Malaysia Airlines considers changing name and rebranding after MH17 and MH370 tragedies
Malaysia Airlines is considering a name change as part of a major brand overhaul to repair its beleagured reputation, according to a report today.
Malaysia Airlines 'considering name change', report claims
The airline has been left reeling after two disasters in the space of six months, the unexplained disappearance of flight MH370 in March and the downing of Flight MH17 over Eastern Ukraine 10 days ago, which killed all 298 passengers.
According to the Sunday Telegraph, the airline's majority shareholder, the Malaysian government, has started a strategic review in an attempt to salvage the company's image.
The paper claims the company is "likely to change its name as part of a radical overhaul" of its brand.
The airline’s commercial director Hugh Dunleavy is quoted as saying: “There are several options on the table but all involve creating an airline fit for purpose in what is a new era for us, and other airlines.”
Last week crisis communications expert Alex Johnson assessed the airline's response to the MH17 crash for The Drum. Outlining the scale of the task ahead of the company now, he wrote: "We have seen other brands fail to come back from much less."