Write a 3–5-page analysis of the given public relations scenario, including appropriate responses. Then, craft a press release supporting your proposed handling of the scenario.

The passengers did not know of the captain's collapse or that anything was amiss at the time. Fortunately, everyone is safe. The station manager who reported the situation to you believes that the passengers all left the airport terminal without talking to the press, but he is not certain that is the case. He is now asking how to handle the situation, suspecting that passengers may talk to the press soon.

You know that a report must be made to the FAA within 24 hours and that this information will become public, even if it is not already.

The concern is how this situation will impact public opinion toward your airline. You wonder: Will people be afraid that you have an aging workforce and that they are not safe? Will potential customers think that this problem could reflect on your airline in other ways, putting maintenance and overall safety into question? In short, will this situation have a negative effect on sales and, thus, profitability?

You, the president, must decide how to handle this situation.

You might choose, for example, not to comment at all and hope that the situation is never revealed. Or you might prepare a fast press release for immediate release, stating that the captain was taken to the hospital but that the plane landed safely, offering no other details. On the other hand, you might prepare a full press release with all details of the incident. Or you might send the CEO on a quick business trip, so that you can claim that no comment is available until the CEO returns, in hopes that the situation will calm down on its own. You might even try to put a positive spin on all of this and create a press release that focuses on the heroic efforts of the first officer who landed the plane.