LONDON — The Dutch airline KLM has found itself in the middle of a heated debate over breastfeeding in public, after the company said it might ask women to cover themselves while breastfeeding onboard if other passengers said they were offended.

The issue came to light after Shelby Angel, a woman from Sacramento, Calif., wrote about her experience on a KLM flight this summer in a post on Facebook on Sunday.

“Before we even took off, I was approached by a flight attendant carrying a blanket,” she wrote, saying she was told that if she wanted to breastfeed her 1-year-old daughter, she should cover up. When Ms. Angel refused, she said, the crew member told her that if anyone complained, it would be for Ms. Angel to deal with.

Nobody complained, Ms. Angel said.

As the post spread online, other social media users turned to Twitter to confront the airline. KLM’s response has been consistent: Breastfeeding is allowed onboard as long as no other passengers are offended by the practice.