Flying on more than a wing and a prayer: Navigating the skies for Flyqual Airlines

Brian Whitaker, The Guardian commentator, noted in an article last September, “I have often travelled on planes next to Christians who crossed themselves or Muslims who whispered a prayer before take-off. It happens in all faiths, so the reaction of a Canadian airline to a Jewish man who prayed in his seat seems both bizarre and insensitive: he was thrown off the plane”. This anecdote is useful in highlighting the turbulence in the airline industry where plain sailing can quickly turn into a stormy journey over seemingly minor incidents, symptoms of larger issues, which become full blown crises within the backdrop of an environment influenced by a host of PEST (political, economic, social and technological) factors.