19 October 2009

JAL Lurches Towards Crisis

The size of the crisis at JAL is slowly coming to leak out. It would appear that both the initial size and the rate of outflow are definitely reaching crisis level.

So what is anyone doing about it?

Well basically the idea of a crisis at the former national airline is unthinkable - except for a small detail - it's very real and very now in nature. So the government is having to step up its efforts.

The banks are also tapped out with other opportunities and obligations. The old joke about how to make a million seems to ring in someone's ears. (BTW its start with a billion and invest in/start and airline). Thus they are not terribly keen to throw good money after what is increasingly seen like a bad investment.

All the while back at JAL's HQ, Rome is burning and there is a great need to fix a large number of things. So the clock is ticking down the seconds and its really dark outside. There is an urgent need for action now to stem the bleeding.

Enough may be enough but for Japan this will be hard. There will have to be a real crisis and some radical surgery. The time for nuanced change is over. If JAL is to survive then someone needs to grab the wheel.

Enough of the metaphors. Can some one do something or will there be someone who has to turn out the lights on a storied brand.

Cheers

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