Malaysia Airlines’ crew resign over safety fears
Malaysia Airlines says almost 200 cabin crew have resigned in the past six months following the twin tragedies of flights MH370 and MH17.
The airline said a total of 186 crew had left since the end of July with many citing safety fears.
Abdul Malek Ariff, secretary-general of the airline union, said some employees ‘are now afraid to fly’ and some resignations have been sparked by family pressure to leave the company.
He also said remaining crew are having to work longer hours due to staff shortages.
The two tragedies – the mysterious disappearance of flight MH370 en route to Beijing, and MH17, shot down over Ukraine – claimed the lives of 27 crew members along with 537 passengers.
The Malaysian flag carrier, already in financial trouble before the two disasters, is in the process of being taken private by sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional.
In order to save the carrier, Khazanah Nasional is considering laying off up to 4,000 staff and will delist MAS from the Bursa Malaysia stock exchange.
The airline’s restructuring ‘will involve painful steps and sacrifices from all parties’, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said recently.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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