that Israel is a Jewish state, it has nothing to do with it. I think what it shows is a fear of being perceived as being pro-Israel just because it’s got Jewish characters in it. It’s overcautious and if that’s reflected in British society then I think the Jewish community here would be concerned."

The director also reported that he received a message from Spafax, an aviation media company, which stated:

“BA Press office have 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.”

Hapless is a tale of a journalist who works for a Jewish newspaper in London. The series has been written and directed by Gary Sinyor. The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on February 28, 2020, in UK and Ireland. The show stars Tim Downie, Josh Howie, and Lucy Montgomery.