Counter Terror Gazette

In the Event of Disaster: family assistance programmes

26 Aug 2011

Most of our endeavours are designed to prevent acts of unlawful interference taking place, yet airlines must also prepare for disasters. What are the key elements of disaster preparedness programmes and how can they benefit both the airline and the family members of the passengers and crew embroiled in a hijacking or, worse still, the loss of an aircraft? Sue Warner-Bean discusses.

Fifteen years ago, stories abounded of airlines’ ill-treatment of families and survivors after the loss of an aircraft: no access to information; notification messages left on answering machines; personal effects discarded; unidentified remains buried without notice.  None of it was intentional; accidents were (and are) rare, and the post-crash emphasis was solely on determining cause and preventing future tragedies. There were no industry regulations, guidance papers or ICAO manuals outlining the basic tenets of family and survivor assistance, and airlines were left to make it up for themselves.

While such stories can still be found, there has been progress. Many airlines, some governments, and most insurers recognise the necessity of providing immediate, coordinated, compassionate assistance to those most affected by aviation tragedies. After all, at the end of the day it is the human toll of these events that is most devastating. Planes can be replaced. Loved ones cannot.

Rationale and Expectations

For airlines, having a strong family assistance programme is more than an ethical and moral obligation. It is also an operational necessity; a growing expectation of the public, stakeholders, lawyers and insurers; and in some cases, a legal requirement.

This tenth anniversary year of the 11^th September 2001 attacks is also the fifteenth anniversary of the US Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996. This landmark law was the result of intense lobbying by crash survivors and victims’ families (including families of Pan Am 103), who then partnered with airline and government representatives to develop recommendations and ultimately, legislation for air disaster response. It requires the creation of a federal plan, as well as individual airline plans, assigning responsibilities for various victim assistance tasks. Similar laws with varying levels of detail were subsequently enacted in Brazil, Australia, South Korea and China.  Most recently, Article 21 of EU 996/2010 requires EU member states and all airlines operating in their territory to have civil aviation accident emergency plans that include “assistance to the victims of civil aviation accidents and their relatives,” although the exact nature of that assistance is not well-defined. Some direction is provided in ICAO Circular 285-AN/166, Guidance on Assistance to Aircraft Accident Victims and their Families, but in the absence of detailed national plans, it is still incumbent on the airlines to define the standards.

So what is required for a family assistance programme, and how can it benefit both victims and the airline?

At the most basic level, aviation disaster family assistance is simple: if it were your family member on the affected aircraft, how would you want to be treated? In the immediate aftermath, most would say they want timely and accurate notification, access to resources and all relevant information, and the identification and return of loved ones and their belongings. They would want acknowledgement, answers, apologies, accountability, counselling and compensation. And they would certainly want their needs to be met with urgency, efficiency, equity, and compassion.

Yet for airlines, those needs are deceptively simple. Meeting them is a complex and resource-intensive process that requires a well-crafted and rehearsed plan, trained staff, adequate resources, coordination with authorities and insurers, and support from senior management.

It’s been said that “when you’ve seen one accident, you’ve seen one accident.” Although there are no “typical” accidents, there are generally three phases to the family assistance response: initial contact, site operations, and long-term support. A closer look at each can help shed light on both families’ concerns and the airline’s response requirements.

Phase One: Initial Contact (0-48 hours)[1]

Contacting the relatives of passengers and crew is the crucial first step in family assistance and is also critical for the airline and authorities. Families will help in identifying hospitalised and deceased victims, and in criminal events may provide valuable information to the investigation.

The initial contact with the family is to confirm that the event has happened and advise whether or not the loved one’s name appears on the manifest.  In the words of one family member, “it is the call (or conversation) that changes everything” and must be handled with sensitivity and by trained personnel.

There are several scenarios here, some in the airlines’ control, some not. Families may hear about the event through the media (including social media), from co-workers or friends, or, as we learned during the 11^th September 2001 hijackings, from the passengers themselves via phone and text messages. In all of these instances family members will likely attempt to reach the airline immediately for confirmation and additional information.  Other families may be at the airport arrivals or departure area and will need to be gathered in a private room to await and receive information. Still others may be unaware of the disaster until they are located and advised by the airline or authorities.

National law will dictate whether initial notification is conducted by the police or the airline. In either case it must be done quickly and compassionately, and the airline must be prepared to field an extremely high volume of incoming calls for the first 24-36 hours[2] by immediately establishing a Telephone Enquiry Centre (TEC) with a toll-free (free phone) number. The TEC will assist in filtering enquiries to identify callers who have a relationship to those on board the aircraft. Those who are likely “matches” are referred for confirmation and notification by a trained airline team member or the authorities.

Complicating factors in this process include manifest accuracy, language and cultural differences, data tracking (including identifying which family members are at airports), information on survivors’ status and whereabouts, and sufficient phone capacity.  The conversations will be emotionally difficult and staff must be prepared to respond to needs and requests. Smaller airlines may not have the resources to perform this function effectively and may need to rely on assistance from codeshare and alliance partners or qualified vendors.

As the response progresses to phase two, the TEC will transition to a telephone support centre to assist families with information and logistical arrangements.