On Sept. 6, a cargo plane carrying Amazon packages overshot the runway at Miami International Airport and hit two vehicles, killing five people in a van. It’s a terrible tragedy that has now deepened for the contractor because the mega online retailer has suspended working with it. The company, 21 Air, will have to engage in strong crisis communications.

Amazon issued a statement regarding its decision on Sunday, Sept. 13. “Safety has always been our top priority, whether in our own operations or when we’re working with partners,” Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said in the statement posted on the company’s news site. “After the tragic incident last weekend, we’ve spent time supporting the investigation and reviewing some of the surrounding circumstances, and we’ve decided to pause our operations with 21 Air.”

It’s a smart crisis response from Amazon — which has issued a steady stream of statements about the accident — because it shows the company acting and distancing itself from a contractor that may be at fault for a horrible accident.

‘Safety Policies’

21 Air responded publicly to Amazon’s announcement. “We remain focused on supporting the families and loved ones who were impacted by this accident, as well as working closely with the [National Transportation Safety Board] and all our partners, like Amazon, as the investigation continues,” it said, according to a Sept. 14 story in The New York Times. “We are confident in our safety policies, procedures and training.”

At the time of the accident, 21 Air was flying on behalf of Amazon Air, whose planes are often branded as Prime Air and which, according to the NYT, “uses several cargo airlines to operate planes on its behalf.” For its part, Greensboro, N.C.–based 21 Air flies for other customers including DHL, the German logistics company.

Obviously, the larger crisis is the terrible, fatal accident. But the aftereffects for 21 Air include whether the company will be hurt long term by the incident. This goes to its operations, though the cause of the crash may not be known until the NTSB issues a report. The plane reportedly may have been flying at excessive speed as it approached the runway. Former 21 Air employees have raised safety concerns about the company, according to the NYT, citing a whistle-blower case.

Customer Needs

DHL issued a statement that didn’t say whether it would continue to work with 21 Air. “DHL continually assesses its network and relationships with service providers to ensure we meet the needs of our customers and our operational requirements,” according to the Associated Press.

21 Air — which is owned by Jim Crane, a billionaire who also owns the Houston Astros baseball team — has worked for Amazon for only about two years, according to The Wall Street Journal. It will need some nimble communications to navigate this crisis. Currently, its website is “dark” except for a lone statement about the accident.

Photo Credit: Tada Images – stock.adobe.com

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