By Trebor Banstetter
Staff Writer

Just as travelers were beginning to return to the skies after the Sept. 11 terrorist hijackings, American Airlines is once again linked with disaster. Monday's deadly crash in New York poses a unique public relations problem for the Fort Worth-based carrier. Though accidents are damaging enough to an airline's image, this one occurred just eight weeks after two American passenger jets were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center.

"Certainly this is unprecedented," said James E. Lukaszewski, a crisis management specialist and chairman of the White Plains, N.Y.-based Lukaszewski Group. "I can't think of any American company that has had to deal with these kinds of disasters so close to one another." After Sept. 11, analysts said the corporate image of American and United Airlines, both of which lost planes to terrorists, would probably survive. A sympathetic public viewed both companies as victims of international terror and widely supported the multi-billion dollar bailout of the industry.

But the latest crash clouds that picture considerably. Even if terrorists weren't to blame, it will be difficult for American officials to counter the images of burning wreckage shown for hours Monday on network and cable news stations. "It's very hard to convince people that it's safe to fly, even under normal circumstances," Lukaszewski said. "It's going to be a real challenge."

American has several factors in its favor, experts say: It generally has a good relationship with the public, being an established carrier and having flown many passengers safely. "American has run a good airline for a long time, and they'll get some benefit from that," said Larry L. Smith, president of the Institute for Crisis Management in Louisville, Ky.

The general public is still sympathetic toward the airline industry as a whole. "American's big ally right now is the public's patience and goodwill," said Lisa LeMaster of LeMaster Group, a Dallas public relations firm that often handles crisis communications for its clients.

American has experience handling disasters, including a well-prepared staff to deal with the families of the victims. "American is extraordinarily good at handling these situations," Lukaszewski said. "They've had some hard lessons over the years, and are very well prepared."

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