Thai Airways Blacks Out Logo After Runway Accident · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

A Thai Airways plane skidded off the runway at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok last Sunday after it suffered a landing-gear failure. The plane which departed from Guangzhou, China carried 288 passengers and 14 cabin crew. According to the airline, 14 passengers received minor injuries.
An Airbus Thai Airways plane. Image from Flickr user Aero Icarus, (CC BY-SA 2.0)
TG679 Guangzhou-Bangkok experienced incident while landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport.14 passengers were slightly injured and sent to hospital.
— Thai Airways (@ThaiAirways) September 8, 2013
But it was the airline decision to cover the plane logo with a black paint in an apparent bid to protect its image which made the global headlines. The airline claimed that it was standard “crisis communication rule”. However, the global airline network Star Alliance denied that it has a policy of covering up plane logos during accidents:
Regarding the painting over of logos on the aircraft of @ThaiAirways flight 679. This is not in line with @staralliance crisis (1/2)
— Star Alliance (@staralliance) September 9, 2013
guidelines. It would appear that the official quoted was misinformed. (2/2)
— Star Alliance (@staralliance) September 9, 2013
This was subsequently confirmed by Thai Airways
2. Thai Air statement contd: “…the Company also clarifies that it is NOT a Star Alliance policy or procedure to de-identify aircraft.”
— Newley Purnell (@newley) September 9, 2013
Covering the Thai Airways logo with a black paint. Image from @RichardBarrow
This video was taken after the landing accident:
Below are some reactions on Twitter
I bet @ThaiAirways is now regretting painting over their logo. These days with social media, airlines cannot get away with that anymore.
— Richard Barrow (@RichardBarrow) September 10, 2013
@RichardBarrow @ThaiAirways best approach, has always worked for me, don’t crash your planes. That way you save on black paint.
— Stuart McDonald (@travelfish) September 10, 2013
Blocking out the airline logo little help to travellers who now face delays at airport until Wednesday. http://t.co/Wa8tKsw35t
— Justin Barnett (@beemababy) September 10, 2013
@staralliance How could they be misinformed? Maybe pre-alliance crisis guidelines? I'm not saying what they did was wrong, just strange
— Agust Beaumont (@Saragermen) September 9, 2013
Some passengers have complained that they received little assistance from airline personnel after the accident. But airline officials have denied this accusation.