It’s pretty safe to say that Malaysia Airlines has probably had the worst calendar year of any major airline in history – and it’s still only July.
The international air carrier has been left on the brink of collapse on the business side of their operations, following two major incidents in four months – Flight MH370 disappearing en route to Beijing in March, and Flight MH17 that was shot down over eastern Ukraine twelve days ago.
The twin tragedies have left the company reeling, with consumer confidence in the airline (quite obviously) plummeting, and along with it their stock price, which has fallen a whopping 35 per cent.
A comprehensive strategic review of the company and its operations has begun with a view to finding a way of making the Malaysian Government-backed airline financially more viable, as well as rebuilding its reputation within the industry. Prior to the tragedies, the Flag Carrying airliner was already struggling to keep up in a cut throat industry flooding with low cost carriers.
One suggestion put forth would be to rebadge the troubled airline, in a bid to distance itself from the associated reputation that the name “Malaysia Airlines” now carries. Though there are no suggestions as to what that new name could be.
From this angle it seems difficult to know what the respectful move would be for those lost aboard the two flights. But if it means salvaging the flag carrying airline of a major South East Asian nation – preventing a collapse that would prove catastrophic to the entire country – then perhaps a fresh start is exactly what’s needed.
Photo: Manan Vatsyayana via Getty Images.
