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Pilot announces ‘Gulf of America’ to passengers on board during flight
- “This is your Captain speaking. If you look at your right side of the aircraft, you’ll see the Gulf of America,” an airlines flight captain said, as passengers on board looked out of the windows in anticipation.
In an unusual moment aboard a flight, passengers were surprised when the captain announced the “Gulf of America” while the plane passed through the region. “This is your Captain speaking. If you look at your right side of the aircraft, you’ll see the Gulf of America,” the captain said, as passengers on board looked out of the windows in anticipation.
Passengers’ reactions
The announcement raised some eyebrows. “Gulf of Mexico,” a large body of water bordered by the US states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, as well as parts of Mexico and Cuba, is a well-known landmark in the region, and it is visible from certain flight routes passing over the southern US. On board, passengers reacted with amusement. Many passengers even took to social media to share their surprise and amusement.
Trump issues executive order to rename Gulf of Mexico as "Gulf of America"
In a significant move, US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the official renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America." The new name, "Gulf of America," is intended to recognise the region's “flourishing economic resource” and its vital role in the United States' economy. The executive order also mandates that all federal government maps and documents reflect the change. The announcement came on January 24, with the US Interior Department confirming the alteration as part of a broader effort to reassert the country’s global prominence.
In a statement made earlier this month, Trump emphasised the significance of the name change, asserting it was a move towards making the United States "the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth."
The new name change will be reflected in various platforms, including Google Maps.
Google has committed to updating its Maps in accordance with the new name once the United States Geological Survey (USGS) database is fully updated.
Chevron adopts "Gulf of America"
Chevron Corp., one of the world’s largest oil companies with significant operations in the Gulf region, has already embraced the change, now referring to the body of water as the "Gulf of America" in its communications.
Chevron CEO Mike Wirth confirmed the company would follow the government’s official position. "If Google Maps is using it — then Chevron is using it," he stated, explaining that Chevron’s offshore operations in the region would now align with the name change.
This shift was publicly communicated by Chevron in its earnings statement last Friday, and the company has already updated its website and other documentation to reflect the new terminology.
Mexican President challenges name change
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has formally contested US President Donald Trump’s recent order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America." In a letter addressed to Google, Sheinbaum argued that the US cannot unilaterally change the name of the body of water, citing international maritime law as the basis for her objection.
Sheinbaum's letter pointed to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which stipulates that a country’s sovereignty extends only 12 nautical miles from its coastline. She explained that the name change, even if endorsed by the US government, would not be applicable beyond this territorial limit.
“We explained in detail to Google that under international law, any change in the designation of a body of water can only apply within a country's territorial waters — which extend up to 12 nautical miles. The Gulf of Mexico is not entirely within US territory, and as such, the name change cannot apply to the entire body of water,” Sheinbaum stated.
Google’s dual naming approach
Despite the controversy, Google has decided to comply with the US government’s directive to rename the body of water, and the change is expected to be reflected on global maps. However, users in Mexico will continue to see the traditional "Gulf of Mexico" on Google Maps, with Maps accessed from the US seeing it as "Gulf of America", while the rest of the world will see both names.
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First Published:2 Feb 2025, 11:16 PM IST
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