This archive report was first published on 14 October 2019.
Silverstone Airline Crisis: Poor Post Crash Management Exposed ¶
On October 11, 2019, a Silverstone passenger airplane en-route to Lamu crashed moments after take-off at the Wilson Airport in Nairobi. The airline initially reported that all passengers and crew had been safely disembarked, but this was later found to be false.
According to a Twitter user, @IanECox, four passengers were transferred to hospital with serious injuries, including one who required a call out for blood for immediate stabilization and subsequent major surgery.
The passenger who was flown to New York, U.S. for surgery had a broken arm and leg. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authorities' statement reflected the actual reality of the incident, contradicting Silverstone's initial report.
Since the incident, Silverstone's customer care has been criticized for being dodgy, with some customers being blocked after raising legitimate concerns about refunds for pre-booked flights.
One customer, @danieljboucher, was blocked by Silverstone after raising a concern about wanting a refund for his flight next week after the plane crash. He tweeted, '@silverstoneair just blocked me after raising a legitimate concern about wanting a refund for my flight next week after their #planecrash this morning. epic.twitter.com/K88nj4F0V3.'
The Twitter user also raised concerns about the airline flying unsafe vessels, citing an incident where a passenger noticed oil leaking from the front engine of the aircraft weeks before the crash.
Instead of addressing these concerns, Silverstone has hired bloggers and influencers to counter the safety concerns, with some influencers resorting to hurling abuses at fans who asked questions.
The Fokker 50 passenger plane that crashed was formerly owned and operated by Air Iceland Connect, raising questions about the safety of second-hand aircraft.
Resorting to abuses and blocking concerned customers is a foolish move, and the airline has demonstrated incompetence in crisis management. Instead of hiring goons on social media, they should channel their money into better maintenance of aircraft and invest in new aircrafts.
