Hmm. While I indeed hope that is the case and congratulate the crew, knowing BA's
PR 'skills' from the past...........
Of course it IS self-serving
PR for BA, but why not? Might as well go for some closure in the minds of the flying public while the memory is still slightly fresh.
The flight deck fellows are in a difficult position -- of continuing to be exposed to speculative sniping and critique for however long it is until the final findings are settled. Neither we nor they know what will come out of the process, so the chance remains open that something critical of their actions, directly or by implication, might evolve from the technical mysteries still open. Better to give them timely credit where due - on the obvious fact that all aboard survived, "against odds", some would say, as the direct result of their deliberate actions.
Surely the fact of the award will make it somewhat easier for them to carry on with heads high through the long grinding process of post-facto second-thinking and speculation in public and private circles.