Two British Airways flight attendants would probably have thought better beforehand about what they were sharing on social media. A video in which they gossip about Asian passengers, squint and imitate Chinese accents has now cost them both their jobs.

In the video, which British media reports say is racially motivated, the flight attendants make crude fun of a Chinese family who were on board a flight on which they were serving. They imitate the supposed “squinting”, laugh at them and make fun of their “Chinese accent”. The recording, which was self-made and shared on social media, is said to have caused horror within British Airways.

Numerous flight attendants are said to be extremely angry with their now ex-colleagues. Management has already pulled the ripcord. Upon request, the company confirmed that the two cabin employees had been dismissed without notice. No form of racism will be tolerated at British Airways.

But the video not only caused a stir within the airline, but also nationally and internationally. Numerous media outlets reported on it and it was controversially discussed on social media. In this context, it should be noted that there were some extremely racist and xenophobic comments from users on some platforms on which it was shared. But the vast majority were shocked by the video.

British Airways believes that the two flight attendants have caused enormous damage to the carrier's image by publishing their photo. Accordingly, it is not surprising that the dismissal without notice may not remain the case, as the IAG subsidiary is currently also considering legal steps. However, it has not yet been said whether these are criminal and/or civil lawsuits.