Two cabin crew refused to fly on doomed plane over war zone safety fears: Senior pilots and cabin crew flagged concerns about flight path weeks before tragedy
- Airline staff refused to fly over airspace deeming it too dangerous
- Two Ukrainian planes, a fighter jet and a transport aircraft, shot down by rebels on the flight path
- BA, all US airlines, Lufthansa, Air France and Qantas already avoid war zone in Ukraine
Two cabin crew swapped shifts so they would not be on the doomed Malaysian airliner downed by a missile in eastern Ukraine, after raising concerns about the safety of flying over the war zone.
Other senior pilots and cabin crew had flagged up fears about the flightpath in the weeks leading up to the tragedy, although Malaysia Airlines last night denied ignoring crew concerns.
Some staff are reported to have refused to fly over the airspace where the passenger airliner was downed because they deemed it to be too volatile and dangerous, especially after two Ukrainian planes, a fighter jet and a transport aircraft, were shot down by rebels.
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Malaysia Airlines stewardess Angeline Premila Rajandaran, 30, who was the youngest member of crew on board flight MH17 when it
was shot down over Ukraine
According to well-placed Malaysia Airlines sources, at least two cabin crew swapped shifts so they would not be on MH17, specifically because they were worried about the flightpath. The Mail on Sunday has been told worried pilots consulted air traffic controllers in Malaysia and also made an informal approach to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). But still Malaysia Airlines did not divert the route, unlike other carriers.
British Airways as well as all US airlines, Lufthansa, Air France and Qantas, were already avoiding the war zone in Ukraine, adding an extra 20 minutes’ flight time, and there is growing pressure on Malaysia Airlines to explain why it did not follow suit.
Asiana Airlines, another company avoiding the war zone, said: ‘Although the detour adds to flight time and cost, we have been making the detour for safety.’ Last night, civil aviation analyst Chris Yates backed up the pilots’ concerns, saying: ‘My view is that wherever there is a conflict zone, then above that conflict zone the airspace should be closed.
‘Any time that you have civil strife or military strife ongoing in a military area, my opinion is that airspace should be closed until the situation clears up. Why take the risk? The bottom line is: Passengers on flights need to stay safe.’
Tragic: Angeline Premila died doing the job she loved aboard flight MH17
Ismail Nasarudd, the president of the National Union of Flight Attendants in Malaysia said yesterday that serious questions needed to be asked about how the passenger jet was allowed to fly over the war zone.
Mr Nasarudd, who said that he was not aware of any union members who had raised concerns about flying in the airspace, added: ‘We are very angry and upset that this has happened. The International Civil Aviation Organisation had given the green light for aircraft to fly over that airspace above 32,000ft and other airlines were doing so.
‘We need to know whether the International Civil Aviation Organisation was aware of a risk of flying in that airspace and, if it was, why it made the decision to allow flights. We also want to know whether Malaysia Airlines was specifically targeted.’
The British Civil Aviation Authority had warned operators to take caution in the Donetsk area but Eurocontrol, the EU authority, and the International Civil Aviation Organisation had not imposed a ban on flying through the zone.
A Malaysia Airlines spokesman said last night: ‘No crew members have discussed any concerns about flying over Ukraine.
‘Malaysia Airlines, along with many other airlines, has been flying in this airspace, which was declared safe by ICAO and IATA.
He added: ‘150 airlines each day were using the same air corridor.’
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
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