In a pinned tweet, Austrian Airlines announced it would stop posting on X (formerly called Twitter), blaming the “increasing spread of hate, agitation, and disinformation” in the Elon Musk era.
Austrian Airlines Will No Longer Post on X (Twitter), Citing Disinformation
Vienna-based Austrian Airlines claims it has posted for the last time on Twitter after adding a pithy image of a flight attendant with the captain, “We took a moment to locate our nearest X-it.”
Dear guests, you can stay connected with us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & LinkedIn. Feel free to reach out anytime via our Austrian App or at https://t.co/YLEBDoRZ3z. pic.twitter.com/nzurTdxHOb
— Austrian Airlines (@_austrian) October 31, 2024
A spokesperson for Austrian confirmed the news and offered a precise reason for the departure, telling PYOK:
“Austrian Airlines is leaving the platform X, as an increasing spread of hate, agitation, and disinformation is perceptible and this is not compatible with our values. Austrian Airlines is pleased to continue to keep its communities up to date on the social media platforms Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn and to offer passengers a corresponding service.”
Customers can also reach Austrian via its mobile app. The explanation is a not-so-subtle jab at X owner Elon Musk, who has approached the social media platform very differently than his predecessors.
Austrian, part of the Lufthansa Group, appears to be acting alone at this point. Other members of the group, including Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, EuroWings, and SWISS appear to be maintaining their accounts…at least for now.
Air France and KLM also stopped offering support on Twitter after Musk’s takeover of the site, but that had more to do with Musk’s attempts to monetize such interactions rather than concern over how Twitter regulated content. Both carriers continue to post on Twitter.
Was Austrian Airlines reasonable in making this move?
image: Austrian Airlines
