Thai Airways International dumb to paint over logo

CRISIS UNAVERTED: The THAI logo and name is blacked out on the damaged Airbus A330-300 aircraft that left 14 injured. PHOTO: SOMCHAI POOMLARD

BANGKOK: THAI Airways International flew into a storm of controversy last week after it decided to paint over its name and corporate logo following the crash of an Airbus 330-300 (flight TG 679) at Suvarnabhumi late last Sunday night which left 14 people injured.

Originally, THAI official Smud Poom-on said that hiding the airline's name and logo was a recommendation from the Star Alliance group known as the ''crisis communication rule'', and was intended to protect the image of both the airline and other members of Star Alliance.

But the airline later issued a statement saying: ''THAI generally practises the de-identifying of an aircraft after an incident (or accident), the company also clarifies that it is not a Star Alliance policy or procedure to de-identify aircraft.''

Star Alliance is group of 28 airlines around the world, including Lufthansa, United, Air China, Singapore Airlines, ANA and THAI.

THAI is not the first airline to paint over its corporate logo following an incident, with Italian and Chinese carriers in recent years coming under criticism for similar actions.

Kenyon International Emergency Services is a global disaster management company offering services to 250 commercial airlines, maritime and rail companies as well as state and national governments.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, it's the biggest and oldest company of its type and its services range from coaching airlines for preparedness for an accident - including crisis communication management courses - to recovery of bodies.

During the Asian tsunami tragedy Kenyon rotated more than 900 staff through Thailand and it was involved in cadaver recovery work following 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti earthquake.

Kenyon has assisted with care for families, victims and their belongings at air crashes in Greece, the US, Libya, India and Indonesia.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/thai-airways-international-dumb-to-paint-over-logo-41907.php

-- Phuket News 2013-09-15

Obviously the management at TG was terrified of

they forgot the Star Alliance logo there... coincidence?

Well considering this news was picked up by the international press. Most people know it was a Thai airways plane. I won't be flying with them ever.

It was not them who overpainted the logo, the spirits did it !!!!

Well considering this news was picked up by the international press. Most people know it was a Thai airways plane. I won't be flying with them ever.

Now wait until the International News picks up the cause of the incident was bad spirits.

Barry

And in a typically Thai-ficient manner, they had some poor sod up there with a 2" paint brush with the first tin of paint he found in the shed.

Much more efficient to simply spray it over with white paint - and less frigging OBVIOUIS!!!!

THAI now on my no-fly list.

Well, it was an emergency, so thats why the black paint job!

''THAI generally practises the de-identifying of an aircraft after an incident (or accident)..."

So, this happens so often that there needs to be a policy? That has to boost passenger confidence.

let me suggest...to do a paint job to cover the logo or anywhere else .use a colour same as the aircraft body colour...then this will serve the purpose of whatever reason they are doing it...

Ashamed of their own company. I think I'll book with a different airline as well

It is to confuse those evil spirits that cause these incidents on Thai planes.

Listen....i put it down to the Thai education system.

What is the first thing a thai student must do when they make a mistake. That's right spend 10 minutes carefully erasing the evidence with a correction pen. Neverr mind spending two minutes to check what they did wrong.

Can you use Royal Orchid points on other Star Alliance carriers?

Can you use Royal Orchid points on other Star Alliance carriers?

Yes and you can collect points from star carriers. I have used my points on Singapore.

The thing is, this incident wouldn't have attracted as much international coverage as it has, if Thai hadn't painted over the logo, the thing they were trying to do....ie de-indentify the plane has put more of a spot light on this incident than it most likely have got normally so a PR cock up in the first instance , now compounded by a senior person in Thai blaming bad spirits....really going to instill confidence in tourists in choosing That as their preferred air line....

It's seems to me, Thai have made a relevantly simple if unfortunate incident, which could have PR'ed pretty easily and turned it into a circus and drawing attention to themselves and the all important face, which is the thing they set out to avoid...lesson for Thai engade the brain before opening the mouth...

Unfortunately, the Logo brouhaha has obscured a far more important and alarming issue coming out of this incident: the shockingly deficient response of Thai staff to the needs of the aircraft's passengers.

According to news reports in the international press, the passengers, including several suffering injuries from the excape slide, were put in buses at the crash scene, bused to the terminal where they waited more than 30 minutes before being allowed to disembark. There were virtually no Thai staff trained in disaster response at the terminal reception area: no water, no medical personnel, no assistance what so ever.

There were reports that those who had followed instructions to leave personal belongings in the aircraft during the evacuation were treated rudely by Immigration staff when they did not have their travel documents.

To me, this shows the major weakness typical to many Thai businesses, no decision making by mid-level managers; always waiting for word from the top, terrified to take any initiative.

I wonder why it's so important to mention Kenyon? Because Thai Airways is blaming them for the PR mishap? And in return they have to show that they helped during the tsunami recovery in 2004, so "please spare your blames on us"?

Ridiculous.

let me suggest...to do a paint job to cover the logo or anywhere else .use a colour same as the aircraft body colour...then this will serve the purpose of whatever reason they are doing it...

and don't forget the painting on the tail , they better just wrap it in dark plastic so the whole plane is gone

they forgot the Star Alliance logo there... coincidence?

I think one could assume they didn't even think about it.

The implication is it was Kenyan disaster managers (Texas USA) that did it so, not our doing.

they forgot the Star Alliance logo there... coincidence?

I think one could assume they didn't even think about it.

But on the other hand Thai initially claimed it was Star Alliance policy to de-identify the ownership of the aircraft.

If this was Star Alliance policy then surely the Thai folks should have assumed that Star Alliance would also want there name covered?

I say again, I'll bet nobody at Thai thought this through at all.

Edited September 15, 201312 yr by scorecard

nothing new, this is the same incident procedure in other international carriers - cover the tail, cover the brand, by whatever methods.

yeah, with a BLACK paint is a bit too obvious !

nothing new, this is the same incident procedure in other international carriers - cover the tail, cover the brand, by whatever methods.

yeah, with a BLACK paint is a bit too obvious !

Perhaps black will help to appease the spirits which are causing many transport incidents?

Next they will say that the paint job was actually done by Ghosts, and had nothing to do with the airline.

Am I missing something, is the OP a piece of commissioned editorial for 'Kenyon International Emergency Services'? What a whacky piece of writing. A bit like the untidy painting over of the Thai Logo, maybe it was done by a 'ghost writer'.

THAI management clearly lied about the alleged "crisis communication rule", trying - as usual in Thailand - to shift the blame for the blacking out to someone else. After all, the Star Alliance logo was left completely untouched (or should that read, un-retouched?). Being called out on their blunt lie did, in my opinion, even more damage than the logo blacking out itself, and THAI once again has shot itself in the foot on an international level.

Edited September 15, 201312 yr by Misterwhisper

I used to like Thai,but not anymore.Do they honestly take people to be stupid?Obviously they do.I think this will end up costing them a nice few Baht.

I would personally recommend any of the 5 that come out of the U.A.E,never in all my years of flying have i had a problem with them,and there's hardly a whiskers difference between them.They are:-

GULF AIR OUT OF BAHRAIN

EMIRATES OUT OF DUBAI

ETIHAD OUT OF ABU DHABI

QATAR OUT OF DOHA

OMAN OUT OF MUSCAT

If i had to single one out as being marginally better it would be OMAN AIR.

What they gonna paint on the plane next?

"FOR SALE"

In Chinese ?