KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Malaysia
Airlines said Tuesday it was “shocked” by allegations aired in an Australian
news programme of a past cockpit security breach involving the co-pilot on its
missing passenger jet.
Malaysia Airlines MH370 vanished
early Saturday on an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239
people aboard. No trace of the plane or evidence of its fate have been found.
Among those aboard were First
Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, who along with a fellow pilot violated airline
rules in 2011 by allowing two young South African women into their cockpit
during a flight, one of the women told Sydney-based Nine Network.
The report included photos of the
women in the cockpit, with one appearing to show them posing with a man
resembling Fariq. Passengers have been prohibited from entering the cockpit
during a flight after the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
The encounter took place during the
one-hour flight from the Thai beach resort of Phuket to Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia’s capital, the report said.
“Malaysia Airlines has become aware
of the allegations being made against First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid which we
take very seriously. We are shocked by these allegations,” a statement by the
airline said.
“We have not been able to confirm
the validity of the pictures and videos of the alleged incident. As you are
aware, we are in the midst of a crisis, and we do not want our attention to be
diverted,” the airline said.
Malaysia Airlines has come under
intense pressure from enraged relatives of the 227 missing passengers, who are
demanding answers to the plane’s perplexing disappearance.
The plane also had 12 crew.
Despite a search by several nations
over a wide swathe of sea in Southeast Asia using dozens of aircraft and ships,
the airline and Malaysian authorities say they still have no idea what happened
to the plane.
“We also urge the media and general
public to respect the privacy of the families of our colleagues and passengers.
It has been a difficult time for them,” the airline said.
“The welfare of both the crew and
passengers’ families remain our focus. At the same time, the security and
safety of our passengers is of the utmost importance to us.”
The lack of information on the
plane’s fate has sparked intense speculation, with theories including a
possible terror attack, mid-air explosion, structural failure, or crash into
the sea.
There has been no evidence backing
any of the theories.
Malaysia Airlines has said Fariq
joined the airline in 2007.
KUALA
LUMPUR (AFP) – Malaysia Airlines said Tuesday it was “shocked” by
allegations aired in an Australian news programme of a past cockpit
security breach involving the co-pilot on its missing passenger jet.
Malaysia
Airlines MH370 vanished early Saturday on an overnight flight from
Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard. No trace of the plane or
evidence of its fate have been found.
Among those aboard were
First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, who along with a fellow pilot
violated airline rules in 2011 by allowing two young South African women
into their cockpit during a flight, one of the women told Sydney-based
Nine Network.
The report included photos of the women in the
cockpit, with one appearing to show them posing with a man resembling
Fariq. Passengers have been prohibited from entering the cockpit during a
flight after the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
The encounter
took place during the one-hour flight from the Thai beach resort of
Phuket to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, the report said.
“Malaysia
Airlines has become aware of the allegations being made against First
Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid which we take very seriously. We are shocked
by these allegations,” a statement by the airline said.
“We have
not been able to confirm the validity of the pictures and videos of the
alleged incident. As you are aware, we are in the midst of a crisis, and
we do not want our attention to be diverted,” the airline said.
Malaysia
Airlines has come under intense pressure from enraged relatives of the
227 missing passengers, who are demanding answers to the plane’s
perplexing disappearance.
The plane also had 12 crew.
Despite
a search by several nations over a wide swathe of sea in Southeast Asia
using dozens of aircraft and ships, the airline and Malaysian
authorities say they still have no idea what happened to the plane.
“We
also urge the media and general public to respect the privacy of the
families of our colleagues and passengers. It has been a difficult time
for them,” the airline said.
“The welfare of both the crew and
passengers’ families remain our focus. At the same time, the security
and safety of our passengers is of the utmost importance to us.”
The
lack of information on the plane’s fate has sparked intense
speculation, with theories including a possible terror attack, mid-air
explosion, structural failure, or crash into the sea.
There has been no evidence backing any of the theories.
Malaysia Airlines has said Fariq joined the airline in 2007.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/03/malaysia-airlines-shocked-report-co-pilot/#sthash.rAO7LITt.dpuf
KUALA
LUMPUR (AFP) – Malaysia Airlines said Tuesday it was “shocked” by
allegations aired in an Australian news programme of a past cockpit
security breach involving the co-pilot on its missing passenger jet.
Malaysia
Airlines MH370 vanished early Saturday on an overnight flight from
Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard. No trace of the plane or
evidence of its fate have been found.
Among those aboard were
First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, who along with a fellow pilot
violated airline rules in 2011 by allowing two young South African women
into their cockpit during a flight, one of the women told Sydney-based
Nine Network.
The report included photos of the women in the
cockpit, with one appearing to show them posing with a man resembling
Fariq. Passengers have been prohibited from entering the cockpit during a
flight after the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
The encounter
took place during the one-hour flight from the Thai beach resort of
Phuket to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, the report said.
“Malaysia
Airlines has become aware of the allegations being made against First
Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid which we take very seriously. We are shocked
by these allegations,” a statement by the airline said.
“We have
not been able to confirm the validity of the pictures and videos of the
alleged incident. As you are aware, we are in the midst of a crisis, and
we do not want our attention to be diverted,” the airline said.
Malaysia
Airlines has come under intense pressure from enraged relatives of the
227 missing passengers, who are demanding answers to the plane’s
perplexing disappearance.
The plane also had 12 crew.
Despite
a search by several nations over a wide swathe of sea in Southeast Asia
using dozens of aircraft and ships, the airline and Malaysian
authorities say they still have no idea what happened to the plane.
“We
also urge the media and general public to respect the privacy of the
families of our colleagues and passengers. It has been a difficult time
for them,” the airline said.
“The welfare of both the crew and
passengers’ families remain our focus. At the same time, the security
and safety of our passengers is of the utmost importance to us.”
The
lack of information on the plane’s fate has sparked intense
speculation, with theories including a possible terror attack, mid-air
explosion, structural failure, or crash into the sea.
There has been no evidence backing any of the theories.
Malaysia Airlines has said Fariq joined the airline in 2007.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/03/malaysia-airlines-shocked-report-co-pilot/#sthash.rAO7LITt.dpuf
