ATLANTA- Delta Air Lines (DL) suspended several pilots and other employees for social media posts about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The incident sends reverberations across the United States, impacting political spheres and the everyday work and home lives of many Americans.
Pilots and employees discuss the murder and motives behind the assassin at work and on personal social media accounts. The famously liberal airline warns of termination for violations of strict guidelines on the Charlie Kirk slaying.
Representative Photo: DeltaDelta Pilots Suspended Over Social Media
Delta Air Lines (DL) enforces a policy that bars employees from posting insensitive or offensive content, in place since 2018. Unions criticize the broadly written rules for potential misinterpretation that restricts lawful activities.
The company stands firm, explaining that Delta is a values led organization where employees represent the brand at work and through their conduct in social media and other public forums.
When employees intermix Delta’s brand with conduct or content that fails to reflect values of professionalism, inclusion, and respect, discipline or termination follows.
A leaked internal memo, shared by aviation insider xJonNYC on X, details recent actions.
The memo stated:
- “Whether we’re in uniform and on the clock, online or out in public, our colleagues, customers and communities expect us to reflect Delta’s values – integrity, care and servant leadership – that we hold dear.”
- “This week, we were made aware of Delta employees whose social media content, related to the recent murder of activist Charlie Kirk, went well beyond healthy, respectful debate. These social posts stand in stark contrast to our values and our social media policy, and these employees have been suspended pending an investigation.”
- “Violations of our social media policy can carry meaningful consequences, including termination.”
- “Remember that we all represent Delta at all times, in any forum. We must act in ways that uphold our shared values and the human connection that defines us.”
Reported by PYOK, the memo reminds staff: “Remember that we all represent Delta, at all times, in any forum. We must act in ways that uphold our shared values and the human connection that defines us.”
Photo: Clément AlloingPilot Union and Industry Reactions
Several employees, including pilots, already face suspensions, while many more could enter disciplinary proceedings soon. Pilots, one of the few unionized workgroups at Delta, draw involvement from the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).
As xJonNYC notes, this situation “has the potential to get very heated.” Delta counts as a fairly liberal airline, but its pilot workgroup generally leans conservative, a trend across the US aviation industry.
Pilots likely resist restrictions on posts in private forums about a figure central to the conservative movement.
Photo: By Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia – Delta Air Lines, N340NB, Airbus A319-114, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41995963History of Social Media Restrictions
Delta has enforced a strict social media code for years. In 2018, the airline banned employees from posting content deemed “insensitive” or “offensive.”
Unions criticized the policy, arguing it was too broadly written and could be “misinterpreted to restrict lawful activities.”
Despite pushback, Delta has consistently maintained that employees must represent professionalism, inclusion, and respect across all platforms.
The company explains that brand integrity is central to customer trust, and actions conflicting with its values can result in discipline or dismissal.
Photo: SouthwestSouthwest Airlines Facing Similar Issues
The Charlie Kirk assassination sparks issues beyond Delta Air Lines (DL). According to xJonNYC, trouble brews at Southwest Airlines (WN), especially among its conservative leaning pilot workgroup.
This aligns with Southwest’s history of pilots engaging in political activism while on the clock.
In 2021, Southwest launched an investigation into allegations that a pilot used the phrase “Let’s go Brandon” during a passenger announcement over the public address system on a flight from Houston (HOU) to Albuquerque (ABQ).
The phrase, entering public lexicon in October 2021, serves as code for “F**k Joe Biden,” a derogatory reference to then President Joe Biden.
Less than a year later, another Southwest pilot appeared with a large slogan sticker on his crew bag reading: “I used to be liberal. Then I left home & got a job.”
Southwest states it “does not condone Employees sharing their personal political opinions while on the job serving our Customers.”
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The post Delta Pilots Suspended Over Social Media Posts on Charlie Kirk Assassination appeared first on Aviation A2Z.
