Easyjet apologizes for Holocaust Memorial photo shoot

Easyjet is a European regional carrier that has quickly carved out market share with discount prices and targeted marketing. However, a recent public relations faux pas is causing controversy.

Easyjet operates on over 400 routes and has over 170 aircraft in 27 countries. Last year easyjet.com carried over 44 million passengers. It has strong positions in key locations in the intra-European market. It is first in Gatwick, Milan and Geneva, and second in Paris. It's orange jets are becoming commonplace in airports from Tenerife to Tel Aviv and Helsinki to Malta. A recent public relations blunder may have a significantly deleterious impact on the company's fortunes. Inexplicably, their advertising agency decided it would be a marvelous idea to stage a photo shoot for Easyjet.com's in-flight magazine, easyJet Traveller, at the Berlin Holocaust Memorial's Stelenfeld. Adding insult to injury, the agency neither informed, nor requested permission from, the Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. When the New Statesmen informed the Memorial's director, Uwe Neumärker of the photo shoot the Foundation quickly issued a terse statement:

The Foundation Memorial grants permissions only to projects which are related to the memorial, the Holocaust or some aspect of commemoration.... The Foundation Memorial does not support commercial shoots, and fashion photography is considered to fall into this category. The Foundation Memorial will contact the easyJet airline company in writing in order to clarify the circumstances of the photo shoot.

Earlier today the BBC reported that easyJet.com was taking immediate steps to respond to the criticism. In a statement, easyJet said it 'profusely apologises' to anyone who was offended by the 'inappropriate' shoot and said it would withdraw this month's issue from all flights. The statement continues, "Easyjet prides itself on bringing together a wide range of cultures and beliefs and is appalled by this insensitive and inconsiderate photoshoot,"