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Qantas to close PR Twitter account

Qantas is to close one of its main Twitter accounts at the end of this week, urging people to go to its own website for information instead.

The airline said in a tweet it would close its @QantasMedia account, which is run by its media and communications team, and has more than 27,000 followers, and instead directs people to its online Qantas Newsroom.

The announcement was made via the @QantasMedia account which tweeted: “This account will be officially closed next Friday 19 April. For all Qantas news, see the Qantas News Room http://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/”

Qantas

The airline will go on tweeting from its other @QantasAirways account which has 113,000 followers and says it wanted to ensure people knew which Twitter account to follow.

“We had people who were following both accounts so we just condensed it down to one Twitter handle,” said a spokeswoman.

The closing Twitter account was originally established as a “broadcast channel” which was intended to provide “breaking news to the media”.

Qantas has had a fraught relationship with social media in recent years. In 2011 it was slammed on social media when it grounded its fleet, which was soon followed by a backlash over a promotion using the hashtag #qantasluxury.

Last year the airline drew criticism after it moved against a parody account @QantasPR.

Nic Christensen

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