Virgin Atlantic has sacked 13 cabin crew after they posted messages on Facebook referring to passengers as "chavs" and making jokes about faulty engines.
The airline said yesterday the employees' behaviour was "totally inappropriate" and "brought the company into disrepute".
Disciplinary action was launched last week amid claims flight crew had criticised its safety standards and insulted passengers on the social networking site.
Other comments joked that planes were full of cockroaches and claimed the airline's jet engines were replaced four times in one year.
It is understood the messages were posted by members of a Facebook group about planes flying from Gatwick, which has now been removed.
The airline said 13 staff members participated in a discussion on Facebook which "brought the company into disrepute and insulted some of our passengers.
"It is impossible for these cabin crew members to uphold the high standards of customer service that Virgin Atlantic is renowned for if they hold these views."
A spokesman for the airline added: "Virgin Atlantic staff are known for their world-class customer service and there is no place in our business for anyone who behaves otherwise."
The incident is the latest example of workers falling foul of corporate standards as a result of their conduct on Facebook and other similar sites.
Last week a telecommunications worker in Sydney learned the hard way the perils of sharing too much information on Facebook after he was caught by his employer faking a sick day after a big night out.