Flytandegate

Flytandegate is a term used in aviation journalism and media studies to describe a pattern in which misinformation about airline safety, operations, or policy collects online and leads to widespread public concern. It is not tied to a single incident; rather, it denotes a recurring phenomenon of rapid information cascades centered on flight-related topics.

It is a neologism modeled on the -gate suffix that labels scandals, combining “fly” from flight with “gate” from Gate-style scandals such as Watergate. The term is used more in analytical discussions than as a formal designation by regulators.

Conversations around flytandegate typically involve miscaptioned or out-of-context videos, misreporting of safety practices, or unverified claims about airline procedures. Social media platforms, blogs, and fringe forums can amplify such narratives, prompting news outlets to revisit coverage and potentially triggering regulatory or corporate responses.

In academic and professional contexts, flytandegate has been employed in hypothetical or case-study analyses to examine how misinformation spreads in the aviation domain, how risk perception is shaped, and how crisis-communication strategies should be designed.

See also Watergate, gatekeeping, misinformation, aviation safety, crisis communication.