Page 80 - Crisis Communication Practical PR Strategies

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nificantly to serve more US East Coast, Mexican and Canadian
destinations.
Long known for its Alaskan roots, symbolized by the Inuit painted
on the tail of the aircraft, Alaska Airlines offers a friendly and
relaxed style of service, one that passengers have come to appre-
ciate as the ‘Alaska Spirit’. The airline is also known for embracing
innovative technology to improve the customer experience.
Alaska celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2007. The carrier
traces its roots back to 1932, when Linious ‘Mac’ McGee of
McGee Airways started flying his three-seater Stinson between
Anchorage and Bristol Bay, Alaska. A merger with Star Air
Service in 1934 created the largest airline in Alaska, which even-
tually became Alaska Airlines. Alaska and its sister carrier,
Horizon Air, are owned by Alaska Air Group.
The challenge
On 31 January 2000, about 16:21 Pacific standard time, Alaska
Airlines Inc, flight 261, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83, N963AS,
went down in the Pacific Ocean about 2.7 miles north of
Anacapa Island, California, close to Los Angeles. The two pilots,
three cabin crew, and 83 passengers on board were killed, and
the aeroplane was destroyed on impact. Flight 261 was oper-
ating as a scheduled international passenger flight under the
provisions of Code 14 of Federal Regulations Part 121 from Lic
Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport, Puerto Vallarta,
Mexico, to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, with an inter-
mediate stop planned at San Francisco International Airport.
Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which
operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. It was a beau-
tiful sunny afternoon.
When Silvia Pendás SA first found out about the accident, we
immediately contacted our client, Boeing Commercial
Airplanes, to discuss an action plan for putting out a statement
in Spanish, since the flight had originated in Mexico. A few
minutes later we received a call from our client asking if we
could support Alaska in its communication needs in Mexico
during this terrible crisis. The Alaska Airlines PR team wanted to
make sure the communication efforts they were implementing in
the US would also be carried out in Mexico. Mexico was
becoming an important market for them and they were planning
further expansion into the region. They were concerned about
the damage the accident would cause the airline locally.