The Value of Building Enterprise Resilience

A Tale of Two Airlines in Crisis

In the high-stakes world of aviation, resilience is the backbone of operational success, especially when crises hit. Two airlines—Airline A and Airline B—demonstrate how fundamentally different approaches to resilience can shape outcomes for leadership, employees, and customers.

Airline A: Complacency and Misaligned Perceptions

In the midst of a crisis, Airline A’s leadership team operates under a dangerous illusion: that everything is under control. Why wouldn’t they? They’ve run exercises on this exact scenario and passed every board metric with flying colors (greens everywhere!).

But in reality, the response is fragmented and chaotic. Information doesn’t flow to leadership, leaving them blind to the real issues. Employees are overwhelmed and under pressure, scrambling to piece together a siloed response, acting independently. Meanwhile, the brand suffers—negative news articles flood media outlets, and customer trust erodes.

The disconnect? Airline A’s exercises were designed to succeed, not to challenge the system. They tested for success, not failure. When the crisis hits, the gaps in their siloed resilience framework and leadership oversight are painfully exposed.

Airline B: Informed Leadership and Proactive Resilience

Airline B tells a different story. Its leadership team receives real-time risk intelligence, enabling them to make informed decisions throughout the crisis. They are not complacent, despite having run rigorous exercises and scenarios that pushed their systems to the brink of failure. These exercises didn’t aim to succeed—they aimed to test and reveal weaknesses, ensuring teams were prepared for the complexities of real-world crises.

In the thick of the disruption, Airline B’s leadership understands their role is not just to watch from the sidelines but to actively strategically steer the ship. They guide the organization with clarity and confidence, ensuring that decisions align with both immediate needs and long-term strategy.

For employees, this clarity is empowering. They know their leaders are informed and supportive, and they trust the system to work. For customers, the experience is equally reassuring—transparent communication, timely updates, and a sense that the airline is in control builds trust, even in difficult times.

Contrasting Crisis Outcomes

Airline A:

• Leadership believes the crisis is under control because they are not being told otherwise.
• Exercises have given a false sense of security, as they were designed for success rather than realistic failure.
• Employees are overwhelmed, stretched to breaking point, operating in silos without clear direction.
• Customers feel abandoned, left waiting in long contact centre queues trying to find information on options, leading to reputational damage.
• The response is reactive, inefficient, and damaging to both the brand and operations.

Airline B:

• Leadership receives real-time risk intelligence, staying connected and proactive.
• Exercises have prepared the organization for failure, not just success, fostering a culture of readiness.
• Employees are coordinated and empowered, working as a cohesive team.
• Customers feel informed and supported, even during disruptions.
• The response is efficient, aligned, and preserves trust and loyalty.

The Lesson: Resilience is Leadership

Resilience isn’t just about having the right systems in place—it’s about leadership that actively engages during a crisis. It’s about preparing for failure, not just success, and ensuring every layer of the organization is aligned.

Airline A assumes success; Airline B builds for reality. The difference is stark, and the outcomes are transformative.

In today’s aviation landscape, building enterprise resilience isn’t optional—it’s essential. It’s what separates those who thrive under pressure from those who falter. As leaders, the question isn’t just whether to continue to build resilience (despite the cost) but whether you’re investing in an Enterprise Resilience program that moves you closer to Airline B?

Let’s build a resilient future for aviation, together. Because I, like I suspect many others, would rather be a customer and employee of Airline B. 🌍✈️