There has been in recent days an extraordinary lapse from established standards of flying regulations and respect for reputation. Stories eagerly followed in Indonesia revealed pilots have been using drugs when flying passenger planes. I was stunned. The nature of this shocking news starts a chain of things pilots do that we don’t know. This is a danger to passengers as well as reputations of airlines. Confine this not only to Indonesia because pilots are everywhere. This nasty behavior by pilots, what does it do to the reputation of an airline and safety of passengers. Talking about reputation one rich man who is ....

Warren Buffet said it well to a group of Salomon Brothers managers after 1991 trading scandal that hit the bank in which he had interest. He said, ‘If you lose dollars for the firm by bad decision, I will be very understanding. If you lose reputation for the firm, I will be ruthless. ’ He understood the power of reputation and consequences of damaging it. Reputation is built up over time and it is not simply a perception at a given point in time hence the need to protect it. It is a product of both internal and external constituencies. Companies guard it jealously. Individual maintain it and even the richest ensures that it is good.

This putrid behavior by pilots in Indonesia has damaged the reputation of the named airline. First, no one would want to fly with an airline that has its pilots on drugs, it’s dangerous. People will shun it. And when this happens, it brings loss of business to an airline and its shareholders. Once reputation is damaged it’s difficult to bring it back. Yes, there are ways and strategies one can employ to revive reputation but it comes with a huge price. Those that have studied corporate communications or public relations know all this. In history companies worldwide have struggled to revive their good reputation after it was once damaged. In all efforts some ended up changing the name of their company. In a nutshell, these pilots that have been using pure drugs whilst flying passenger planes have done so much damage to the reputation of their airlines and might face a tough time ahead. Some may call me a prophet of dome but nobody would argue what happens to even an individual whose name has been known for something bad.

In addition, the danger with the behavior of pilots is that every passenger will now fill unsafe to use such airlines. No one would want to use an airline that has its pilots on drugs because they can do anything whilst up in the sky. Drugs are bad because they cause people to do strange things. People on drugs take serious matters as jokes. What comes out of people on drugs is the same regardless of whether one is a pilot or a homeless fool in the street. They are all capable of producing nasty things. In view of this, people will get scared and avoid using the airline.

It is important that airlines start checking their pilots before they are given a plane to fly. They should ensure that pilots are taken for medical checkups before they are given passenger planes to fly and this will reduce disasters that come as a result of human error or negligence due to drugs. It is key that pilots are educated on the importance of observing flying regulations and those who do not follow or refuse to should have their flying licenses suspended or even get deregistered.

This news also reminds me of another story I heard earlier of pilots in Europe that used to get drunk before they could fly passenger planes. Surely, it would be disheartening to hear that you are on board a plane with a drunken pilot in the cockpit whilst you are up in the skies; – one would really feel of replacing the pilot in the cockpit even if they have never been trained to fly a plane, why? Because a sober person might even be better than having a drunken pilot taking control.

I urge these airlines in Indonesia and other countries in which this behavior by pilots of taking drugs is prominent to start making amends to their reputations before they lose business. They need to work on their pilots and ensure that those that were found using drugs get suspended or fired. They need to take medical examinations on their pilots seriously. It should be a routine thing before a pilot is offered a passenger plane to fly. Furthermore, safety precautions or regulation ought to be taken serious by these pilots and everybody of their employers.