Workshop Overview
This two-day workshop builds practical crisis management capability for aviation organizations by combining regulatory awareness, emergency response planning, crisis leadership, communications, family assistance, stakeholder coordination, and realistic exercises. The curriculum emphasizes rapid activation, clear command and control, accurate information flow, compassionate support for affected people, and disciplined recovery to normal operations.
Target Audience
- Airline, airport, ground handling, business aviation, and aviation service-provider managers
- Emergency response, safety, security, operations control, maintenance control, and station leadership teams
- Corporate communications, legal, human resources, customer care, family assistance, and business continuity representatives
- Executives and nominated crisis management team members who may serve in a crisis control center
Learning Outcomes
- Explain the purpose, structure, and activation logic of an aviation Emergency Response Plan and crisis management framework.
- Apply clear command, control, escalation, and decision-making practices during a high-pressure aviation event.
- Coordinate internal and external stakeholders, including regulators, airport partners, emergency services, suppliers, and affected families.
- Develop crisis communication priorities for employees, passengers, families, media, social media, and public authorities.
- Use tabletop exercises and after-action reviews to identify gaps, improve procedures, and strengthen organizational resilience.
Two-Day Agenda
Day 1: Foundations, Activation, and Command Structure
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Time
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Module
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Focus
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Activity
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08:30–09:00
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Welcome and Expectations
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Workshop purpose, participant roles, ground rules, and crisis assumptions.
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Participant introductions and crisis experience map.
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09:00–10:15
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Aviation Crisis Landscape
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Types of aviation crises: accident, serious incident, security event, cyber disruption, public health event, weather disruption, aircraft diversion, supplier failure, and reputational crisis.
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Group discussion: “What could overwhelm our normal procedures?”
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10:15–10:30
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Break
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Refreshment break.
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10:30–12:00
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Emergency Response Plan Essentials
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ERP purpose, activation levels, notification flow, roles and responsibilities, crisis control center setup, documentation, logs, and decision records.
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ERP gap-check worksheet.
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12:00–13:00
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Lunch
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Lunch break.
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13:00–14:30
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Command, Control, and Coordination
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Crisis management team structure, decision authority, information validation, operational priorities, safety-first decision making, and integration with emergency services.
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Role-card exercise: build a crisis control center structure.
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14:30–14:45
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Break
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Refreshment break.
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14:45–16:00
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Stakeholder Coordination
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Coordination with airport operators, air navigation service providers, regulators, accident investigation authorities, emergency responders, vendors, insurers, and alliance or code-share partners.
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Stakeholder mapping and contact-priority drill.
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16:00–17:00
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Tabletop Exercise 1: Initial Activation
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First 60 minutes of a simulated aviation emergency: notifications, escalation, team activation, initial facts, immediate safety actions, and first holding statement.
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Timed tabletop exercise and hot wash.
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Day 2: Communications, Human Support, Recovery, and Integrated Exercise
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Time
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Module
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Focus
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Activity
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08:30–09:00
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Day 1 Review
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Key lessons, unresolved questions, and overnight reflections.
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Rapid quiz and group recap.
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09:00–10:30
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Crisis Communications
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Message discipline, spokesperson role, media monitoring, employee communication, social media response, rumor control, regulatory notifications, and legal review.
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Draft a first holding statement and internal employee message.
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10:30–10:45
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Break
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Refreshment break.
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10:45–12:00
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Family Assistance and Humanitarian Response
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Support for survivors, families, crew, employees, and responders; reception centers; privacy; compassionate communication; long-term support; and handoff to specialist providers.
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Design a family assistance activation checklist.
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12:00–13:00
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Lunch
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Lunch break.
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13:00–14:00
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Business Continuity and Recovery
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Operational stabilization, crew and staff welfare, fleet and network recovery, customer care, reputational recovery, evidence preservation, investigation support, and return-to-normal criteria.
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Recovery priority matrix.
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14:00–14:15
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Break
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Refreshment break.
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14:15–16:15
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Capstone Tabletop Exercise
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Integrated crisis scenario from activation through stabilization, including media pressure, family inquiries, operational disruption, regulator requests, and conflicting information.
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Functional team exercise with injects every 10–15 minutes.
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16:15–17:00
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After-Action Review and Improvement Plan
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Strengths, gaps, corrective actions, owners, due dates, drill cadence, and leadership briefing.
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Team presentations and personal commitment cards.
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Core Workshop Exercises
- ERP Gap-Check: Participants compare their current procedures against essential crisis management elements: activation criteria, notification lists, command roles, documentation, communications, family assistance, exercises, and post-incident review.
- Crisis Control Center Build: Teams assign roles, information flows, decision rights, and escalation paths for a simulated event.
- Initial Activation Tabletop: Participants manage the first hour of an aviation emergency using time pressure, incomplete facts, and stakeholder demands.
- Communications Drill: Participants draft a holding statement, employee update, social media response, and family inquiry script.
- Capstone Exercise: A full-team scenario tests coordination across operations, safety, communications, legal, family assistance, executive leadership, and recovery functions.
Participant Materials
- Workshop workbook with module notes, worksheets, and exercise instructions
- Emergency Response Plan gap-check worksheet
- Crisis role cards and crisis control center organization chart template
- Stakeholder contact and notification mapping template
- Holding statement, employee message, and family inquiry script templates
- Family assistance activation checklist
- After-action review form and corrective action tracker
Assessment and Completion Criteria
- Active participation in discussions, exercises, and after-action reviews
- Completion of the ERP gap-check and stakeholder mapping worksheets
- Successful team participation in the initial activation tabletop and capstone exercise
- Submission of a draft improvement plan with corrective actions, owners, and target dates
- Optional knowledge check covering activation logic, command structure, communications, family assistance, and recovery priorities