Malaysia Airlines releases statement on MH370 Flight Incident

Malaysia Airlines confirmed on its Facebook page that they have lost all contacts with flight MH370 which departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41 am earlier this morning bound for Beijing, China. The official statement on flight incident was released by the airline Group Chief Executive Officer, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya on Saturday, March 8, 2014.

Malaysia Airlines releases statement on MH370 Flight Incident

The aircraft was scheduled to land at Beijing International Airport at 6.30am local Beijing time.

Subang Air Traffic Control reported that it lost contact at 2.40am (local Malaysia time) today.

Flight MH370 was operated on a Boeing B777-200 aircraft.

There has been speculation that the aircraft has landed at Nanming. Malaysia Airlines still working to verify the authenticity of the report and others.

Boeing Airplanes on its Twitter account said that they are monitoring reports on Malaysia flight MH370 and their thoughts are with everyone on board.

The flight was carrying a total number of 239 passengers and crew – comprising 227 passengers (including 2 infants), 12 crew members. The passengers were of 14 different nationalities.

The passengers were of 14 different nationalities are citizens from:

1. China – 152 plus 1 infant
2. Malaysia - 38
3. Indonesia - 12
4. Australia - 7
5. France - 3
6. United States of America – 3 pax plus 1 infant
7. New Zealand - 2
8. Ukraine - 2
9. Canada - 2
10. Russia - 1
11. Italy - 1
12. Taiwan - 1
13. Netherlands - 1
14. Austria - 1

This flight was a code share with China Southern Airlines.

The flight was piloted by Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, a Malaysian aged 53. He has a total flying hours of 18,365hours. He joined Malaysia Airlines in 1981. First officer, Fariq Ab.Hamid, a Malaysian, is aged 27. He has a total flying hours of 2,763 hours. He joined Malaysia Airlines in 2007.

China's Xinhua state news agency said it was lost in airspace controlled by Vietnam. The aircraft did not enter airspace controlled by China and did not make contact with Chinese controllers, the agency added.

Relatives of passengers have faced an anxious wait at Beijing International Airport
Relatives of passengers have faced an anxious wait at Beijing International Airport | Reuters


Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their Search and Rescue team to locate the aircraft.

"Our team is currently calling the next-of-kin of passengers and crew. Focus of the airline is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilize its full support. Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members. ", Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said.


The airline is the national carrier of Malaysia and one of Asia's largest, flying nearly 37,000 passengers daily to some 80 destinations worldwide.



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