How Air India CEO Crisis Response Exposed a Communication Secret
From Managing Outcomes
Once again, we turn to our colleague, Tony Jacques, in Australia for comment…
When two airline CEOs gave almost identical responses to fatal aircraft crashes, the obvious question is, what does that say about the sincerity of the message? And are template crisis statements undermining CEO reputation?
In the wake of this month’s Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad, which killed 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground, CEO Campbell Wilson released a video in which he referred to the disaster as a “serious incident.”
In a message which reeked of corporate speak and lawyerly language, the CEO looked more like an automaton reading an autocue rather than the leader of a massive organisation reeling from a shocking loss of life.
He said: “I would like to express our deep sorrow about this event” and added “This is a difficult day for all of us at Air India.” Nowhere did he express his personal sympathy or convey human empathy for the people affected.
While he seemed to have been media-trained to within an inch of his life, his wooden video message exposed a much more worrying feature. Much if it duplicated a video message from the CEO of American Airlines after one if its aircraft collided with a military helicopter near Washington DC five months earlier, killing 67 people.
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From Bruce Hennes, CEO, Hennes Communications:
Tony’s excellent piece underscores a critical truth: when millions of dollars and market share are at stake, relying on an internet template for crisis communications is ill-advised. Savvy executives understand that in a crisis, they will more often be judged not by what happened—but by how they responded the moment they became aware of it.
Effective crisis management demands tailored strategy, prompt action, and clear decision-making—not one-size-fits-all solutions. That’s what separates leaders who emerge stronger from those who fall short.