Introduction

Boeing introduced the 737 MAX in 2018, where a total of 387 aircrafts were ordered. In 2018, however, the Lion Air 737 MAX crashed over Indonesia just 13 minutes after takeoff, with no survivors Titan Grey 2019). The incident occurred because of a malfunction in the new flight-control system. Less than six months later, another 737 crashed with 157 deaths over Ethiopia in March 2019, and this time $28 billions in stocks were lost as well. From there, all plans were grounded. Boeing’s chief technical pilot, Mark Forkner, as it was recently announced, could face criminal charges for his involvement. 

Crisis management

Boeing remained relatively unscathed by the incidents of the crashes because of their crisis communication techniques. They immediately announced the problem to their customers, reassuring them that they would handle the issue. Next, Boeing reached out to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for help fixing the issues. In turn the FAA produced a complete timeline to share with the public what changes were being made to fix the 737 aircrafts, creating complete transparency. Boeing also helped mitigate any negative perceptions by attempting to address the problems of each stakeholder group, speaking to staff, those who lost loved ones, public, shareholders and employees. 

 

The physical response plan looked extremely simply, but effective. All the pilots involved in flying 737 Max planes underwent new training. The pilots involved in mis operations were dealt with accordingly. Boeing then created a tactical plan of transparency on what they were doing to fix the actual software, which they outlined directly on their website and the FCC’s. They were cleared to fly after some wiring changes and new updates to the MCAS software to add new sensors. They continued to resolve staff issues, helping them on a new simulator to fix the training issues and increase plane safety. Regarding their clients and vested interests in the brand, they did everything possible to let their customers know, in addition to providing them support to come forward if necessary. Despite the tragedy, Boeing did everything right to repair that broken trust. 

 

Public response the public faced backlash due to the loss of life on their hands Boeing was careful to manage public perception, despite some neigh-Sayers who believed that the brand lacked emotion towards the loss of life. However, due to their size and commitment to safety with a hundred-year reputation, Boeing flew unscathed. Other countries, including the European union and several African nations grounded planes, and waited for safety checks. It was feared that a local crisis could turn international as a result. 

 

Recommendations

Boeing is a strong example of what to do during a crisis. In the case of Boeing, there was nothing to be done for the loss of life, and only a way to look forward. Boeing points out three main takeaways for the case of crisis communications. 

1. Take greater responsibility. Boeing needed to admit wrongdoing, because it was in fact their planes that caused the tremendous loss of life. Being responsible and understanding that their environment could have cause employees to cut corners, as well as not training their pilots well enough demonstrates where Boeing had gone wrong. 

2. Be Transparent and accountable. The Boeing case demonstrated the need for immediate transparency. Giving airline passengers the choice to make their own decisions was a powerful move that saved much of Boeing’s brand. 

3. Recognize the human element in every crisis. Looking at the massive loss of life, Boeing needed to be more sensitive to the families who lost loved ones. Without losing touch of their sympathy, the brand also needed to ensure that it was protecting itself from backlash while also supporting the safety of their passengers. The brand was criticized for having relied on the history of reliability and safety, rather than looking at the current issue and loss of life. 

4. Know your audience. Understanding that the campaign needed to address multiple publics, Boeing had to know that the world was watching during the duration of their public relations campaign. With the board of directors containing a vested interest, Boeing had to assure those with vested monetary interest that stock prices would recover. They also had to assure workers that it would be safe to come to work and get on a plane. For passengers, knowing that the problems had to be fixed was crucial. With the lawsuit facing the operations officer, it was also important to understand that a larger separation was needed between those with vested interest in making money, and those who would address the problem correctly. 

5. Don’t rely on scale. Looking to the reputation of Boeing as a safe airline to fly with, it was important for them to run a fully-fledged crisis campaign to immediately alert consumers of their awareness of the issue. By fully acknowledging that they had a problem, they were able to come back from the crisis. 

 

Evaluation and Response

Boeing’s response was effective, for all that it is worth. From the beginning of the crisis in March 2019 when the second plane fell to September of 2021, Boeing has remained a tremendous aircraft carrier and remained a large name in the airline world, with thousands of passengers travelling safely per year. The international approach was curtailed to understanding the strategy behind their crisis communications. The talks needed to be global, and help people understand different values in different languages, and with extremely varied, vested interests. Looking to the future, Boeing needed to continue learning. Looking to the pending lawsuits and trials ahead, Boeing had to be sure that they maintained their position and did not anger the public further. This was achieved through their compassionate and sensitive addressal of the issue and legal position. All in all, Boeing taught us an extremely positive example of what could be done right when there was no right answer to a situation.