AirAsia Apologises For Its "Sarcastic" MH370 Article After Social Media Backlash
AirAsia has apologised over an article published on its in-flight travel magazine travel 3Sixty April edition, which appeared to be sarcastic towards the missing MAS MH370.
By Sadho Ram — 05 Apr 2014, 07:59 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
AirAsia today (5 April) apologised and removed its latest in-flight magazine from all its aircraft after an article was criticised for being sarcastic towards the missing MH370
AirAsia apologised and said that copies of its magazine with the offending remark have been removed from all AirAsia flights
Image via themalaymailonline.comAirAsia has apologised over an article published on its in-flight travel magazine travel 3sixty April edition, which appeared to be sarcastic towards the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 flight.
thestar.com.myIn a statement here, AirAsia executive chairman and Travel 3Sixty’s publisher Datuk Kamarudin Meranun apologised for the slight and said that copies of the magazine have been removed from all AirAsia flights.
The company's executive chairman and publisher of Travel 3Sixty, Kamarudin Meranun said that the airline company will also be taking disciplinary action against its editorial team. His full statement:
Datuk Kamarudin Meranun is Airasia executive chairman and publisher of Travel 3Sixty magazine
Image via forbes.com"With deep regret and remorse I would like to sincerely apologise for any offense caused by the Pilot's Perspective article in the latest issue of Travel 3Sixty magazine. The section is a monthly column on aviation written by Capt Lim Khoy Hing, a retired pilot who formally worked with AirAsia as well as Malaysia Airlines and has written books on aviation industry. As a monthly contributor, Capt Lim prepares all of his articles months in advance before the magazine goes to print. Unintentionally and regrettably, the current issue carries an article that discusses GPS and Radar, which was printed a month before its issue date."
themalaymailonline.com
"We’ve addressed the issue and have improved our editorial approval process to ensure this does not happen in future and ensure that all contents in the magazine are consistent with our brand values. Disciplinary action will be taken against the editorial team as well. We are removing the magazine from all of our flights on all AirAsia aircraft immediately. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family and friends of the recent aviation incident."
"This is a truly difficult time for the nation and words cannot describe how I personally feel about this incident. It truly saddens me that this article was released at such an inopportune moment. Again, I repeatedly offer my sincere apologies for any discomfort this may have caused."
themalaymailonline.com
The article in question drew criticism among netizens yesterday after a passenger posted this photograph
The issue first came to light when a passenger flying aboard an AirAsia flight photographed the page and posted it on the microblogging site yesterday, before accusing the airline of being managed by “arrogant douchebags”.
The last paragraph read: “Pilot training in AirAsia is continuous and very thorough. Rest assured that your captain is well prepared to ensure your plane will never get lost.”
breakingnews.ie
The article sparked anger on social media after an AirAsia passenger posted a photograph of the text on Twitter
Image via breakingnews.ieThose who criticised said the article was inappropriate, giving that how everyone is still grieving and focused on the missing MH370 that disappeared on 8 March
However, it wasn't the first faux pas for AirAsia, reports The Indian Express
On the day the plane went missing, Fernandes said on Twitter that the aircraft’s radio had failed and that all were safe, but later deleted the tweet.
indianexpress.com