Widebody Transport
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Total 10270; Flight Crew Type 550
Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Security; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Procedure; Company Policy
At the completion of the flight; I received an email from dispatch on my iPad advising me of a USGS Seismic event that had occurred while we were enroute to our destination. The dispatcher was concerned because he was allegedly told by his supervisor to NOT inform us of the event; as we might have been led to diverting to an alternate airport given the news. After reading the email; I called the dispatcher using my cell phone to discuss. While I understood the emotion surrounding the geopolitical tension in the region; I told him I would have continued to the destination (as planned) unless a safety issue was present. His point wasn't my decision or his; it was about the decision to censor real time security information that may have helped us consider a plan had things escalated in the area. Reference 9/11/2001 and the lack of timely information/communication with the crews that day; I agree with the dispatcher that withholding information from the crew is NOT in the best interest of safety. The dispatcher informed me he was filing a report and advised me to complete a report as well. Again; I never felt our safety was compromised; however; I do agree with the dispatcher that we should have been notified via ACARS/SATCOM of the situation and given the opportunity to discuss the event with dispatch and flight operations.
[The flight] was inbound to ZZZ when news that the USGS had detected a tremor. The Supervisor was informed and requested to engage the security desk for additional information. The oncoming Supervisor was walking by and I inquired about the news. I was told not to pass the information on to the flight. Reasoning that the crew would divert given the news. My thought was that the crew deserves to have information that pertains to the geopolitical situation in the region they are flying. This needs to change. If the company wants to draft the message to send to the crew that is fine as long as it is done in a couple of minutes.
Air carrier Captain and Dispatcher reported that the company elected to not notify the crew of a seismic event in the area of the destination airport.