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But the consultant also knows that such an appearance requires thorough and good preparation. There is a lot at stake for the company. “In an accident like this, numerous lawyers check whether there is reason to sue the airline,” warns Schmitt. And so many managers hesitate to publicly apologize. A mistake, Schmitt believes – after all, the aim of a first statement is not to clarify the question of guilt, but rather to show empathy – even if the question of guilt is included in the German word “Sorry”.
“It can take a very long time to resolve an incident,” admits Dirk Schmitt – and refers to the crash of a Kenya Airways Airbus plane in 2000, which was only fully resolved three years later.