AirAsia Claimed Their ‘Planes Will Never Get Lost’ After MH370 Went Missing--Report
AirAsia, the company whose flight QZ8501 went missing recently, touted that their planes "will never get lost," in one of the in-flight magazine issues. However, people's anguish and agitation compelled the budget carrier to take down the magazine's issue that carried the article, according to the reports.
The article was published in April in a magazine named "Travel 3Sixty." According to Daily Mail, the article instigated agitation on social media after one of the AirAsia passengers posted a picture of an excerpt from the article. The last paragraph of the article by the company bragged about the training and skills provided to their pilots.
"Pilot training in AirAsia is continuous and very thorough," the "Travel 3Sixty" article read. "Rest assured that your captain is well prepared to ensure your plane will never get lost."
In the wake of outrage that the article led to, AirAsia had to apologise. The airline claimed that the magazine's issue was printed days before the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 went missing.
The Beijing-bound MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014. The plane had 239 people on board. Only few minutes after its take off, the plane lost its contact with the radar and disappeared. More than nine months after, investigators have failed to trace related debris.
AirAsia Executive Chairman Kamarudin Meranun reportedly apologised and expressed "deep regret," at the time, for the publication of the article. As noted, the executive claimed that the article was written by "a retired pilot" who served AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines, both. "It truly saddens me that this article was released at such an inopportune moment. Again, I repeatedly offer my sincere apologies for any discomfort this may have caused," Kamarudin said in a statement.
Furthermore, AirAsia airline's CEO Tony Fernandes also issued an apology expressing remorse. "As soon as we were informed on Twitter, we withdrew. Once again, apologies. It has been a difficult time for all in the industry," Tony Fernandes wrote on Twitter. According to Independent UK, the said article was "described as "distasteful" and disturbing."
Meanwhile, AirAsia flight QZ8501 remains missing almost two days after its disappearance. The plane went missing on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014 with 162 people onboard while travelling from Indonesia to Singapore. The plane lost contact with air traffic control few minutes after its take off. It is said it faced turbulent weather over the Java Sea when the pilot requested to change the course of the flight.
Several ships and planes have been deployed to locate the missing AirAsia flight. However, no traces have been found yet. Meanwhile, it is reported that the search planes have spotted oily spots and objects in the sea. But the officials are yet to confirm if the traces are related to the missing AirAsia plane.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Bambang Soelistyo, Indonedia's National Search and Rescue Agency chief said: "Based on the co-ordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea, the hypothesis is the plane is at the bottom of the sea."
AirAsia, the company whose flight QZ8501 went missing recently, touted that their planes "will never get lost," in one of the in-flight magazine issues. However, people's anguish and agitation compelled the budget carrier to take down the magazine's issue that carried the article, according to the reports.
The article was published in April in a magazine named "Travel 3Sixty." According to Daily Mail, the article instigated agitation on social media after one of the AirAsia passengers posted a picture of an excerpt from the article. The last paragraph of the article by the company bragged about the training and skills provided to their pilots.
"Pilot training in AirAsia is continuous and very thorough," the "Travel 3Sixty" article read. "Rest assured that your captain is well prepared to ensure your plane will never get lost."
In the wake of outrage that the article led to, AirAsia had to apologise. The airline claimed that the magazine's issue was printed days before the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 went missing.
The Beijing-bound MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014. The plane had 239 people on board. Only few minutes after its take off, the plane lost its contact with the radar and disappeared. More than nine months after, investigators have failed to trace related debris.
AirAsia Executive Chairman Kamarudin Meranun reportedly apologised and expressed "deep regret," at the time, for the publication of the article. As noted, the executive claimed that the article was written by "a retired pilot" who served AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines, both. "It truly saddens me that this article was released at such an inopportune moment. Again, I repeatedly offer my sincere apologies for any discomfort this may have caused," Kamarudin said in a statement.
Furthermore, AirAsia airline's CEO Tony Fernandes also issued an apology expressing remorse. "As soon as we were informed on Twitter, we withdrew. Once again, apologies. It has been a difficult time for all in the industry," Tony Fernandes wrote on Twitter. According to Independent UK, the said article was "described as "distasteful" and disturbing."
Meanwhile, AirAsia flight QZ8501 remains missing almost two days after its disappearance. The plane went missing on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014 with 162 people onboard while travelling from Indonesia to Singapore. The plane lost contact with air traffic control few minutes after its take off. It is said it faced turbulent weather over the Java Sea when the pilot requested to change the course of the flight.
Several ships and planes have been deployed to locate the missing AirAsia flight. However, no traces have been found yet. Meanwhile, it is reported that the search planes have spotted oily spots and objects in the sea. But the officials are yet to confirm if the traces are related to the missing AirAsia plane.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Bambang Soelistyo, Indonedia's National Search and Rescue Agency chief said: "Based on the co-ordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea, the hypothesis is the plane is at the bottom of the sea."