Risk Communication in Flight Disasters

 The recent Malaysian airlines mystery is drawing worldwide attention on flight disasters and the substance of risk communication. With 227 passengers and 12 crew members reported missing, the Malaysian nation weeps for their loved ones, friends and family that boarded Malaysian airline MH370 destined for Beijing. The 11year old sophisticated aircraft has left many wondering how it can just mysteriously disappear, it being a Boeing 787, the best of its kind. Flight Global reports that the Malaysian airline has had a perfect track record since the 90s with zero flight disasters thus careful not to draw parallels pointing out that each disaster is unique and comparisons between airlines is vague.

With the press being kept away from the families grieving, CNN reporter Andrew Stevens reports that most flight accidents take place during landing n take off which explains how the airline MH370 disappeared after an hour. As the airline and Interpol send out search parties for the aircraft, information on its whereabouts is at the moment limited to tracking information of the plane before its radar went AWOL. The airline has been instrumental in keeping the concerned families updated by requesting families to fill up forms on missing passengers to aid in the search currently undertaken by 40 boats with more coming coupled with airplanes.  Most families feel they are not getting enough information and are in agony in light of false leads and the fear that they may never see their loved ones.

Indeed disasters of any kind usually bring with it uncertainty and a state of insecurity in a nation. The not so recent air France crash that occurred in the Atlantic Ocean and others in our very own country Kenya, involving Kenya Airways is a pointer to the need for disaster preparedness but more so efficient risk communication. The question then becomes, how does communication occur in the face of disaster? Most airlines in the frantic attempts to salvage their reputation sometimes forget how effective communication comes to play and may pay out in the long run. Elements of truth and loyalty to both the airline ,passengers and their families then becomes key.

 Disaster is considered as hot news thus in dealing with media, stories of a flight disaster tends to go in all directions leaving the public confused in trying to figure out the underlying honest state of matters. The questions currently raised by the media in light of flight MH370 revolve around stolen passports which comes as a surprise as the number of passengers was small and indeed the fake records being in Interpol databases. This has raises flares on poor security checks even in light of expensive equipment and qualified personnel with major media outlets pointing fingers at the laziness of airlines in carefully checking and verifying the identity of passengers.

Risk communication is meant to put matters into perspective thus the need for constant press briefings, one on one meeting with affected families and generally maintaining open lines of communication to keep the situation under control. High risk factors occur when what the concerned airline and the media have conflicting recount of the situation which raises issue with the public; the airline is deemed as hiding information, for example, on the number of casualties, or cause of tragedy. The airline concerned should support the families of the affected persons by offering counselling services, reliable information and being responsible when the mistake befalls them.

Malaysian prime minister's remark : 'in light of a disaster, a nation tends to know who its friends are', is a reflection on the nation's high level of likability with many nations already rising up to the occasion to help out Malaysia in any way possible as the passengers are from 11 nationalities- Chinese, American, Canada among others. The disaster is not only in how it occurs but how the passengers survive in all the chaos.