complimentary thinklets – first quarter 2025
nothing to celebrate
The first accident response I served on at American Airlines was American Eagle Flight 4184 which went down with no survivors on 31 October 1994. The next day, 1 November, was the 10th anniversary of American’s regional airline founding and celebrations were planned across the network. A decade-of-service themed aircraft was freshly painted in the hangar awaiting rollout the next day at a press event. When news of the crash reached American Eagle’s team, they were devastated for the passengers and the crew onboard and all their families. Thankfully someone realized it would be inappropriate to be throwing parties on the same day that families would be learning the fate of their loved ones. The celebrations were cancelled, and the plane was unceremoniously repainted in its original livery.
The significant loss of life aboard two commercial aircraft accidents that closed out 2024 came on Christmas Day and a few days before New Year’s Eve, respectively. Having served on response teams for accidents on 13 and 20 December, I came to appreciate how the sensitivity that airlines strive for on any tragic occasion has to be especially well monitored during these normally festive times.
Does your plan have someone who immediately checks the date of the accident (and the next few days maybe weeks) against the time of year and historical background? Do you ask …
– Is this a holiday for any particular country or region?
– Is this a holy day for any religion?
– Is this the anniversary of another aircraft accident or other tragedy?
– Does our airline have any …
– Celebrations planned anywhere in the network?
– Product or route launches scheduled?
– Executives giving speeches or attending high profile events?
– Does our airline need to pause any …
– Sales or marketing campaigns in progress?
– Sponsorships or product placements?
– Third-party promotions or joint projects?
– Advertising – especially online?
– Automated or prescheduled social media posts?
– Community or other group facility visits?
– Does our airline need to remove any decorations or promotional materials from our offices that might be contradictory to our messaging?
It is always devastating to families when they lose a loved one in an aircraft accident. The pain can take on additional intensity when the tragedy occurs during special times for individuals or groups of people.
Japan Airlines Flight 123 from Tokyo to Osaka suffered a catastrophic structural failure inflight on 12 August 1985 killing all onboard. The event coincided with the beginning of the Japanese Obon festival when people honor their ancestors. Because of the significance of the festival including the possibility that many onboard the flight might have been traveling home to be with family, Japan Airlines joined with loved ones to ensure annual memorial services continued long after when most airlines minimize their support for ongoing remembrances. Being culturally sensitive is incredibly important to people. It is a basic tenet of respect.
If you do not have a process to manage a crisis through a holiday or other date of specific significance, you can still add it to your plan.
We specialize in helping organizations review their plans for nuances that can severely hurt people and harm their reputations when crisis strikes. If we can help you, please contact us.
Be different. Be ready.