The two Malaysia Airlines disasters in 2014: Lessons for airline management in a global context.

Abstract

This paper outlines some lessons for airline management from the two unrelated Malaysia Airlines (MA) tragedies that happened within 131 days. These shocking events resulted in MA management’s perhaps ineffective efforts to deal with the emotional impact on the passengers’ family members. This reaction has prompted researchers to review the tragic incidents and suggested ways for the airline management to be proactively prepared to globally deal with such extraordinary occurrences in the future. Suggestions are: Sensitivity training for managers to better manage the human (emotional issues surrounding customers and stakeholder) aspects; a transformation management training programme, including suitable action planning, to effectively deal with future crisis situations; public trust-building activities and brand image preservation programmes for management; regular management “fire drill” type training focusing on unexpected crisis processes so it can be instantly used as a fluid “ blue print “ action plan in future