Malaysia Airlines crew member detained over alleged sexual assault
A Malaysia Airlines air cabin steward has been detained in France over allegations that he sexually assaulted an Australian passenger who was scared of flying with the airline.
The airline confirmed in a statement that French police had detained a crew member for questioning following allegations of ‘inappropriate sexual behaviour’ to a passenger on flight MH20 from Kuala Lumpur to Paris on August 4.
The Australian passenger made the claims to authorities after landing at Charles de Gaulle.
She said she had made crew aware at the beginning of the flight that she was concerned about flying with Malaysia Airlines after the two recent disasters.
She claims the crew member sat beside her and sexually assaulted her under the pretext of ‘comforting’ her, according to reports in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Malaysia Airlines said it would assist French authorities in their investigation, adding ‘the safety, comfort and well-being of our passengers is always our highest priority’.
"Malaysia Airlines expects and accepts nothing short of the highest standards of conduct from its crew and takes any such allegations very seriously," it added.
The case is yet another setback for the struggling national carrier.
In March, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared with 239 people aboard en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Last month, Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine killing all 298 on board.
Last week, Malaysia’s state investment firm Khazanah Nasional, which currently owns 69.4% of the airline, said it plans to buy out minority shareholders so it can start a restructuring plan.
The airline has been losing money for many years as the area has been flooded with low cost rivals and its market value has fallen by more than 40% in the past nine months.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt