Crisis Management and Business Continuity

The high profile aviation industry carries the risk of crisis from a range of events - an aircraft crash, severe weather disruption, staff disputes, major passenger issues, regulatory changes, political crises, sanctions, hijackings or less high profile issues. 

With the public an integral part of most commercial aviation operations, many crises instantly attract media attention and place a company’s reputation firmly in the spotlight.

• Airlines and airport operators must be able to respond to a crisis by activating an effective crisis management programme (a regulatory requirement for airlines and airport operators). If not, matters can rapidly spiral out of control. A poorly handled crisis can cause far more damage to an organisation’s reputation and ongoing business operations than is necessary. While managing specific crisis issues, the organisation also needs to ensure the rest of the business continues to operate with minimal disruption. Solid contingency planning and calm, decisive management is required, within an often turbulent environment. Our course addresses these parallel demands.  
• This course provides a unique opportunity for delegates to learn from the knowledge and experience of a panel of aviation industry experts, as well as from the shared insights of fellow aviation and industry professionals. We will cover the key issues to be managed across different typical crisis situations. Key learning outcomes will include how to avoid the classic mistakes that negatively impact business operations and your company’s reputation, as well as exploring the key elements of a crisis management plan and the priorities in execution. This intensive course will provide delegates with the insight and cognitive awareness to effectively manage a crisis while simultaneously maintaining business continuity. A simulated scenario will be used to weave together the separate and collective elements.

Course structure

• This will include lectures, a detailed simulation exercise and group discussions. Delegates will recognise the elements where their organisations may have the skills and resources to manage a crisis, but the course will help identify where specialist external support may also be required. The course is designed to provide a balanced view between how best to manage specific crisis issues while simultaneously minimising any negative impact on ongoing business operations. Delegates will develop a list of subjects to address upon returning to their sponsoring organisation. Both the sponsor and delegate will be provided with a confidential course report which will identify the delegate’s individual and confidential views on where operations could be improved within their own organisation, how and by whom.

What you will learn

The course aims to provide an intense residential learning experience, enabling delegates to immerse themselves in a range of aviation crisis issues, sharing knowledge, experiences and insights with a high quality speaker line-up and fellow aviation professionals. Delegates will be able to:

• Understand how a crisis can unfold and how to effectively manage the key issues and control events under pressure.
• Learn how to maintain business continuity and protect a company’s reputation during a crisis.
• Devise an effective crisis management plan, taking into consideration the requirements of initial, mid-term and long-term responses to crisis situations.
• Propose and defend the implementation of a crisis management plan.
• Learn how to engage and effectively communicate with the media in a crisis situation.
• Experience a live crisis simulation exercise and apply the learning outcomes from the process back into your company.
• Learn and experience the key differences between various legal regimes, and how the impact of litigation can vary – experience a live simulated legal exchange to highlight the differing interpretations of a hypothetical case under both the UK and US legal systems.
• Critically evaluate past aviation crisis management examples.

Core content

• Crisis planning, crisis management and immediate crisis response
• Maintaining control and overall business continuity
• Managing the media within a crisis (and understanding the boundaries of control)
• Handling customer relations
• Maintaining staff morale
• Understanding and managing the legal aspects of a crisis across different legal regimes
• Understanding and managing the insurance aspects of a crisis.

Day 1  -  Introduction to the component skill-sets from industry experts.

Day 2  -  Delivery of the simulated scenario and the establishment of mixed study groups.

Day 3  -  Evaluation of allocated responsibilities by mixed study groups, and confidential capturing of each delegate’s key learning outcomes.

Day 4  -  Playback of individual study group findings and group discussion on results

Day 5  -  Examine and rationalise the key differences between various Civil Code and Common Law regimes and how the impact of litigation can vary - to include a live simulated legal exchange that will enable delegates to experience some of the key distinctions between the UK and US legal systems, where many contentious aviation cases are brought.

Who should attend

The course is suitable for aviation industry professionals in mid-senior level management roles within Airlines, Airport operators, MRO’s, Aviation manufacturers, Aviation service providers and Air Traffic Controllers (ATC). Typical roles would include:

• Senior management
• General operations management
• Commercial management
• Risk management
• Media management
• Security personnel
• General counsel and in-house commercial lawyers
• Emergency response managers.