The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has dramatically affected the aviation industry. This paper investigates how 20 European airlines communicated their crisis messages during the pandemic by employing Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) to airline responses. This qualitative study consisting of a systematic review and content analysis, examined 7237 messages from social media channels and press releases posted between December 1, 2019, and May 25, 2020, when the crisis unfolded worldwide. The results indicate that the airlines primarily emphasized instructing and adjusting crisis communication strategies. Further, Twitter replaced Facebook as the primary communication channel. This study provides insights on how airlines can and should communicate crisis-related messages amidst a severe pandemic. The study concludes with the implications of these findings and recommendations for airline stakeholders moving forward.

冠状病毒 (COVID-19) 大流行极大地影响了航空业。本文调查了 20 家欧洲航空公司在大流行期间如何通过对航空公司的响应采用情境危机传播理论 (SCCT) 来传达他们的危机信息。这项定性研究包括系统审查和内容分析，检查了 2019 年 12 月 1 日至 2020 年 5 月 25 日危机在全球蔓延期间发布的来自社交媒体渠道和新闻稿的 7237 条消息。结果表明，航空公司主要强调指导和调整危机沟通策略。此外，Twitter 取代了 Facebook 作为主要的沟通渠道。这项研究提供了关于航空公司如何能够并且应该在严重的大流行中传达与危机相关的信息的见解。