This Saturday was marked by the tragic crash of flydubai flight FZ981 during a landing attempt at Rostov-on-Don airport in Russia, taking the lives of all of those onboard.
It is news we never want to cover in aviation, but regrettably we must.
The proceedings of the accident investigation are ongoing. Blackboxes have been recovered and responsible parties and expert investigators are either already on site or have already been deployed.
Rather than recap what is a quickly changing timeline of events, or add to speculation on an accident which is best evaluated by experts, I’d like to acknowledge how responsive flydubai has been through these difficult circumstances.
Updates have been frequent, always empathetic, and primarily focused on those who lost family and friends onboard.
The airline’s CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith has been an example of leadership through crisis, ensuring that swift action was taken to gather facts and share them responsibly.
Three key quotes from flydubai’s CEO at a press conference held in Dubai earlier today exemplify what we hope to hear from a leader in these difficult and delicate circumstances:
Acknowledging grief
“On behalf of everyone at flydubai, I would like to express the devastation we all feel in relation to this morning’s tragic events in Rostov-on-Don. Our primary concern is for the passengers and crew involved at this tragic time. Everyone in our company is in deep shock and our hearts go out to all loved ones of those involved.”
Taking ownership of the situation
“I am personally leading our accident response with the support of the full management team. At this stage the focus of our efforts is on establishing the facts around the incident and providing all possible support to the authorities.”
Demonstrating prompt and appropriate action
“As I speak, members of our team are contacting relatives of the passengers and crew who were on board and we are offering any help we can to those affected. In addition, we have activated our Emergency Response Team who are on their way now to the site.”