The video, which has racked up over 1.2 million views on YouTube, highlighted some unauthorized activities during a flight to Shanghai, identified as PYOK.
Emirates Takes Action
Amanda King, a social media influencer and ex-Emirates crew member, shared behind-the-scenes insights about airline operations in her video series, including a segment called ‘Things you DON’T see as a Passenger.’
In her content, she pointed out various policy violations, such as unauthorized food prep and access to restricted areas.
Sources say that King’s footage showed cabin crew members baking a cake mid-flight and letting her boyfriend into the crew rest area, which directly breached Emirates’ strict operational rules.
Even though King had already resigned, the airline initiated an investigation after the video went live, focusing on the other crew members involved in or who allowed the violations to happen.
King’s video series also explored various aspects of Emirates’ operations, like crew pay and layover experiences. While these videos offered a glimpse into the airline industry, the footage from the Shanghai flight crossed the line of what Emirates considers acceptable.
Tight Oversight
The investigation uncovered more policy violations when Amanda King filmed herself swapping jumpseats to stay close to her boyfriend during crucial flight moments. This seat switch went against standard safety protocols.
Emirates management raised concerns about the video revealing sensitive locations and storage areas for safety equipment, seeing it as a potential security threat. The footage unintentionally disclosed confidential operational information that airlines usually keep under wraps.
The situation has wider consequences for the crew members who saw these violations. Reports suggest that Emirates is looking into its adherence to mandatory reporting rules since witnesses didn’t inform management about these issues during the flight.
Experts in the industry point out that while small protocol breaches happen in aviation, sharing these incidents on social media can lead to serious liability problems for airlines and their staff.
Digital Age Challenges
In 2023, British Airways (BA) rolled out strict social media rules, limiting what employees can post while on duty. The new policy stops pilots from sharing cockpit pictures, crew members from posting images of the aircraft, and any unauthorized passenger photos without written permission.
The updated guidelines specifically prohibit videos from crew rest areas and operational tasks like meal services or boarding passengers. British Airways made it clear that these rules are meant to set clear limits rather than completely ban social media use, encouraging employees to take photos only during their breaks.
On the other hand, Qatar Airways (QR) changed its previous conservative approach in early 2023, allowing uniformed crew members to post their pictures on social media for the first time since 2016. The earlier ban was a result of a controversial incident where a flight attendant shared photos of abandoned abayas from passengers heading to Europe, which raised cultural sensitivity issues and led to job terminations.
This incident led Qatar Airways to temporarily stop crew members from revealing their employment status on social media, a restriction that lasted from 2016 until the policy change in 2023, marking a notable shift in the airline's social media strategy.
These changes in policy show how the aviation industry is adapting to the challenges of social media, as airlines try to balance brand safety, operational security, and employee freedom in the digital landscape.