British Airways denies it bans pilots and crew from “banning” social media posts at work

British Airways has denied banning its employees, including pilots and cabin crew, from making social media posts while at work.

Ravellers were surprised Wednesday when a popular BA pilot, Captain Dave Wallsworth, tweeted that he was banned from taking photos or videos on duty.

“Unfortunately, due to newly released company policies, me and my colleagues are no longer allowed to post when we are ‘working on our job’ at British Airways,” he tweeted.

“So this is the end of my flying posts, photos and videos. Thanks for all the lovely comments over the years.”

Captain Wallsworth’s aviation posts have garnered him more than 110,000 Twitter followers.

The tweet attracted thousands of views and hundreds of retweets, with many followers asking why the policy had changed.

However, airline officials were quick to say they had not “banned” employees from using social media while at work.

An airline source said The Independent employers had not changed social media rules, but said they had reminded staff of existing rules on safety, customer data and security when taking photos while traveling on British Airways.

They said this included not being allowed to capture media when at controls or on duty; no pictures with visible passengers; no information on the hotels on the route; and no pictures with ID cards visible.

A British Airways spokesman said: “We have not stopped any colleague from posting on social media – quite the contrary.

“We have given our people clarity about what is appropriate and when.

“For example, when our colleagues fly an airplane, they are responsible for the safety of everyone on board. It’s not unreasonable to ask them to wait until their break to take photos.”

In a memo to staff dated January 25, 2023 and shared with the Independentstates the airline: “We encourage and positively value the contributions you, our colleagues, make on social media, sharing your passion for creating original content and your pride in working at BA.”

There is then a series of “Dos and Don’ts” to help employees understand what content is appropriate to share with the public and avoid security issues.

Even so, Captain Wallsworth’s supporters were quick to ask the airline to allow staff to continue sharing content online.

One wrote: “Very short sighted by @British_Airways; We Avgeeks love understanding the lives of pilots, cabin crew and ground crew. I have never seen an unprofessional post from a BA staff member!”

Another, Samuel Carvalho, wrote: “Big shame @British_Airways. All these pilots do is promote your brand in a positive light and increase the likelihood that someone will choose to fly with you.”

Many pilots and flight attendants have found fame on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and TikTok by providing insider insight into the airline industry and sharing travel tips and insights.

“Instagram Pilot” Amireh, for example, has 521,000 followers on the photo and video sharing app.

Swedish captain @MariathePilot has 570,000 followers on Instagram, while former flight attendant Cierra Mistt has 3.2 million followers on video app TikTok.