Lift ban on posting personal content on social media: Air India pilots write to chairman Rajiv Bansal

Air India

The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) wrote to Air India chairman Rajiv Bansal on March 18, requesting a roll back of the national carrier’s gag order on social media content posted even in personal capacity.

Stating that the prohibition on the use of social media is illegal and in violation of a fundamental right, ICPA wrote: “At the outset, we note with alarm that such a policy introduced by Air India is entirely illegal and with no basis in law whatsoever. By way of the Policy, Air India has effectively imposed a blanket ban or prohibition on the use of social or digital media by all its employees, including those that have superannuated.”

The Air India pilots further said that they have examined the policy closely and realised that it bars all employees of Air India -- both serving and retired -- from posting any content on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

The letter points out: “At present, there is no law in India that either empowers or even remotely justifies such an act by an employer, especially Air India, being a State instrumentality under Article 12 of the Constitution, to impose such a blanket ban on the use of social or digital media by its employees. The same, it is reiterated, is without any basis or lawful sanction.”

The Air India employees added: “The present Policy introduced by Air India, is also, and most importantly, violates the fundamental right of freedom and speech, guaranteed to the employees of Air India, under Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution, being citizens of India.”

Notably, the Air India policy, does not distinguish between social media content posted during working hours or from the workplace and those posted after work hours or outside of workplace, making it more formidable.

With ANI inputs