The group claiming to represent Ryanair pilots has had its Facebook and Twitter accounts removed.
The Ryanair Pilot Group says the Facebook page was shut down last week and the group’s Twitter account was removed this week with no explanation.
But it coincides with the low cost airline trying to secure all social media pages using the ‘Ryanair’ name in an ongoing dispute between the group and the airline.
"It can only be assumed from these two exceptional events that there seems to be an orchestrated and deliberate attempt to silence the public voice of the Ryanair pilots," said Evert van Zwol, chairman of the RPG Interim Council.
"We are dismayed at Facebook’s decision to shut down a legitimate forum used by airline pilots without warning and with the only justification being given that ‘…a third party reported that the content infringes or otherwise violates their rights’."
Robin Kiely, head of communications at Ryanair said: " We are currently applying to obtain all "Ryanair" pages on all relevant social media outlets in order to prevent internet trolls masquerading as Ryanair.
"We don’t comment on the Non-Ryanair Pilots Group (the NRPG) which is a PR front for the pilot unions of competitor airlines."
The RPG has set up a new Facebook page at at www.facebook.com/ryanairpilotgroup2013.
Tensions have been mounting between Ryanair’s management and the Ryanair Pilot Group, which claims to represent the airline’s pilots across Europe, see previous story.
In May, Ryanair accused the group of "telling lies" and "inventing bogus safety petitions" and said RPG represents Europe’s pilot unions, not Ryanair pilots.
But the RPG says it is only comprised of Ryanair pilots and that more than 50% of pilots operating for Ryanair are registered with the group.
Twitter said it did not comment on individual cases.
