The missing MH 370, which was flying to Beijing, lost contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) at 2:40 am on 8-3-2014. The first press conference by the Group CEO of MAS, En Ahmad Jauhari Yahya (AJ) was at 12 noon on 8-3-2014. It took MAS 10 hours long to have its first press conference to keep the loved ones of the passengers, crews and world informed of the status of MH 370. AJ’s press conference was in HERE.
AJ’s email to members of staff of MAS on 8-3-2014 at 11:35:
From: YOUR VOICE ONLINE <UVOICE@malaysiaairlines.com>
Date: 8 March 2014 11:35:12 am GMT+8
Subject: Media Statement 3: GCEO’s Statement Press Conference 1, 11 am, KLIA
Below is the GCEO’s Statement at the Press Conference 1, 11.00am, KLIA MH370 Incident
We are deeply saddened this morning with the news on MH370.
Malaysia Airlines confirms that flight MH370 had lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control at 2.40am, today.
There has been speculation that the aircraft has landed at Nanming.
We are working to verify the authenticity of the report and others.
Flight MH370 was operated on a Boeing 777-200 aircraft.
It departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41 am earlier this morning bound for Beijing.
The aircraft was scheduled to land at Beijing International Airport at 6.30am local Beijing time.
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 – citizens from:-
1. China – 153 including infant
2. Malaysia – 38
3. Indonesia – 12
4. Australia – 7
5. France – 3
6. United States of America – 3 including 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.
We are working with 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.
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.
Our focus now 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.
The airline will provide regular updates on the situation.
The public may contact +603 7884 1234.
For media queries, kindly contact +603 8777 5698/ +603 8787 1276.
Please also log on to www.malaysiaairlines.com for updates.
Next-of-kin may head to the Support Facility Building at KLIA’s South Support Zone. For directions, call 03 8787 1269.
Ends.
Dear WCK, was following the MH370 mystery with mixed feelings but cannot help noticing that our Vietnamese authorities were clearly peeved off with the insensitivity shown by the Malaysian Armed Forces when we initiate another search in a new area whereas the Vietnamese were concentrating in the area of the last known communication and radar sighting with the transponder coded signifying MH370 @ 0130hrs. Obviously the new “radar sighting” was over the Malacca Straits which I believe do not carry the transponder code for MH370. I say this because the ATM chief finally confirm that its merely blips detected on military radar @ 0215hrs. If this was to come from the missing aircraft, it should begin closer to the last known position. Im more inclined to believe that the new blips were from another aircraft. I also believe that if theVietnamese pull out or decrease their search, it was because they feel that their efforts, with much inferior equipments as compared to the others, were not well appreciated – Ex-MAS Engineer.