Qantas’ Crisis Management

Jonathan Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, Crisis Response, public relations Leave a Comment

Aussie airline is using smart crisis communications to advance its brand

Qantas airlines has been in full out crisis management mode for nearly a full month now, ever since one of its new A380 jets was forced to make an emergency landing as a result of a mid flight engine malfunction. In the weeks after the airline faced accusations of poor quality control from pilots and another Qantas flight was grounded due to electrical issues. Some companies would crumble under the pressure, but the forward-thinking Qantas has rallied back, led by CEO Alan Joyce. A quote, from a MarketingWeek article by Mark Ritson:

It’s a mighty set of circumstances to manage – and yet the smart money remains on Joyce riding out the storm. For starters, the past three weeks have witnessed a masterful demonstration of crisis management. As soon as the A380 emergency hit, Joyce took direct control. It was a lightning quick response and one in which he immediately placed the emphasis on the aircraft’s Rolls-Royce engines and not on Qantas’ service record.

More than a dozen media interviews have followed and each time his emphasis has been on Qantas’ safety record and on communicating updates and reassurance to concerned passengers. Flying on the first A380 since the safety scare is the final touch on what many are hailing as a textbook crisis management performance from Joyce.

With the blame successfully shifted to Rolls-Royce, Joyce has taken the right path in striving to assure potential passengers and shareholders alike that Qantas is in fact more safe than ever before. The campaign is building momentum and, barring a sudden swath of damaging incidents, has the distinct possibility of leaving the airline with a more respected reputation than it held before these troubles began.
   

The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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