Introduction
There have been countable air crashes over the years. The Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 and Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 have been described as two of the worst crashes of all time. This presentation analyzes the response the two airlines gave after their planes crashed.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
The Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was a passenger flight. The flight, operated by Malaysia Airlines, crashed on March 2014 carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members. Critics consider the crash worse than the AirAsia plane crash. Neither the plane, nor the passengers have been located to date.
Initially, the plane was perceived to have fallen in the South China Sea. However, a search in the region did not bear any fruit. A lot of money and other resources have been used to enhance the search to no avail. It is perceived that all the 227 and 12 crew members died.
Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501
The Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 was an international passenger flight, under the AirAsia Group. The plane, carrying approximately 155 passengers and seven crew members, crashed on 28th December 2014. All passengers and staff in the plane were killed. 106 bodies were recovered and handed over to the families.
Airplane debris was found in the Java Sea after an extensive search, prompting searchers to look in the general region. The searchers were able to recover 106 bodies, which were returned to their respective families.
Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 – The crash
Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 crashed in the Java Sea due to bad weather. The wreck from the crash was located on the floor of the Java Sea on 8th January, 2014. The analysis of the black box showed that the plane had stalled and failed to regain speed.
It was the first crash that involved an AirAsia plane. The crash was the first to be recorded in the eighteen years of operation of AirAsia. It was described as the third worst plane crash in the year 2014.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 – the crash
Flight 37o is often described as having experienced a crash; however, no form of debris has been found.
Conspiracy theories have been formed regarding its disappearance. It is speculated that terrorists hijacked the plane.
The airline released a press statement saying that the pilot was the core suspect in tragedy. A lot of conspiracy theories have been formulated regarding the air crash because no debris has been recovered so far. It is thought that there was foul play involving the pilot. However, these are mere speculations.
Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 – Reaction
AirAsia group rebranded its web pages in mourning immediately after the crash. The airline also established an emergency call center.
It also renamed the flight number — the intention was to ease the public tension towards the particular flight number.
There were legal aspects that made the public relations strategy picked by the airline faulty. One family of the victims sued the company. The argument was that the airline did not have permission to fly on that fateful day. However, the airline took keen note of the emerging problem and used legal channels to prove that they were permitted to fly.
Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 – Video
AIR ASIA Flight QZ 8501 Goes MISSING – Pilot Asked for Unusual Route Before Losing Contact. By Elite NWO Agenda. Web.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 – Reaction
Various groups and people released statements about the plane’s disappearance. At first, the different groups contradicted each other in attempt to save face. The groups included the airline officials, the government, and military leaders. One of the blunders made was giving incomplete and inaccurate information.
There was a lot of confusion after the crash, as many of the countries and officials involved tried to save their positions and companies. The confusion led to delays in conduct the search. Given that numerous countries were involved in the search, they released information differently and led to more confusion.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 – Video
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Mystery. By CNN.
Critique of both campaigns
Looking at both campaigns, one can note several differences:
- AirAsia had a more calculated public relations plan than the Malaysia Airlines.
- AirAsia used legal ways to get out information and respond to accusations, unlike the Malaysia Airlines.
It should be noted that AirAsia was in a slightly different position compared to Malaysia Airlines because the latter had to deal with pressures from different countries. This made their decision-making and information sharing more difficult.
The division within the Malaysian Airlines caused a drift in its campaigns, unlike AirAsia. The division allowed the parties to blame each other; in turn, all the parties came out guilty. Similarly, the involvement of many people in the case made the situation worse for the Malaysia Airlines.
Even though both airlines had a difficult time trying to deal with the crashes, they took two very different stands. Whereas the Malaysia Airlines decided to throw blame around, AirAsia decided to empathoize with the public and mourn alongside the families. This tactic made them likeable in the public eye. Additionally, as confusion mired the Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia was setting up call centers that allowed a steady and more controlled form of information sharing.
Responses in an Arab country AirAsia
The AirAsia campaign would have worked in an Arab country:
- They were sympathetic to the public and the families of the passengers and crew members.
- They took ample precautions and retrieved the bodies of many of the passengers.
- Clear legal ways were sought to show that the airline was permitted to fly on the fateful day.
The Arabs tend to be very keen on detail. The AirAsia campaign was also keen on detail, making the information sharing easy. In the same breath, the company gave back the bodies of a majority of the victims to their families.
Responses in an Arab country – Malaysia Airline
The Malaysia Airlines campaign would not have worked in an Arab country.
The main complication would be the missing bodies of the passengers:
- It led to speculations of terrorism.
Saying that the disappearance of the plane was an act of terrorism was a way of marginalizing the Arabs:
- the core suspect, the pilot, was an Arab.
The airlines and authorities gave a press statement claiming that their main suspect was the pilot, an Arab. He was suspeted of terrorist actions and the airline failed to explain in detail how they came to that conclusion. People in the Arab countries would take offence of such a campaign.
Suggestions
Both airlines should always give information in a controlled manner. They can also give out information showing legibility to avoid law suits. The airlines should have one person relaying the information to the public — it is more difficult for one person to contradict himself.
