Malaysia Airlines speaks up on MH370 — after a year-long silence to defend its pilot

MALAYSIA Airlines has broken its silence on MH370 to defend the plane’s pilot, after a leaked FBI report showed he had trialled flying to the crash site.

MALAYSIA AIRLINES has broken its silence on MH370 to defend captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah amid intense speculation he deliberately steered the plane off course and into the Southern Indian Ocean.

In the airlines’ first formal statement on the missing aircraft in more than a year, a spokesman said they had “noted recent media speculation around flight MH370 and deliberate pilot action”.

“Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah had served Malaysia Airlines for 33-years without any disciplinary or medical issues,” said the statement.

“He had a total of 18,423:40 flying hours and had flown the Boeing 777 for almost 16-years with an impeccable safety record.

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Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah who was flying MH370. Picture: Supplied

“Captain Shah was made a Type Rating Instructor and Type Rating Examiner for Boeing 777 fleet effective November, 2007.”

The statement expressed concern that reports about the pilot’s home flight simulator revealing he had tested a route to the Southern Indian Ocean, could cause distress to the families and friends of the 239 people on board the plane.

“Malaysia Airlines respectfully requests the public and media to be sensitive in this regard,” said the statement.

Last week, Malaysia’s Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai confirmed the route had been found on the pilot’s home simulator but was among “thousands” of destinations Captain Shah had tested out.

He denied it was evidence the pilot flew the plane into the Southern Indian Ocean.

“This theory is still under investigation,” Minister Liow said.

Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai (C), Chinese Minister of Transport Yang Chuantang (R) and Australia's Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester (L) listen to questions during a joint press conference of the Ministerial Tripartite Meeting on the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 at the Malaysian federal administrative centre in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur on June 22, 2016. Hopes of finding flight MH370's final resting place are "fading", and the three-nation search will be suspended if nothing is found in the suspected crash zone, Malaysia, Australia and China announced on July 22. / AFP PHOTO / MOHD RASFAN

The Malaysia Airlines statement insisted the government-owned carrier was fully co-operating with the relevant authorities in the investigation into MH370.

“MAS has complete faith in the ability of the investigating bodies ... and continues to support the current investigation of flight MH370,” the statement said.

“MAS will continue to provide the facts, records, evidence and information to the authorities in line with international requirements and applicable laws.

“MAS further wishes to reiterate that full and wholly adequate insurance coverage remains in place to meet all of the MAS’ legal liabilities arising from the loss of flight MH370, and is unaffected by these allegations.”

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Next of kin in Australia have filed lawsuits against Malaysia Airlines for its negligence in failing to keep track of one of its own aircraft, and failing to ensure the safety of their loved ones.

But the compensation claims have been held up by outrageous demands by lawyers acting for Malaysia Airlines’ insurers, including information about MH370’s whereabouts and fate.

“From day one they haven’t wanted to help try to make this easier for us,” said the eldest daughter of Brisbane’s Rod and Mary Burrows, Karla McMaster.

“It seems they just want to put the families last.”

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is leading the search effort in the Southern Indian Ocean which is due to be completed by the end of the year.

Once the entire 120,000 square kilometre priority zone is thoroughly scanned, the search will be suspended in the absence of new evidence about the 777’s final resting place.

Malaysia Airlines last issued a public statement on MH370 on August 6, 2015, when it expressed condolences to families after a flaperon found on Reunion Island was confirmed as coming from the missing plane.