Tony Fernandes no love lost
Luqman Hariz
October 17, 2017 14:46 MYT
October 17, 2017 14:46 MYT
And yet, was criticising how the descent was exaggerated as a rapid -plunge- by certain reports. - Filepic
AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes has hit back at some media reports on the depressurization incident that happened to its Perth-Denpasar flight on Sunday.
On Sunday, Bali-bound AirAsia flight QZ535 was forced to return to Perth after less than half an hour in the air, after experiencing some technical glitches.
The plane had suddenly lost cabin pressure, which had caused it to drop from 32,000ft to 10,000ft.
But Fernandes was criticizing how the descent was exaggerated as a rapid “plunge” by certain reports.
Passenger videos of the incident have been circulating online, showing oxygen masks dropping from the ceiling and passengers being told to brace.
Some reports were also critical of the flight attendants, alleging that they “panicked” and were “hysterical” – something Fernandes also took issue with.
In a statement on the same day, AirAsia Group Head of Safety Captain Ling Liong Tien echoed Fernandes’ stance.
"We commend our pilots for landing the aircraft safely and complying with standard operating procedure.
“We are fully committed to the safety of our guests and crew and we will continue to ensure that we adhere to the highest safety standards," he said.
The budget carrier subsequently apologised for any inconvenience caused.
Flight QZ535 landed safely back in Perth at 12.40pm with no passenger injuries reported.
The flight was cancelled and passengers were rebooked on later flights to Denpasar, Bali.