Global real time tracking is what we urgently need - DCA DG

Exactly a year after Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370 mysteriously disappeared, Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) director-general, Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman shares his experience of managing what has come to be known as 'aviation history’s biggest' mystery.

AA: A year has passed and what happened to flight MH370 shocked the world over. And we really understand what happened was a big challenge for DCA. It has been 365 days so far, how has the DCA dealt with this problem?

Azharuddin Abdul Rahman: We must understand that the MH370 incident is something that has never happened before. And we want to know what has happened. In fact, the world wanted to know what has happened. That is why the government is committed to finding the plane, the wreckage so that we get the plane's black box. With the black box, we will be able to find out what really happened to the plane.

AA: From the data obtained, it is believed that the plane was headed towards the Indian Ocean. We are aware that Boeing is a sophisticated aircraft. However, at the same time, questions are being asked regarding human negligence perhaps involving the pilots or any other parties. How do we restore people’s trust in correcting what happened, especially when it involves human factors?

AAR: I think when you say negligence; it is not right at this moment. We do not know what really happened. So I hope the speculations that are already out there can be reduced or eliminated altogether. Because we know from the analysis made by experts who have analysed the raw data, or data that has not been processed – and they are not from a single country but are various countries such as Australia, United Kingdom, United States, Malaysia and China – and they determine that the plane ended in the Indian Ocean.

AA: Looking at what’s lacking, what are some improvements that DCA needs to make?

AAR: What is the most significant right now -- and not just for DCA alone, but the entire civil aviation industry – is for the establishment of the global real time tracking.

AA: And it should be done as quickly as possible?

AAR: Yes, as soon as possible. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has established a special committee and they have given a period of time before August 31, to establish a method for all aircrafts to comply with real time tracking system.

AA: What can one learn from DCA’s role in providing information, particularly in the future?

AAR: After the missing of flight MH370, and as a responsible agency, we have reflected on what we’ve done. And what we know has been shared with MH370’s independent investigative body. We fully cooperate with the agency. It is up to that agency to release those reports.

AA: And this information is for family members, media and so on?

AAR: I am made to understand that is the case.

AA: There is also a question about the safety of the flight itself. Is there a gap in our security system? Or what needs to be done to ensure such incident does not happen again?

AAR: As stated in the aftermath of MH370, international bodies have also identified this real time tracking system. And I am confident that these bodies would provide a transparent investigation so that we know what happened. But all must understand that the investigation is still ongoing. As long as we are unable to find the wreckage, and as long as we cannot analyze the black box, the investigation is still ongoing.

AA: In terms of the data obtained in these 365 days we rely on the data from Inmarsat? What is the future plan in terms of the search for flight MH370? Are there other methods apart from relying on Inmarsat's data?

AAR: We must understand that every event is different. The reason it happened should be analysed. We should understand that the MH370 incident has never happened and we’ve lost that plane. And we only have the data from Inmarsat and it is a communication satellite, and not a detector satellite. The data has been analysed and found a ‘handshake’. From there they use a method that has not been used to search for the missing plane and locate where the flight ended.

AA: If there are those willing to come forward to help and give their own creativity, how does DCA see it?

AAR: We are open. The raw data is on DCA’s website, it is on a special web page dedicated to MH370. As far as I know, since we released the information, no agency was able to analyse where the aircraft is located.

AA: What is DCA’s approach in providing the best for the next-of-kin (NOK)?

AAR: We have a special protocol on how to handle the victims' families. In Malaysia, there is a committee to handle the passenger’s' NOK. And the committee has directed MAS to tell to each family member on the latest information. And MAS disseminates that information via telephone, website or in person.