Look, the situation American Airlines finds itself in today is not something I envy. Nor would I want to be the person talking to Suzy Bubblehead or Joe NewSuit about it on television on behalf of the airline.
But you know — there is an old adage that Boy Scouts know very well.
It’s called. “Be Prepared.”
Apparently spokesperson Charley Wilson from American Airlines is not familiar with this advice, as it appears in this video that he was not prepared to respond to a reporter’s questions last night on a local television station in Dallas. Charley, you knew the safety issues were going to come up. That was his first mistake. His second was walking away from the interview on camera — with his microphone still on. Although it could have been worse.
Definitely not one of the American PR department’s shining moments.
It might have been more helpful if the interviewer had actually listened to what Wilson was saying: that these groundings were about a technical specification, not a safety issue.
There are finally some media outlets starting to report on this angle. Matt Lauer pushed the NTSB director on this point. Is it really safety? Or is the FAA playing politics because they think they need to look strong?