EASYJET has apologised for promoting the Twelfth parades in its inflight guide after a blogger from the North of Ireland complained.
The airline’s inflight magazine reads: "Hundreds of colourful parades take place across Northern Ireland on July 12 bank holiday to commemorate the 1690 Battle of the Boyne. They're great to watch, just check ahead for travel disruptions and advice."
Violence erupted this year at the culmination of the annual Orange Order marches on July 12, as it regularly does.
In north Belfast, after angry confrontations between loyalist marchers and nationalist protestors, a 16-year-old girl was injured after being dragged underneath an out-of-control car.
Nine police officers needed medical treatment after having petrol bombs hurled at them.
Against that background, Sammy McNally, a blogger from the North, complained about the listing in easyJet Traveller, the inflight guide.
He asked the airline if it would take a similar approach in Serbia and encourage people to attend festivals that "exacerbate ethnic tensions".
An easyJet spokesperson responded by email to apologise: "We rely on an external network of writers, based in each of our destinations, to provide the recommendations for our destination guides that appear within easyJet Traveller.
"These writers are always locally based and are respected journalists in their community and it's their expertise and on-the-ground knowledge that makes the content of our guides so useful.
"In this instance the author of our Belfast guide felt the event's inclusion was of cultural interest to our readers, however, we fully understand the sensitivities around the event and apologise for it not being spotted at our normally rigorous editorial sign off.
"We will not be working with this writer again and will not include such recommendations in future."
Mr McNally welcomed the apology.
But the Orange Order has slammed the airline’s climb down.
The Order’s director of services, Dr David Hume, said he was "appalled".
"It really is ludicrous," he told the BBC's Talkback programme. "I'm just appalled that they have taken this decision on the basis of one person making this sort of complaint.
"I think a lot of people will see it as a demonisation of the Orange Order."
