Malaysia Airlines flying virtually empty

It has been nothing short of a catastrophic year for Malaysia Airlines, which suffered two major tragedies in quick succession, leaving its jets flying virtually empty, as pictures on social media show.

Photos of the deserted cabins have been making the rounds on the internet, a graphic reminder of how completely customer confidence has fled from Malaysia’s national carrier.

In March this year, flight MH370, scheduled to travel from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, vanished with all 227 passengers and 12 crew on board. The whereabouts of the missing airliner, as well as everyone on board, remains unknown.

Tragedy struck again last month when flight MH17 was apparently shot down while travelling in Ukrainian airspace. All 283 passengers, as well as 15 crew on board were killed, in an incident that seems unfairly pinned on the embattled airline, as it is but one of many airlines that operate in the area.

And if that was not enough, the chief steward of a Malaysia Airlines jet was detained on Aug 4 in France over allegations that he had sexually assaulted an Australian passenger on flight MH20 from Kuala Lumpur, according to a report on news.com.au.

The airline had said in a statement that the steward had been held for questioning by French police after the passenger had complained to authorities at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport.

The cabin crew member is alleged to have sat down beside her and sexually assaulted her under the pretext of ‘comforting’ her, after she had revealed her apprehensions about travelling on board the aircraft.

These incidents could not have come at a worse time for Malaysia Airlines, as it had already been operating in the red for about five years before either of this year’s crashes.

State investment fund Khazanah Nasional, which has controlled the airline for years via a 70 per cent ownership stake, has expressed the intention to to buy all remaining shares and delist the company before undertaking a ‘complete overhaul’ of the business.

Despite the apparently massive losses to revenue however, the airline has continued operating, and is believed to be burning through its reserves at some S$2.5 million a day, as reported on Mashable.com. AGENCIES