Malaysia Airlines Faces Another Scare As Flight MH70 Forced To Turn Back
A Malaysia Airlines jet bound for Tokyo was forced to turn back on Saturday, after the crew faced problems maintaining the pressure inside the aircraft.
As The Daily Mail reports, Malaysia Airlines flight MH70 had been in the air for close to an hour before it was forced to return to Kuala Lumpur. Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, Director-General of the Department of Civil Aviation, claimed that the issue was related to the pressure inside the plane, which the crew was unable to keep at the proper level. The Malaysia Airlines jet “was not able to maintain the right pressure differential for the comfort of the passengers,” he said, adding, “It is not a major problem.”
On @MAS flight MH70, the plane just circled back to KL because safety issues were found midflight. Wtf
— Victor Tan (@victortanws) August 23, 2014
Malaysia Airlines flight MH70, a Boeing 777-20 jet, reversed course 50 minutes into its Tokyo-bound flight and was able to safely return to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The aircraft landed without any issue, and passengers were transferred to another plane, which departed a few hours later, according to The Telegraph.
Malaysia Airlines flight to Tokyo turns back after cabin pressure problems http://t.co/cpfKFM2djn pic.twitter.com/cbVaNi5ueL
— The Independent (@Independent) August 24, 2014
Malaysia Airlines has faced a difficult year as two of 2014’s biggest aviation disasters have centered around the company. As The Inquisitr has previously reported, Malaysia flight MH370 disappeared from radar screens on March 8th, destined for Beijing. The missing plane has yet to be found, although searchers are about to enter a new phase in their hunt. As The Independent relates, two vessels are preparing to map nearly 60,000 sq km of the ocean floor, searching for the downed Malaysia Airlines plane.
Searching the seas for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane #MH370 http://t.co/FAK0zxddp5 pic.twitter.com/L66vsEZd3l
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) August 23, 2014
Flight MH17, meanwhile, was shot out of the sky on July 17th, over eastern Ukraine. All 298 people on board the flight were killed. Between the two incidents, Malaysia Airlines has lost a total of 537 passengers this year.
Malaysia Airlines is set for a complete overhaul in the wake of the two air disasters. The Malaysian government is preparing to re-nationalize the airline through its investment arm, Khazanah Nasional. Though the carrier is mired in debt, the government sees Malaysia Airlines as a national strategic asset, vital to development. In an effort to detoxify its public image, Malaysia Airlines may face a complete re-branding, including a change of name.
[Image via The Independent]
