Can Malaysia Airlines Rebrand and Move On?

In its 41 years of flying, Malaysia Airlines had only two fatal accidents prior to 2014. With the airlines’ twin tragedies of flight MH17, being shot down in eastern Ukraine last week, just four months after MH370 went missing, it’s hard to imagine how the airline will bounce back. The airline is worth 75% less than what is was last year and is losing $1.6m a day. Following last week’s crash, it offered passengers refunds on any tickets purchased for flights to be taken this year. Now seems like a good time to act on the “sweeping change” the airline’s chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, promised in late June. Historically, to tackle a negative image or alleviate national shame, Asian airlines go through rebranding, but in this case Malaysia Airlines will need more than just a new look.