Skift Take

The social media misstep by the world's busiest airport is a reminder of the challenges faced by brands big and small when communicating online. Could greater oversight of the offending post and its subsequent fallout have minimized the impact?

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport faced sharp criticism for its social media response to a deadly accident.

On Tuesday, two Delta Air Lines staff were killed and another seriously injured after a tire explosion at a maintenance hangar near the airport. The Associated Press reports that the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation.

Posting on its official X account in the hours following the accident, a message from the airport read: “Our prayers are with the families affected by the tragic incident at Delta Air Lines' Technical Operations Maintenance Facility this morning. We send condolences to our partners as they continue to ‘Keep Climbing’ during this difficult time.”

The now-deleted X Post. Source: X/ATLairport

The use of Delta’s ‘Keep Climbing’ corporate slogan within the a