When Malaysia Airlines Flight MH 370 mysteriously disappeared in early March of 2014, the Airline’s image suffered greatly from its mishandling of the crisis. According to the Washington Post, “The carrier acknowledged publicly that it saw ‘a major short-term reaction in consumer behavior’ and ‘observed high cancellation of existing bookings and reduction in long-haul bookings in favor of short-haul bookings’ after Flight MH 370’s disappearance.” Now, only four months later, it is involved in another disaster that experts say is unprecedented in modern civil aviation history.

Aviation experts are not blaming the airline

Since it appears that Malaysia Airlines Flight MH 17 was taken down by a surface-to-air missile as it cruised above 30,000 feet, most aviation experts are not blaming the Airline for this disaster. From the evidence gathered so far, it appears the pilot was flying over unrestricted airspace, following accepted protocols, and taking a route that airlines have routinely traveled between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur.

Some believe the flight path was risky



Even so, some are blaming Malaysia Airlines for flying through a war zone to save fuel and time. They point out that many US and European airlines have avoided the eastern Ukraine ever since the International Civil Aviation Organization and FAA warned them in April of the potential dangers related to the conflict there.

The airline’s image is going to suffer

No matter what the theories, opinions and facts, this air disaster occurring just four months after the mysterious disappearance of MH 370 is bound to have a negative impact on the image of Malaysia Airlines (and those that oversee its flights). Airline disasters are big news, and no matter what the underlying causes, they will affect which airlines passengers choose to fly.

Lowering the risk of a business many perceive as risky

Even though flying is the safest form of travel, it is a risky for those that make and fly the planes. When bad things happen, the best companies can do is be forthcoming with the public. When there is a crisis, the proper procedure is for PR-savvy company representatives to talk with the public through the media to reassure them that everything is being done to investigate the cause and insure the safety of the airline and the well-being of its passengers. The idea is to get ahead of the story and make the public as comfortable as possible in doing business with the Airline. Malaysia Airlines failed to do this last March, and while they are doing better with Flight 17 (because of the circumstances), there is definitely room for improvement.

What Malaysia Airlines should do

While it will take a while to rebuild its image, Malaysia Airlines should do the following:

Acknowledge the disaster and focus on the families of the passengers. After admitting that a ground-to-air missile brought down the plane, the Airline should focus on the needs of passenger families that are in shock and pain. This includes continuing the search for MH 370 lost in March.

After admitting that a ground-to-air missile brought down the plane, the Airline should focus on the needs of passenger families that are in shock and pain. This includes continuing the search for MH 370 lost in March. Limit the scope. The Airline should emphasize that it was cleared to take the route it did by authorities – most notably The International Transport Association and Ukrainian air traffic control. Malaysia Airlines should also point out that it filed a flight plan for a cruising altitude of 35,000 but was redirected to 33,000 feet by Ukrainian air traffic control.

The Airline should emphasize that it was cleared to take the route it did by authorities – most notably The International Transport Association and Ukrainian air traffic control. Malaysia Airlines should also point out that it filed a flight plan for a cruising altitude of 35,000 but was redirected to 33,000 feet by Ukrainian air traffic control. Propose a solution so it will not happen again. The Airline should develop a strict new policy rerouting flights around danger zones and flying at higher altitudes.

What commercial aviation must do

Now that it is recognized that surface-to-air missiles can take down planes flying at cruising altitudes, commercial aviation authorities need to formulate stricter policies and procedures to insure the safety of the flying public.

What the countries of the world must do

Countries and organizations need to band together and hold terrorists, such as those that took down flight MH 17, responsible. Allowing guilty parties to point fingers, make up stories, and tamper with evidence should not be tolerated. The flying public is entitled to the truth. One thing is for sure. Whoever is responsible for this disaster will have a severely damaged image that will be difficult or impossible to repair. That's the way it should be because the 298 innocent lives that were needlessly lost are priceless.