Redefining Airline Disruption Management Through Data and Passenger Impact
Insights from Grounded 2024 on what truly drives smarter, more responsive disruption management.
For airlines, disruption isn’t just operational—it’s emotional, financial, and reputational. Yet too often, disruption response is reactive, fragmented, and compliance-driven.
At Grounded 2024, airline leaders went deeper: What if we redefined disruption through the passenger's lens? What if data, not just duty-of-care rules, guided the response? What if CFOs, customer teams, and operations were aligned from day one?
Below, we unpack seven moments that show how airlines are reframing disruption—from tactical choices to strategic investment.
1. Letting Data Drive Tradeoffs Between Cost and Continuity
Guðný Halla Hauksdóttir, Director Customer Experience, Icelandair:
“We had an aircraft AOG... This would impact six flights. So we gathered revenue data, average claim uptake, ACMI quotes... We ended up delaying by 10 hours instead of canceling. The data drove the decision.”
Disruption decisions often hinge on urgency. But at some airlines, they hinge on real-time financial modeling. Gudny's quote reflects a shift toward quantified, scenario-based decision-making, where the cost of delay is weighed against passenger claims, charter costs, and reputational damage. Delay became a strategic decision, not just a scheduling one.
2. Planning the Day with Personas—Not Just Pax Counts
Diederik-Jan Bos, Director of Crew, SAS:
“We have more than people traveling. We have animals with layovers who can't enter the country. So in the morning, we look 12 hours ahead—six animals, five unaccompanied minors, 200 connections…”
Effective planning means more than knowing the number of passengers—it means understanding who they are and what they need. From live animals to UMNRs, the diversity of passengers introduces operational complexity that demands personalized resourcing and foresight.
3. Winning CFO Buy-In with Commercial Impact, Not Just OTP
Guðný Halla Hauksdóttir, Director Customer Experience, Icelandair:
“Include the CFO in how you build the new journey—with both cost reduction and future revenue building. Don’t just talk OTP—it maintains loyalty, it doesn’t build it.”
On-time performance (OTP) is a comfort metric. But it’s not a commercial growth lever. As Jerry points out, true disruption ROI lies in connecting operational fixes to long-term revenue impact—whether through reduced churn, higher ancillary uptake, or better NPS. And that’s what gets the CFO to fund change.
4. The Communication Black Hole: Third-Party Data Gaps
Diederik-Jan Bos, Director of Crew, SAS:
“We try texts, emails, airport boards… But we often don’t know how to reach passengers who booked via third parties. Sometimes we don’t even know who they are.”
Even the best-laid disruption response plans fail if you can’t reach the passenger. Diederik’s quote hits on a persistent problem: third-party bookings that strip airlines of direct communication. It’s a reminder that data completeness is a prerequisite for passenger care.
5. Reframing Disruption from the Passenger’s Perspective
Diederik-Jan Bos, Director of Crew, SAS:
“Would you rather arrive 17 minutes late with your luggage, or on time without it? Passengers define disruption differently—but the industry defines it by compensation rules. That’s a mismatch.”
This single quote reframes the entire conversation. It highlights the gap between regulatory definitions of disruption and how passengers actually experience it. A delay without impact may be preferable to on-time arrival without essentials. The real opportunity? Designing disruption response around passenger priorities, not compensation thresholds.
6. Using Personas to Shape Service in Crisis
Jerry Angrave, Director CCXP, Empathyce:
“Shouldn’t we be using personas during disruption? Those in wheelchairs, on medication, or with critical connections—their objective for the flight is different. So the service should adapt.”
Not all passengers are equal during a disruption. Some can flex. Others simply can't. The operational response must reflect that. This quote argues for context-aware service models, where personas aren’t just a marketing tool—they’re the foundation of tailored recovery.
7. Budgeting for Disruption, Per Passenger
Andri Geir Eyjolfsson, COO, PLAY Airlines:
“Our target is under $2 per passenger for disruption. Summer is smooth, winter is heavy with de-icing. I take the year-long budget—1.5 million passengers gives me $3 million. Then I justify tools to reduce that.”
Andre’s approach puts hard numbers behind disruption tolerance. It’s a reminder that disruption isn’t a surprise—it’s seasonal, predictable, and plannable. Budgeting per passenger makes it easier to justify investments in mitigation tools, rather than treating them as reactive costs.
The Future of Disruption Management Is Cross-Functional, Not Just Technical
What ties these stories together isn’t just better data—it’s better decision-making across roles. From CFOs to customer care to crew ops, smarter disruption management means aligning around granular data, diverse personas, and shared outcomes.
Airlines that embrace this approach won’t just reduce costs—they’ll turn disruption into an opportunity to build trust.
Want to Be Part of the Future of Disruption Management?
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