The whole affair has generated one hell of a lot of discussion across the internet – I don’t think Ive ever seen so much interest in one accident, and part of me is wondering why; London Heathrow? British Airways? The fact that the cause of the accident looks to be so interesting, with possible wide ranging consequences?
I do find comments on some sites interesting though. A member on one forum complained about an ‘astonishing’ article on the BBC in which a passenger told the media that they had been treated badly after the accident.
The poster suggested the passenger was being a ‘moron’ by expecting to have refreshments and to see counsellors (quoting the poster: “As if there’s a room down a terminal corridor somewhere at Heathrow with a rapid response crack team of counsellors and therapists twiddling their thumbs waiting for a big plane crash to give them something to do”) almost immediately after the accident.
However, Emergency Orders detail just that. That is EXACTLY what is, or should be, provided for passengers. Emergency Orders state that a response from organisations and personnel who are trained to deal with bereavement ‘situations’ and distressed victims after accidents is given in within hours. Airports are capable of providing this sort of response in less than an hour, in some situations.
I think part of the reason this has attracted so much attention is because the UK has got to be one of the largest sources of aviation enthusiasts and aviation professionals in the world. This certainly is reflected in the online makeup of supposedly global discussion boards such as this one, PPrune and Airliners.net all of which have massive British contingents. That the incident happened in the UK and to a flagship British airliner is only going to drive discussion to a peak.
The guy who was ranting off about not having access to refreshments and counsellors was talking absolute b*llocks. I’ve spoken with several staff members involved in the ground handling and they devoted an entire BA Terraces (Business Class) Lounge to the passengers of the flight and the emergency plan was implemented near flawlessly.
Sign In
