Public relations issues in Emirates Airways

Author: Iloka Benneth Chiemelie
Published: 5th May 2018

PR issue facing emirates airlines    

Millions of people across the world held their breath on 3^rd August as the news broke of the incident involving an Emirates Airline aircraft EK521 that unfortunately caught fire after landing (Armstrong, Elwazer, & Yan, 2016). It is important to note that none of the 282 passengers and 18 crew members on board the Boeing 777 were harmed, but sadly one brave fire fighter gave up his live to make sure that the passengers and crew members are safe.

Although the world was not keeping an eye on the event through TV or radio live broadcast, it should be noted that the social media did have an impact on the outcome of the whole situation. Almost in an instant, social media users (probably sitting at the airport terminals) started positing videos and pictures of the incidence, which quickly spread across the world. Once the pictures were online, people started to react and posting numerous negative comments. Thus, this situation was catastrophic for Emirate airlines (Dosoqi, 2016).

The situation is very significant because Emirates airlines is a brand that has successfully built good reputation and quality image for the course of its existence, with consumers choosing the brand doe to its high level of security (Nevett & Evans, 2016). Thus, this incidence will without much doubt impact on company’s image. In order to address the issue, the company needs to make an apologetic press release and to effect necessary investigation towards finding the cause of the incidence.

About emirate airways

Emirate airline is a well-known brand in the aviation industry, offering quality services, inflight services and airport services – with the general objective of transporting passengers from one locale to the other. It is also known as a luxurious brand as it boost high-end services that differentiates it’s from the low-cost carriers. Emirates airlines covers huge volume of routes, reaching all continents (Emirates, n.d.). Its customer volume is significantly high.

Over the years, Emirates airlines have been able to build strong brand image for itself through offering quality services and product features (Emirates, n.d.) that are very hard for other competitors to match. Additionally, it boost some of the most sophisticated and advanced maintenance teams, offering high quality security for its passengers. Thus, the company also has significantly high reputation for safety and security of the passengers (Emirates, n.d.).

Emirates airlines maintain high presence in the social media, which it uses as its primary medium for public communication. Its competitors comprises of basically all airlines that travel within their routes. As such, the volume of competition is also very high, which means that any issue can directly impact on the sustainability of its business. Compared to other means of transport, air travel has a relatively lower volume of passengers, while maintaining high volume of service providers. Safety is the passengers’ main priority, together with the service of being transported to their desired destination. Thus, issues like this can significantly impact on the company’s performance.

The key publicity at emirate airways

The company maintains all stakeholders within its public. This is because it is a big organization, and the impacts of their business does have direct influence on all stakeholders. Their public include customers, employees, communities, shareholders, governments and NGOs (Emirates, n.d.). For customers, the company has the sole responsibility of providing them quality products and services that meet their respective needs. Quality is the main measurement of performance to this public, and quality here entails the capability of the company to meet their desired needs (and potentially exceed such needs). It is only through this public that Emirates will be able to have returns on its investment because they are the ones willing to pay for the value offered by the company (Nevett & Evans, 2016).

The shareholders are also another important public. This is basically based on the understanding that they provide the resources needed to effect the business process. Thus, how the company communicates with them does have direct influence on their decision to invest more into the business, as well as the decision of other investors to come into the company (WHEATSTONE, GRIFFITHS, DEAN, MULLIN, & EVANS, 2016). The communities here emirates work in, the governments they work under, their staffs that help to deliver set corporate objectives and NGOs are also important publics to the company. Thus, Emirates must offer them the benefit of understanding their business flow, ensured safety for all passengers and sustainability of the environment where the operate business (and the world at large).

References

Armstrong, P., Elwazer, S., & Yan, H. (2016, 8 3). Emirates plane catches fire in Dubai; hundreds escape, 1 firefighter killed. Retrieved from CNN News: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/03/middleeast/dubai-airport-emirates-flight-emergency-landing/

Dosoqi, M. (2016, 8 4). 5 Digital PR Lessons to Learn from Emirates Airlines Crisis Management. Retrieved from LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-digital-pr-lessons-learn-from-emirates-airlines-crisis-maher-dosoqi

Emirates. (n.d.). History . Retrieved from Emirates: http://www.emirates.com/english/about/history.aspx

Emirates. (n.d.). Responsibility: Our culture of respect. Retrieved from Emirates: http://www.theemiratesgroup.com/english/our-vision-values/responsibility.aspx

Emirates. (n.d.). Responsibility: our vission and value. Retrieved from Emirates: http://www.theemiratesgroup.com/english/our-vision-values/our-vision-values.aspx

Nevett, J., & Evans, o. (2016, 8 3). Emirates plane fire: Hero firefighter dies saving 24 Brits after crash landing explosion. Retrieved from Daily Star: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/534901/emirates-plane-crash-dubai-airport-fire

WHEATSTONE, R., GRIFFITHS, E., DEAN, J., MULLIN, G., & EVANS, S. (2016, 8 4). Emirates plane crash fire: Live updates as hundreds gather for hero firefighter's funeral after jet crash-lands in Dubai. Retrieved from The Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/emirates-plane-crash-fire-live-8550369