The hijacking of Flight ET 702: The challenges of managing a major security threat, media attention and continuing daily airport operations

Many organisations tend to see crisis and emergency management as a nuisance or a regulatory obligation. On a day when a major incident occurs, however, they are happy to have the structure and processes in place to allow them to manage the situation safely. A well-structured emergency response plan (ERP) will allow an organisation to face any major disruption in normal operational processes and provide for an organised approach to the return to normal operations. The coordination and communication processes set up within the ERP should be designed to streamline the decision-making processes throughout the disruption. In this digital world, any major disruption will very quickly attract media attention. A well-structured ERP will provide a crisis communication plan that will allow the organisation to proactively manage relationships with media outlets throughout the crisis situation and should ensure that a clear and coherent message is broadcast. Communications across multiple media types, and in particular social media, have further complexified the communications process in case of an event, rendering a crisis communications plan even more necessary. This paper explores the need for an ERP — including a communications plan — within an airport organisation, through the example of the hijacking of flight ET 702 at Geneva Airport.