WOW Airlines offers no apology after stranding passengers
The budget carrier abruptly halted service, leaving passengers scrambling for new flights. CEO Skuli Mogensen said he ‘would never forgive’ himself for not acting sooner.
WOW Airlines, the discount provider based in Reykjavik, Iceland, closed up shop overnight, leaving stranded passengers to mutter its name in frustration.
The airline had been in talks with rival Icelandair and equity partners to find new capital, but talks fell through and the news was abruptly announced that the airline would cease operations. Passengers were stranded in both North America and Europe, and the airline had little comfort to offer them. Many turned to social media to find help and replacement flights.
The debacle is a reminder of how important it is to share bad news with your stakeholders and be honest about the future at all times. Up until the last moment, WOW had hoped to strike a deal, and even when it began grounding flights, it tried to offer hope.
Looks like @wow_air is turning off the airline until it completes a new equity deal. "All flights have been postponed until documentation with all parties involved have been finalized." https://t.co/yI6oSwnjBU pic.twitter.com/u4V3QsVhL9
— Jon Ostrower (@jonostrower) March 28, 2019
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