A Pennsylvania newspaper on Friday apologised for publishing an editorial cartoon that compared aeroplane seating conditions to those on slave ships.

In-flight arguments over crowded conditions and reclinable seats, some forcing flights to divert and land, have recently contributed to a spate of media stories and debate.

The Lancaster Online president, John A Kirkpatrick III, and executive editor, Barb Roda, said in a statement they were “deeply sorry” for publishing the since-deleted cartoon, which compared the cramped conditions on planes to the dehumanising conditions on ships that brought slaves to the US.

“To somehow link the inconveniences of air travel with slavery in general and the slave ships in particular was not only just plain wrong it was deeply hurtful to our African American community and all those who understand the horrors inflicted on the men and women forced into the slave trade,” the statement said. “It both trivialised and demeaned their experience.”

The statement also includes a brief lesson on the actual conditions of life on slave ships.



The cartoon appeared in the newspaper’s Saturday edition last week. On Monday, the newspaper held a meeting with community members to let them know they planned to apologise for running the image.

The cartoon was nationally syndicated, and not created by Lancaster Online staff. Any newspaper that has a deal with the syndication company could have published the image.

“While the editorial cartoon was not drawn by someone on our staff, the decision to run it on our pages was made here,” the statement said. “We are deeply sorry about printing this offensive cartoon.”

At least one small newspaper, the Sheboygan Press in Wisconsin, also ran the image. Two days later, it published a letter from local pastor Justin Sembler that condemned the cartoon:

“I have flown commercial and in coach seating many times in the course of my life. Sometimes it’s pleasant, sometimes not. We all have dealt with cramped leg space, cheap snacks and the occasional obnoxious passenger.

“In all of my time flying, I have never once compared my experience to that of a slave ship hold. To do so is not only disrespectful, but it sells far short the horrific conditions that I imagine when I look at that famous scene depicted in your cartoon.”