Malaysia Airlines accepts “painful reality”
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has said it must accept the “painful reality” that flight MH370 crashed into the Indian Ocean, killing everyone onboard.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the airline’s chairman, Md Nor Md Yusof, said that while people have been clinging to “the smallest hope of positive news”, it is now time to face the fact that the passengers and crew will not be found alive.
“We must accept the painful reality that the aircraft is now lost and that none of the passengers or crew on board survived,” Yusof said in a statement.
“This is a sad and tragic day for all of us at Malaysia Airlines. While not entirely unexpected after an intensive multi-national search across a 2.24 million square mile area, this news is clearly devastating for the families of those on board.”
MAS also confirmed that it has provided “initial financial assistance” to the families of the passengers who died aboard flight MH370. The airline confirmed today that it has already offered a sum of US$5,000 per passenger, and said it was preparing to offer “additional payments as the search continues”.
A total of 227 passengers and 12 crew members were onboard the flight when it went missing.
Boeing sends condolences
Boeing has offered its condolences following the confirmation that flight MH370 is almost certain to have crashed into the Indian Ocean. The US company, which manufactured the B777-200 involved in the incident, said it was “saddened” by the announcement.
“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies continue to be with the families and loved ones of those aboard,” Boeing said.
The planemaker added that it continues to serve as a technical advisor to the US National Transportation Board (NTSB), which is assisting Malaysia with the investigation.
Comments are closed.