Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) understands the need for compassion & respect when managing aviation emergency events & situations
Introduction
Compassionate Transparency is the goal—one that respects the rights and dignity of victims and their families while maintaining public trust and meeting regulatory obligations.
- We must strive to promote the view that professionalism and balance is a marker of organizational maturity and resilience.
- Balancing transparency and privacy is one of the most ethically sensitive and operationally challenging aspects of an effective Emergency Response Plan (ERP).
- To provide a multi-dimensional approach that addresses this balance through ethical communication strategies, regulatory alignment, stakeholder engagement, and compassionate response.
The Ethical Imperative of Transparency
Transparency serves multiple objectives:
- Builds trust with stakeholders, regulators, and the public.
- Prevents misinformation from spreading (especially through social media).
- Demonstrates organizational accountability and maturity.
- Fulfills regulatory and legal obligations, particularly under ICAO Annex 13 and EASA requirements.
In the aftermath of an aviation accident, especially those involving fatalities, transparency must be tempered with respect for personal dignity, cultural sensitivity, and legal constraints
Victim and Family Privacy Concerns
According to the training material, specific guidance includes:
- Avoiding the premature release of victim names without formal identification and family notification.
- Ensuring the privacy of medical conditions or treatment details is preserved.
- Preventing unauthorized disclosure by employees through internal memorandums and clear directives (e.g., no social media posts from staff).
- Establishing a Family Assistance Centre (FAC/HAC) with properly trained personnel who can provide controlled, private spaces for grief, updates, and support.
ERP care teams are trained to manage the emotional, psychological, and logistical support for families, which reinforces privacy through:
- Confidential briefings separate from media updates.
- Providing direct points of contact for next-of-kin rather than routing through public channels.
- Using coded information systems to track victims while protecting their identities.
Communication Best Practices
Crisis communication should:
- Acknowledge the event swiftly and empathetically (e.g., “Our thoughts are with the victims…”).
- Provide regular holding statements while avoiding speculation.
- Use a single source of truth—designated media spokespersons—to ensure consistent messaging.
Press releases and social media content are crafted with care to:
- Focus on the facts available.
- Refrain from releasing any personal data.
- Show genuine compassion while deflecting accusatory or invasive inquiries.
Media and Social Media Management
We need to emphasise that aviation accidents attract intense media and public interest.
To consider embracing the following recommendations:
- Using pre-approved social media templates for fast but respectful updates.
- Avoiding “corporate jargon” and instead using emotionally intelligent language.
- Monitoring for misinformation and correcting it without compromising personal details.
- Releasing investigation outcomes only after coordination with authorities to avoid violating legal confidentiality.
Crisis Team Protocols
Crisis Management Teams (CMT) and “Go Teams” must be trained in:
- Accident site ethics—no unauthorised photos, respectful handling of remains and effects.
- Coordinating with law enforcement and forensic authorities to manage information flow around victim identification.
- Avoiding any actions that may be perceived as callous or opportunistic (e.g., promotional communication during recovery).
Post-Incident Family Engagement
Long-term support is vital:
- Maintaining open, confidential lines of communication with families.
- Offering counselling services, legal aid, and assistance with logistics.
- Ensuring data protection laws are observed in all ongoing correspondence and record handling.
Next Steps
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Sofema Aviation Services and Sofema Online provide Emergency Response and Associated Training as Classroom, Webinar or Online Training – Please see the websites or email [email protected].
Tags:
EASA requirements, ERP, SAS blogs, Aviation emergency, Aviation Emergency Response, stakeholders, Transparency, Privacy Concerns, aviation emergency events, ICAO Annex 13, Family Assistance Centre, Social Media Management, Crisis Team Protocols, confidential lines, counselling services
